A pre-frontal line of thunderstorms moved into western Alabama after 5 AM CDT on March 15, bringing gusty winds that led to damage across Lamar, Winston, Fayette, Blount, Etowah, and Cherokee counties. Much of the damage took place in the Ashdown community in Winston County, the Highland Lake area of Blount County, and the Attalla and Gadsden areas in Etowah County.
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.
A pre-frontal line of thunderstorms moved into western Alabama after 5 AM CDT on March 15, bringing gusty winds that led to damage across Lamar, Winston, Fayette, Blount, Etowah, and Cherokee counties. Much of the damage took place in the Ashdown community in Winston County, the Highland Lake area of Blount County, and the Attalla and Gadsden areas in Etowah County. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, with several homes having trees fall into them. Other isolated wind-induced structural damage was observed in Ashdown and Gadsden as well. As the thunderstorms progressed southeastward, a few hail reports were received in Montgomery and Russell counties.
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 Mar 15, 1:51 AM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 251 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .SHORT TERM... (Today through Saturday) Issued at 245 AM CDT FRI MAR 15 2024 Key messages: - Risk for severe thunderstorms across all of Central Alabama this morning and afternoon. Damaging wind gusts, and perhaps some large hail, are the main threats. Flooding potential is limited at this time. An elongated line of thunderstorms, from near Dallas, TX to Nashville, TN, is currently approaching Central Alabama. It is on pace to move into our northwest counties ~4 AM, perhaps an hour or so ahead of recent CAMs. At this time there are no warnings and the highest measured convective gusts I can find is 43 kts and 41 kts (both in MS). Nonetheless, we'll certainly be monitoring this MCS this morning. Despite little support/forcing aloft, RAP mesoanalysis depicts 500-1,500 J/kg SBCAPE with 40- 55 kts eff. bulk shear, with better instability values west of I-65. A ~30 kt southwesterly LLJ is feeding into the MCS, and it appears to be relatively balanced with its cold pool. Thankfully the orientation of the convective line is nearly parallel to 0-3 km shear vectors which is limiting embedded tornado potential significantly. The MCS should progress southeastward throughout the morning approaching the I-59 corridor 7-8 AM and should near the I-85 corridor 1-2 PM. Forecast expectations are that our southeast counties will be clearing 4-5 PM. Flooding should be very limited due to the transient nature of the system. Lingering stratiform rain will likely persist across the area through this afternoon/evening followed by low clouds and patchy fog after Midnight which will persist into tomorrow morning. We should warm back into the 70s tomorrow with a slight northwesterly breeze and decreasing cloud cover. 40/Sizemore && .LONG TERM... (Saturday night through next Thursday) Issued at 245 AM CDT FRI MAR 15 2024 An active southern stream jet pattern will bring one more impulse across the Central Gulf Coast region Saturday night and Sunday. This impulse will mainly impact south Alabama where forecast rainfall totals will average around one inch for areas along and south of Interstate 85, tapering to around one-quarter of an inch along the Interstate 20 corridor. Northerly low level flow across Alabama during the day Saturday will usher in a cooler air mass, so by the time the rain arrives on Sunday, there will be little or no surface based instability. Flooding also not a concern due to weaker rainfall rates due to lack of convection. The rain should exit south Alabama Sunday evening with much cooler air advecting into area Monday and Tuesday. Freezing temperatures expected across a large portion of central Alabama Tuesday morning, with lows ranging from the upper 20s north of I-20 to middle 30s along the I-85 corridor. A warming trend will ensue after Tuesday with rain chances increasing by the end of the week. 58/rose && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 106 AM CDT FRI MAR 15 2024 There's a small list of flight impacts during this TAF period, mainly due to a large area oncoming convection. An elongated line of TSRA is now south of I-40 and will be impacting terminals near I-20 12-15z. We expect decreasing cig/vis as well as convective gusts ~30 kts, perhaps higher in stronger TSRA. Implemented TEMPOs for this impact. We'll also see decreasing cig (MVFR/IFR) ahead of the convection this morning, and fog may also be an issue near TOI. Lingering TSRA and/or RA will finally exit the area toward the end of this TAF period. However, IFR cigs are forecast with FG also a potential near MGM and TOI which will likely persist into the next TAF period as well. 40/Sizemore && .FIRE WEATHER... Rain and thunderstorms will affect Central Alabama today, providing a widespread soaking. Somewhat drier air returns tomorrow with northwesterly winds around 5 mph. Rain returns to the area on Sunday before noticeably cooler, drier air moves into Central Alabama on Monday. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 71 54 70 48 / 90 50 0 10 Anniston 73 57 71 51 / 90 60 0 10 Birmingham 72 57 71 52 / 90 50 0 10 Tuscaloosa 74 58 73 53 / 90 50 0 20 Calera 73 58 72 53 / 90 60 0 20 Auburn 76 60 74 55 / 90 70 10 20 Montgomery 79 61 75 57 / 90 70 10 20 Troy 80 62 77 59 / 80 70 10 20 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...40/Sizemore LONG TERM....58/rose AVIATION...40/Sizemore
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Birmingham AL 255 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024 ALZ011>015-017>050-161100- 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- 255 AM CDT Fri Mar 15 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the counties served by the National Weather Service office in Birmingham. .DAY ONE...Outlook through Tonight. Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across all of Central Alabama through this afternoon. Threats include damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph and quarter size hail. Isolated flooding could also occur due to locally heavy rainfall, mainly in urban and other poor drainage areas. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management may be needed today.
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 23 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:06 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees were uprooted along County Lake Rd, McGill Gin Rd, and County Road 34.
Numerous trees were uprooted in the Ashridge community along Highway 195. The highway was blocked by a large pine tree, while two trees, a pine and a maple, uprooted and fell into a house. Nearby, an open air lean-to metal farm shed was blown down. Other trees were uprooted in neighboring yards.
Several trees were uprooted sporadically along Mud Creek Rd, Ebenezer Rd, Steedley Rd, and Mount Pleasant Church Rd.
Several trees were uprooted in the Belk area. A motorist drove into a fallen tree along County Road 1. Debris was scattered across the roadway near the intersection of County Road 4 and Highway 159. Near the intersection of County Roads 23 and 105, falling trees brought down power lines.
In Oneonta, power lines were reported down along 2nd Ave and County Highway 42. To the southeast, in the Highland Lakes area, trees were uprooted along Lakeside Dr. and several pine trees were snapped along Sycamore Dr and County Highway 20, with Sycamore Dr being blocked. In the Straight Mountain community, just to the southeast of Highland Lakes, downed tree limbs resulted in roof damage to a home.
Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted in the Altoona, Attalla, Gadsden, and Rainbow City areas. A couple locations had more concentrated areas of damage: Trees fell onto homes around Fayette St in the Camp Sibert neighborhood of Attalla and in the Clubview Heights neighborhood in Gadsden. Near the intersection of Highway 77 and Julie St, an auto repair shop had large bay doors blown out and partial wall failure on the second floor.
A tree fell onto an occupied vehicle at Young's Chapel Methodist Church, although the motorist escaped without injury.
The roof was removed from a building along Highway 411 southeast of Centre.
A 60 mph gust was measured at Anniston Regional Airport ASOS station (KANB) at 8:12 AM CDT.
Several reports of quarter-size hail or slightly larger were received in south Montgomery and Pike Road.
Nickel-sized hail was reported just east of Parkmanville.
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, March 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: 1157389, 1156490, 1157390, 1156489, 1157019, 1157035, 1157039, 1157042, 1156850, 1156838, 1156835.