Dry conditions over the last few months of 2023 lingered into January. Drought levels slowly improved during the month, with 6-10 inches of rainfall across Central Alabama throughout January.
Every event with a place to put it; 24 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Dry conditions over the last few months of 2023 lingered into January. Drought levels slowly improved during the month, with 6-10 inches of rainfall across Central Alabama throughout January. Much of the rain came during the last two weeks of January, resulting in a reduction of most areas to moderate (D1) drought or lower by the end of the month.
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 Dec 31, 10:55 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 1055 PM CST Sun Dec 31 2023 ...New SHORT TERM, AVIATION... .SHORT TERM... (Rest of Tonight) Issued at 1051 PM CST SUN DEC 31 2023 Current forecast is in good shape. A front that is knocking on our NW counties door step will move through C AL overnight tonight. Loaded in latest obs/hires. No major changes were needed to low temps. This remains a dry front with only some cirrus to be noted in the sky tonight. 08 Previous short-term discussion: (This afternoon through Monday) Issued at 1134 AM CST SUN DEC 31 2023 After a cold start to the morning, temperatures have rebounded into the lower 50s across the area under sunny skies. Was initially unsure if we would be able to reach the highs today, but based on the current obs and how temps have trended this morning, it does look like temperatures will be able to reach the lower 60s across the south with mid to upper 50s in the north due to the southwesterly WAA around the surface ridge over the Gulf of Mexico. A low pressure system will move across the Ohio Valley tonight moving into the Western Atlantic tomorrow morning. This will rapidly send a cold front through Central Alabama, but dry, zonal flow aloft will prevent sufficient moisture return, so rain is not expected with this passage. Other than an increase in high clouds and a northwesterly wind shift, the front will go relatively unnoticed, and it will be well east of Central Alabama by mid-morning. However, it will reintroduce CAA back to the region as a large ridge builds over the Central CONUS. Although clouds will decrease during the day tomorrow, the cooler airmass will result in highs ranging from the mid 40s north to upper 50s and near 60F in the south. 86/Martin && .LONG TERM... (Monday night through next Saturday) Issued at 1259 PM CST SUN DEC 31 2023 The long term pattern remains wide open for the foreseeable future. This will bring several rounds of unsettled weather to the Deep South during the upcoming week. The first Pacific southern stream system is expected to develop a northern gulf low by Wednesday. Solutions have flipped back and forth on qpf and coverage amounts, and the current consensus is that much of Central Alabama can expect a cold light rain through the day on Wednesday. This will be quickly followed by a trailing polar jet that ushering in colder temperatures for Thursday. But as mentioned, the pattern is open meaning that the weather will transition again by late Friday as a secondary system will develop along the southern stream. Solutions continue to diverge on the exact placement of the surface low, but the trends continue to shift north with time. That solution seems reasonable given the placement of the transitioning trough and open upper level pattern. This would trend our temperatures higher than the current guidance. 17/KLaws && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1051 PM CST SUN DEC 31 2023 A VFR forecast is expected for the TAFs. Only high cirrus clouds are expected during the forecast. A cold front will move through C AL overnight. Winds will shift behind it to the N tonight, although most will not have winds high enough tonight to be noteworthy. During the day Monday, winds will increase to 6-12kts behind the front from initially the N, then becoming NW during the day. A few gusts may occur during the afternoon with tighter gradients behind the front. However, winds should taper down after sunset on Monday. NOTE: AMD NOT SKED at ASN due to AWOS upgrade. 08 && .FIRE WEATHER... Dry weather is forecast to continue today through Tuesday. A low pressure system moving across the northern Gulf of Mexico will likely bring widespread light to moderate rain to central Alabama by Wednesday. Dry and quite cold weather returns the end of the work week. Wind and RH values will remain outside of critical fire weather thresholds through the period. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 31 47 22 51 / 0 0 0 0 Anniston 34 49 25 52 / 0 0 0 0 Birmingham 35 48 26 51 / 0 0 0 0 Tuscaloosa 35 52 26 54 / 0 0 0 0 Calera 35 49 26 52 / 0 0 0 0 Auburn 37 55 28 52 / 0 0 0 0 Montgomery 37 56 27 54 / 0 0 0 0 Troy 38 59 29 55 / 0 0 0 0 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...08 LONG TERM....17/KLaws AVIATION...08
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Birmingham AL 321 AM CST Sun Dec 31 2023 ALZ011>015-017>050-011230- 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- 321 AM CST Sun Dec 31 2023 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...Monday through Saturday. 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.
24 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in early January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in early January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in early January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in mid January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in mid January.
Drought severity decreased from severe (D2) to moderate (D1) in mid January.
Drought severity decreased from extreme (D3) to severe (D2) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from extreme (D3) to severe (D2) in late January.
Drought severity decreased from extreme (D3) to moderate (D1) in mid January.
Drought severity decreased from extreme (D3) to moderate (D1) in mid January.
Drought severity decreased from extreme (D3) to moderate (D1) in mid January.
Drought severity decreased from extreme (D3) to moderate (D1) in mid January.
Drought severity decreased from extreme (D3) to severe (D2) in early January and to moderate (D1) by late January.
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, January 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: 1150291, 1150292, 1150293, 1150294, 1150295, 1150296, 1150297, 1150298, 1150299, 1150300, 1150301, 1150303, 1150304, 1150305, 1150306, 1150307, 1150308, 1150310, 1150311, 1150312, 1150313, 1150314, 1150315, 1150316.