After much needed rainfall came across Central Alabama in late July and early August, another dry spell across Central Alabama again worsened drought conditions, with some northwestern counties seeing Severe (D2) conditions redevelop. By the end of the month, a ridge of high pressure dominated the South, with multiple dry days with highs in the upper 90s.
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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 BMX wrote it up.
After much needed rainfall came across Central Alabama in late July and early August, another dry spell across Central Alabama again worsened drought conditions, with some northwestern counties seeing Severe (D2) conditions redevelop. By the end of the month, a ridge of high pressure dominated the South, with multiple dry days with highs in the upper 90s.
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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 26, 11:54 PM CST, 6 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 1254 AM CDT Tue Aug 27 2024 ...New SHORT TERM, AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (Today through Wednesday afternoon) Issued at 1254 AM CDT TUE AUG 27 2024 A patch of residual drier air will linger across the northern half of Alabama through this afternoon, marked by PWAT values at or below 1 inch. As the center of a 500 mb ridge moves toward the Tennessee Valley, temperatures should respond by increasing 2-3 deg F across most of the forecast area. This is supported by an increase in low- level thickness values and 850 mb temperatures. Widespread mid to upper 90 are expected this afternoon, and dewpoints in the 50s and 60s will continue to provide relief. At the southeastern border of our forecast area, higher moisture content may creep into the picture this afternoon, potentially triggering isolated convection. As the ridge in the 850-700 mb layer transitions toward the Carolinas on Wednesday, the patch of residual drier air across northern Alabama will erode as deeper moisture is advected northward. This should result in scattered showers and storms Wednesday afternoon across the southern two-thirds of the area. 87/Grantham && .LONG TERM... (Tuesday night through next Sunday) Issued at 348 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2024 The latest guidance is similar to the previous forecast with increasing moisture overall as the week progresses as the ridge weakens. This will result in diurnal rain chances returning and slowly increasing in chances/coverage as we head into the weekend. The highest humidity and thus heat index value days currently look to be Wed through Fri as many areas are close to the 105 values needed for a heat advisory. Will continue to monitor as it gets closer to the short term. 08 Previous long-term discussion: (Tuesday night through next Sunday) Issued at 304 AM CDT MON AUG 26 2024 Key messages: - While probabilities of temperatures hitting 100 degrees have trended downward Wednesday and Thursday, increasing humidity is resulting in increasing probabilities (40-60%) of heat indices reaching 105 degrees especially on Thursday. - A return to more typical scattered (30-40% chances) afternoon and evening thunderstorms activity is expected for the holiday weekend. The mid-level anticyclone will be centered over the Ohio Valley to start to start the period, and will drift southeastward into the Southeast and weaken Wednesday and Thursday. By Friday, the influence of a seasonally strong trough over the north-central CONUS will cause the anticyclone to devolve into general broad ridging with a couple embedded weaknesses. Meanwhile, weak southeasterly low-level flow on the west side of the Bermuda high will cause the old frontal boundary/moisture gradient that has been mixing back and forth diurnally across our southern counties to continue to make net progress northward. This feature has overall been trending northward with recent runs, with potential for isolated (20% chance) diurnal convection trending northward Wednesday and Thursday. Also, while dew points will mix out some each afternoon, they have been trending upward with the further north position of the boundary. Therefore, while high temperatures have trended a couple degrees downward, with low (10 to 30 percent) probabilities of temperatures hitting 100F now mainly limited to our northwest counties, this will be compensated by heat indices trending upward. Thus probabilities of heat indices reaching 105F have increased to around 40 to 60 percent across the middle of the area especially on Thursday. As the ridge weakens Friday through the weekend, a cold front will stall to our northwest. This will result in PWATs increasing to 1.8 to 2 inches and a return of more typical summertime scattered (30-40% chances) afternoon and evening convection returning for the holiday weekend with heat indices mainly in the 100 to 105 range. 32/Davis && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1254 AM CDT TUE AUG 27 2024 VFR conditions will continue through the TAF period. Easterly winds of 4-6 knots are expected during the daylight hours. 87/Grantham && .FIRE WEATHER... A drier than typical airmass will remain in place today with minimum RH values ranging from 25 percent in the northwest to 40 percent in the southeast. 20 foot winds from the east at 4 to 6 mph are expected. RH values will begin to increase on Wednesday as low-level flow shifts to the southeast. This increase in moisture should yield scattered afternoon showers and storms. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 96 67 97 71 / 0 0 10 0 Anniston 94 69 96 72 / 0 0 10 0 Birmingham 97 72 97 74 / 0 0 20 0 Tuscaloosa 98 72 97 73 / 0 0 20 10 Calera 96 72 96 74 / 0 0 30 10 Auburn 93 73 94 73 / 10 0 20 10 Montgomery 97 74 97 74 / 10 10 30 10 Troy 95 72 95 72 / 20 10 30 10 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...87/Grantham LONG TERM....08 AVIATION...87/Grantham
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Birmingham AL 307 AM CDT Mon Aug 26 2024 ALZ011>015-017>050-271115- Marion-Lamar-Fayette-Winston-Walker-Blount-Etowah-Calhoun-Cherokee- Cleburne-Pickens-Tuscaloosa-Jefferson-Shelby-St. Clair-Talladega- Clay-Randolph-Sumter-Greene-Hale-Perry-Bibb-Chilton-Coosa-Tallapoosa- Chambers-Marengo-Dallas-Autauga-Lowndes-Elmore-Montgomery-Macon- Bullock-Lee-Russell-Pike-Barbour- 307 AM CDT Mon Aug 26 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the counties served by the National Weather Service office in Birmingham. .DAY ONE...Outlook through Tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought level increased to Severe (D2) in late August.
Drought level increased to Severe (D2) in late August.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, August 2024
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: 1199196, 1199197.