A cluster of strong to severe thunderstorms moved east-southeast across northwest Alabama during the morning hours. Large hail and damaging winds were reports in a few locations.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS HUN wrote it up.
A cluster of strong to severe thunderstorms moved east-southeast across northwest Alabama during the morning hours. Large hail and damaging winds were reports in a few locations.
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 Jun 14, 5:15 AM CST, 3 hours 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 615 AM CDT Wed Jun 14 2023 ...New AVIATION... .NEAR TERM... (Today) Issued at 323 AM CDT Wed Jun 14 2023 An active day of weather expected across the Tennessee Valley today as multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms will develop and move across our area. This activity will largely be in response to a shortwave trough moving from the Ozarks and Mid South into the Tennessee Valley and across much of the Deep South. This feature will be coinciding with fairly strong (especially for mid-June) mid-level flow of ~50-60 kts. As we transition toward daybreak and the early/mid morning hours, this feature will induce broader synoptic scale ascent along and north of a surface boundary draped roughly along the I-20 to I-22 corridor of central Alabama into northern Mississippi. The latest satellite and radar imagery is already supporting this as a line of convection has developed along the boundary, while another cluster of showers and storms has formed across western Tennessee closer to the vort-max. Expect this more northern cluster to eventually move ESE into the Tennessee Valley by daybreak and move across the area during the mid/late morning hours. This morning activity for the most part will remain at least slightly elevated, but this could change by the late morning as the boundary layer begins to warm. Moderate to heavy downpours, brief gusty winds, and lightning appear to the be main threats with this early round of storms. Our attention will then quickly turn to the afternoon as the initial convection shifts east into the Georgia. Some partial clearing will allow temperatures to climb into the low to mid 80s as the atmosphere destabilizes quickly. While we may only be highlighted in a Marginal to Slight Risk (with the much higher severe probabilities just to our south), the storm environment in the Tennessee Valley could have some "boom" potential as well depending on how the storm environment evolves in correlation with the more robust forcing. During the afternoon, SBCAPE values between 1500 to 2500 J/kg may be possible, coupled with steep low- level lapse rates between 7-7.5 C/km -- all within 50-60 kts of bulk shear. This will support both supercells and multicell clusters/line segments. The shear profile is fairly unidirectional, with relatively straight hodographs noted on model soundings. This environment would favor large hail (potentially up to 1.5" to 2" in diameter) with the strongest storms and damaging wind gusts as the main impacts. Additionally, with PWATs around 1.5" these storms will be efficient rain producers and heavy downpours/locally heavy rainfall may be a concern if multiple rounds of afternoon/evening storms come to fruition. The main window for severe weather may end up being roughly 2 to 8 PM give or take an hour or two. The most favored locations for severe weather will be for areas along/south of the Tennessee River, but everyone will have some risk for strong/severe storms. Eventually, guidance shows storms latching onto the surface boundary just to our south and forming an MCS that will drop across central/south Alabama in a much more unstable environment. Thus, by mid/late evening our severe risk will come to an end. && .SHORT TERM... (Tonight through Saturday) Issued at 323 AM CDT Wed Jun 14 2023 The severe threat will wane overnight, but low chances for showers and thunderstorms will persist (especially south of the Tennessee River). Low to medium rain chances will continue on Thursday (30-60%), though the severe threat will be displaced well to our south closer to the stalled boundary in south Alabama. The boundary will remain just to our southwest on Friday and Saturday as high pressure at the surface begins to nose in from the northeast. We'll have plenty of moisture underneath this ridge to warrant low to medium (30-40%) shower/thunderstorm chances. Afternoon instability values may actually ramp up, especially on Saturday as temperatures climb back into the lower 90s. However, with out a true forcing mechanism, this convection will be pulse like and more disorganized -- with better strong/severe storm chances being tied closer to the boundary to the southwest. && .LONG TERM... (Saturday night through Tuesday) Issued at 323 AM CDT Wed Jun 14 2023 Better chances for showers and storms and potentially a higher potential for a few strong/severe storms may occur on Sunday as another shortwave ripples across the Mid South and Ohio/Tennessee Valleys. Guidance is hinting at an MCS that may form somewhere across the Ozarks into the ArkLaMiss which could move into the Tennessee Valley during a Sunday into Monday window. The NBM has picked up on this a little bit, showing medium to high chances for rain already during that window (50-70%). However, confidence is low on the location of critical mesoscale features and the orientation and location of the shortwave -- so for now we have much higher confidence in rain and opposed to storm mode and severe probs. Long range ensemble guidance is continuing to hint at an active pattern persisting next week, meaning there will be additional opportunities for rain and potentially a continued run of temperatures at/below normal. && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 615 AM CDT Wed Jun 14 2023 SHRA/TSRA are moving across the area this morning, prompting AWWs at both terminals due to cloud to ground lightning. This activity will impact the terminals through 14-15z before pushing off to the east. Expect MVFR conditions to persist this afternoon due to lower ceilings and SHRA/TSRA to redevelop in the mid afternoon through the early evening. Some of the TSRA may be strong to severe, promoting additional AWWs and amendments due to convective wind gusts. The TSRA threat will wane after 02-03z, but low stratus and -SHRA will linger through the rest of the period. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...None. TN...None. && NEAR TERM...AMP SHORT TERM....AMP LONG TERM....AMP AVIATION...AMP.24
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
910 AM CDT Wed Jun 14 2023
ALZ002-003-141500-
Franklin AL-Colbert AL-
910 AM CDT Wed Jun 14 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southwestern Colbert
and northwestern Franklin Counties through 1000 AM CDT...
At 910 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles southwest of Burton, or 8 miles southeast of Booneville, moving
east at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Russellville, Tuscumbia, Red Bay, Belgreen, Malone, Posey Loop, Pogo,
Mt Hester, Cedar Creek Reservoir and Srygley Church.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3474 8812 3472 8772 3439 8777 3445 8816
TIME...MOT...LOC 1410Z 272DEG 24KT 3459 8846
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
HCThe Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:45 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was knocked down at 8255 Waterloo Road. Time estimated by radar.
Trees and power lines were knocked down along Highway 19 outside of Red Bay.
The public reported hail of 3 inches in diameter.
Golf ball sized hail was reported at the White Oak Market on Highway 157.
Trees and power lines were knocked down along Jack Road outside of Phil Campbell.
Trees and power lines were knocked down at the intersection of Edgar Chapel Road and Cook Road outside of Phil Campbell.
A social media photo relayed by broadcast media indicated hail of up to ping pong ball size on Alberta Drive in Decatur.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, June 2023
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1116635, 1115615, 1115613, 1115614, 1115616, 1115617, 1116634.