Gusty west to southwest winds developed during the morning hours as a strong low pressure system lifted northeast through Indiana into Ohio. Wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph were observed, but may have been higher atop the higher elevations of northeast Alabama.
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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 HUN wrote it up.
Gusty west to southwest winds developed during the morning hours as a strong low pressure system lifted northeast through Indiana into Ohio. Wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph were observed, but may have been higher atop the higher elevations of northeast Alabama. In Jackson County, a tree was knocked down in Hytop (atop the Cumberland Plateau).
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 Dec 31, 5:22 AM CST, 3 hours 38 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 522 AM CST Tue Dec 31 2024 ...New AVIATION... .NEAR TERM... (Today) Issued at 225 AM CST Tue Dec 31 2024 Upper low/trough pattern continues to rotate eastward thru the Midwest region this early Tue morning, with an area of stratus clouds moving over the central/eastern half of the area. Some light rain/drizzle is possible across these areas heading into daybreak, before this initial cloud cover exits to the east. As the upper trough axis rotates further into the OH Valley states later this morning, additional cloud cover will spread eastward into much of the mid TN Valley. An attendant sfc low will also move into the OH Valley later today, dragging a cold front thru the area. Breezy winds will develop as the front begins to move thru the region, with veering winds to the west near 15-20MPH and gusts around 25-30MPH, especially in the higher elevations. With the influx of cooler air likely delayed until tonight, highs look to climb into the mid/upper 50s for most spots. && .SHORT TERM... (Tonight through Thursday night) Issued at 225 AM CST Tue Dec 31 2024 Mostly cloudy skies look to continue thru New Year's Eve before clouds begin to scatter New Year's Day, as the upper trough pattern lifts into the NE/mid Atlantic states. Cooler air will also begin to filter into the area from the NW tonight, as lows fall predom into the lower/mid 30s, with temps then struggling to surpass the mid/upper 40s later in the day Wed. A large dome of high pressure out of the Plains states will then begin to build into much of the region Wed night, with skies clearing as lows fall more into the mid/upper 20s. The sfc high will gradually move eastward across the region going past mid week, as highs Thu again trend in the mid/upper 40s and lows fall mainly into the lower 30s/near 30F Thu night. && .LONG TERM... (Friday through Monday) Issued at 225 AM CST Tue Dec 31 2024 The forecast grows a bit complicated in the long term period, as an upper trough axis shifts southeast through the area on Friday and sfc high pressure sinks south across the Ozarks and into the Tennessee Valley. Highs on Friday will top out in the mid 40s with breezy northwest gradient winds making it feel like the upper 30s. Bitterly cold air will move in Friday night into Saturday morning with lows in the upper teens/lower 20s and wind chills as low as the mid teens. Will maintain a cold but dry forecast through Saturday but forecast confidence decreases significantly from there. Global models have had a considerable amount of run to run inconsistency and therefore we will be relying heavily on ensembles/blended guidance at this range. The main feature we will be watching during this time period is the track of a sfc low that will bring increased precip chances by the end of the weekend and into the next work week. If this sfc low tracks over or north of the TN Valley, we will likely see liquid rain and very low chances for any wintry weather on the back end of the system. With this said, have seen trends slightly favor a more southern track that would put us in the cold side of the system and could result in some type of wintry precipitation for the Tennessee Valley in the Sunday/Monday timeframe. We will certainly keep our eyes on this timeframe through the week should we need to prepare for impactful weather over the weekend. Highs will remain in the low to mid 40s through the remainder of the long term period with lows in the 20s and wind chills in the teens and upper 20s. && .AVIATION... (12Z TAFS) Issued at 522 AM CST Tue Dec 31 2024 Mostly clear skies prevail over the area heading into the daybreak hrs, although MVFR cigs around 2500ft are expected to spread eastward into the area by the late morning period. These conds are then expected to continue thru the late evening hrs before cigs lift above 3K ft. WSW near 12kt with higher gusts will also become west around 15kt with higher gusts later today, before turning NW near 7-8kt later tonight. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...None. TN...None. && NEAR TERM...09 SHORT TERM....09 LONG TERM....25 AVIATION...09
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was knocked down at 29860 Alabama Highway 79 in Hytop, blocking the southbound lane.
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, December 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: 1225326.