S. coastline, southerly to southeasterly flow brought sufficient moisture advection to spark the return of scattered thunderstorms across Central Alabama by August 28.
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 BMX wrote it up.
As a ridge of high pressure that had been centered over the central Mississippi River Valley shifted eastward toward the Southeast U.S. coastline, southerly to southeasterly flow brought sufficient moisture advection to spark the return of scattered thunderstorms across Central Alabama by August 28. High DCAPE values, in some instances over 1200-1300 J/kg, aided in downburst activity for several consecutive afternoons. Most impacted were the cities of Mountain Brook and Alexander City, both on August 29, where scattered to widespread tree and power line damage occurred. Several homes and a couple businesses sustained heavy damage in Alexander City as well.
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 28, 2:42 PM CST, 3 hours 14 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 342 PM CDT Wed Aug 28 2024 ...New LONG TERM... .SHORT TERM... (This evening through Thursday) Issued at 145 PM CDT WED AUG 28 2024 This afternoon. A contracting mid-level ridge was located over much of the Eastern Tennessee Valley Region while a weakness aloft was over much of the Western Gulf Coast Region. Surface high pressure extended from near Bermuda over the Central Atlantic westward into the Coastal Southeast states while a front extended from west to east across much of the Northern Plains east through the Northern Ohio River Valley and into New England. Multichannel water vapor imagery and the 28/12z BMX sounding sampled increasing low level moisture, generally below 700 mb across much of the area this morning while persistent dry air remains entrenched higher aloft. Expect partly cloudy skies areawide with more sun to the northeast. Isolated showers and a few storms will continue to develop across portions of the area, currently most favored roughly near the Interstate 20 corridor due to a precipitable water gradient in the low to mid levels and terrain impacts/differential heating. The magnitude of dry air aloft is great, and any storm that can build deep enough vertically into that dry layer would become capable of producing a wet microburst, but lack of forcing/ascent is expected to keep most if not of that activity rather shallow in nature. Winds will be south to southeast at 3-6 mph. High temperatures will range from the mid 90s east to the upper 90s south and west with values near the century mark across the northwest. The combination of heat and humidity will produce heat index values from 100-103 degrees across the southwest two- thirds of the forecast area this afternoon. Tonight. Mid-level ridging will continue to contract to our north overnight while a weakness aloft remains to our southwest. Surface high pressure becomes centered further east but continues to influence conditions locally on a smaller magnitude while the front well to our north moves further south, extending from the Midwest east across the Central Ohio River Valley into the Mid Atlantic Region. Partly cloudy skies with lingering showers and potentially a few storms will persist overnight south while clouds will decrease across the northern counties with dry conditions. Winds will be light from the south at 2-4 mph. Low temperatures will range from around 70 far north and northeast to the lower 70s south and central. Thursday. Weaker ridging aloft will persist to our northeast on Thursday while the upper level weakness persists to our southwest. Weaker surface high pressure influence will continue to extend into the area from the east while the surface front becomes stationary to our north across the Ohio River Valley into the Mid Atlantic Region. Continued east and southeast flow in the low to mid levels will result in further moisture increases in the lower half of the vertical column, resulting in greater chances for convective activity to develop through the day. Expect partly cloudy skies Thursday with isolated showers and some storms developing by late morning and increasing areawide with scattered activity possible across the southwest. Winds will be from the southeast at 4-8 mph. High temperatures will range from the mid 90s east to the upper 90s south and west. The combination of heat and humidity will result in heat index values from around 100 to 104 across much of the area with higher values south and west. A few locations west and south may reach 105 for an hour or two, but the extent and duration of possible occurrence appears to be too limited to support an advisory. 05 && .LONG TERM... (Thursday night through next Tuesday) Issued at 243 PM CDT WED AUG 28 2024 Long term forecast is on track this afternoon, with only minor adjustments to pops needed. Depending on rain trends on Friday, heat indices could hit 105F before afternoon convection develops. Will need to consider a heat advisory closer to the day. 14 Previous long-term discussion: (Thursday night through next Tuesday) Issued at 312 AM CDT WED AUG 28 2024 Key message: - Low (20 to 40%) probabilities of heat indices reaching 105F in northwest portions of Central Alabama on Friday. - Typical summertime isolated to scattered (20-40% probabilities) showers and storms are expected Friday through the holiday weekend. Mid-level ridging continues to weaken but now looks to still hang on across Georgia and portions of East Alabama Friday and Saturday, flanked by weak troughs over the Lower Mississippi Valley and off the Southeast Atlantic coast. Meanwhile upper troughing looks to amplify across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. A cold front will sag southeastward across the Midwest on Friday, reaching the Ohio Valley on Sunday. A plume of tropical moisture will be associated with the trough over the Lower Mississippi Valley, wrapping northeastward around the ridge and ahead of the front. This better moisture will mainly stay west and northwest of the area Friday and Saturday, but moisture will still be sufficient for isolated to scattered (20-40% chances) showers and storms, highest chances northwest and lowest chances southeast. While there will be some low probabilities for heat indices briefly reaching 105 in the northwest counties, heat indices will mainly be between 98 and 104 Friday and Saturday. Heights fall slightly on Sunday as troughing continues to amplify over the Great Lakes and what's left of the weakness to our west drifts eastward. The cold front will move very slowly southeast to the Mid-South with increasing PWATs across the forecast area. However, lingering 850-700mb ridging will still keep showers and storms scattered in nature. Heights may begin to rise Monday as the trough lifts northeastward across New England, unless the weakness in the ridge is able to remain intact. The front will begin to move into the area and stall. Moisture will remain enhanced ahead of the front but lack of upper support continues to keep convection scattered in nature. A near 1030mb high moves into New England by Tuesday resulting in relatively stout (for this time of year) CAD wedge. Ensemble spread increases regarding potential interaction of the back door wedge front with a weak southern stream shortwave causing higher rain chances Tuesday. Ensembles remain supportive of ~60+% rain chances on Tuesday at this time, though some of the recent deterministic runs have trended drier. Of note, NBM probabilities of highs below 85 degrees are 50 percent or greater across a large portion of the area by next Wednesday. 32/Davis && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 1229 PM CDT WED AUG 28 2024 Expect scattered cumulus in the low to mid levels across the area today with isolated showers and a few thunderstorms through the afternoon and into the evening. Scattered clouds will persist down south with fair skies north. Expect scattered clouds areawide by late morning Thursday with potential for a few showers and a storm or two to develop toward the end of this cycle at midday Thursday. 05 && .FIRE WEATHER... Moisture will begin to increase today as winds shift to the south and southeast. RH values on Thursday through the weekend should remain near or above 40 percent across the vast majority of the area. South to southeast 20 foot winds should remain less than 7 knots through the weekend as well. With increasing moisture, isolated to scattered showers and storms will be possible each afternoon. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 69 96 70 95 / 10 20 10 40 Anniston 71 95 71 93 / 20 30 10 30 Birmingham 74 96 73 94 / 10 30 10 40 Tuscaloosa 73 97 72 94 / 20 40 10 40 Calera 72 95 73 93 / 20 30 10 40 Auburn 72 95 72 93 / 30 30 10 20 Montgomery 73 97 73 95 / 30 40 10 30 Troy 71 95 70 93 / 30 40 10 30 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...05 LONG TERM....14 AVIATION...05
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Birmingham AL 313 AM CDT Wed Aug 28 2024 ALZ011>015-017>050-291115- 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- 313 AM CDT Wed Aug 28 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...Thursday through Tuesday. 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 Birmingham radar (KBMX), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:56 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees were downed on the south side of Moundville, with at least one bringing down power lines.
A downburst over Mountain Brook resulted in numerous trees and several power lines being downed, including along Crosshill Rd, Sharpsburg Dr, Fredericksburg Dr, Wilderness Rd, Spring Valley Rd, and Valley Ave. A couple minor grass fires resulted from downed lines.
Numerous trees were downed and several buildings were damaged by a microburst in Alexander City. The Alexander City campus of Central Alabama Community College sustained damage. A sporting goods store along Highway 280 and an antique store along Calhoun St both sustained major roof and structural damage. A few homes were damaged, at least one heavily, by falling trees. The nearby Russell Field Airport registered a gust of 50 mph at 6:35 PM CDT.
A barn sustained roof damage and a home had damage to the porch and underpinning along County Road 29. A home sustained significant roof damage along County Road 783. Several trees were downed in Centre and points east.
The general manager of the Holiday Inn hotel along I-22 shared images of damage to the building involving the cornice, a section of which was blown apart. Several trees were downed around Twin as well.
Multiple trees were blown down on or around homes along Sewell Ferry Rd, and the roof was partially removed from a barn at County Road 31 and County Road 40.
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: 1199205, 1199208, 1199219, 1199257, 1199260, 1199265.