Excessive Heat and Heat in Alabama, July 20, 2023

Name: Excessive Heat and Heat in Alabama, July 20, 2023
Start: 2023-07-20T09:00
End: 2023-07-20T18:00
Location: Alabama

July 20, 2023 · NWS HUN · 10 events in 8 counties and zones

Heat index values reached 105 to 109 degrees for most areas of north central and northwest Alabama. The heat index reached 110 to 111 degrees briefly in Madison and Cullman Counties.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
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Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 10

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS HUN wrote it up.

Heat index values reached 105 to 109 degrees for most areas of north central and northwest Alabama. The heat index reached 110 to 111 degrees briefly in Madison and Cullman Counties.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 20, 5:07 AM CST, 3 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 5:07 AM CST, 3 hours 53 minutes before

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heat, 2 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Heat, Madison

When: July 20, 9:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.763, -86.550 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index reached 105 to 110 degrees.

Heat, Limestone

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Limestone forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.810, -86.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index reached 105 to 107 degrees.

Heat, Morgan

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Morgan forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.454, -86.853 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index reached 105 to 107 degrees.

Heat, Colbert

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Colbert forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.700, -87.805 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index reached 105 to 109 degrees.

Heat, Lauderdale

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Lauderdale forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.901, -87.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index reached 105 to 109 degrees.

Heat, Franklin

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.442, -87.844 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index reached 105 to 109 degrees.

Heat, Lawrence

When: July 20, 10:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Lawrence forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.522, -87.311 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index reached 105 to 109 degrees.

Heat, Cullman

When: July 20, 11:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: Cullman forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 34.132, -86.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index reached 105 to 111 degrees.

Excessive Heat, Cullman

When: July 20, 1:00 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Cullman forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 34.132, -86.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index reached 111 degrees.

Excessive Heat, Madison

When: July 20, 1:00 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 34.763, -86.550 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The heat index reached 110 degrees.

What these are

Heat: Heat below excessive heat criteria that still caused deaths, injuries or significant impacts.
Excessive Heat: Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alabama in 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Alabama, July 2023

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1117399, 1117400, 1117401, 1117407, 1117408, 1117409, 1117410, 1117403, 1117404, 1117405.