Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms developed in the warm sector behind a weakening frontal boundary that stretched from eastern Georgia and arced back into northeastern Arkansas. One of these storms produced up to three quarter of an inch in diameter hail.
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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.
Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms developed in the warm sector behind a weakening frontal boundary that stretched from eastern Georgia and arced back into northeastern Arkansas. One of these storms produced up to three quarter of an inch in diameter hail.
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 May 12, 1:11 PM CST, 53 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 211 PM CDT Mon May 12 2025 ...New NEAR TERM... .NEAR TERM... (Tonight) Issued at 211 PM CDT Mon May 12 2025 Convection is increasing as peak heating ensues. SBCAPE values of ~1500 j/kg is noted with steep low level lapse rates. Effective bulk shear along and east of I-65 has increased to 25-35kt. Expect small hail in the stronger storms, and perhaps a couple that produce up to one inch hail. Gusty winds are expected, and given the low level lapse rates, isolated damaging wind remains possible. The cluster along and west of I-65 in central AL will arrive late this afternoon. A diminishing trend should ensue around and after sunset with loss of heating. Still expect low clouds and patchy fog later tonight. && .SHORT TERM... (Tuesday through Tuesday Night) Issued at 1030 AM CDT Mon May 12 2025 The upper low will pivot into TN and KY on Tuesday, placing the TN valley in west-northwest flow at 5h. Another spoke of vorticity will drop around the low during the afternoon from our northwest. This along with low to mid level convergence along the 8h trough and a pseudo warm front at the surface should provide sources of lift for more showers and thunderstorms. Bulk shear will be lower (15-25kt), but SBCAPE depending on sunshine will reach 1000-1500 j/kg once again. Thus, a few stronger thunderstorms with small hail and gusty winds can be expected. Showers and thunderstorms will begin to dissipate or diminish quickly after sunset and loss of daytime heating. PoPs will thus drop to 20% or less during the evening and overnight hours. Low clouds will likely develop overnight, although any clearing could result in some fog development as well, but this is less certain. && .LONG TERM... (Wednesday through Sunday) Issued at 920 PM CDT Sun May 11 2025 The persistent upper low will finally shift to our northeast and upper ridging will become the more dominant influence on our weather locally. H85 temps will begin to increase Wednesday night and we will see a transition to a warmer but briefly dry airmass. Thursday will feature dry conditions with highs in the upper 80s to perhaps lower 90s in some locations. From here our attention turns to the late week and weekend time period, where a series of upper waves will be responsible for multiple days of severe weather across portions of the MidWest and potentially into the Southeast. High pressure over the western Atlantic will keep warm tropical air flowing north into these regions as the aforementioned upper waves push a cold front southeast, nearing the Tennessee Valley over the weekend. There is low confidence regarding the evolution of these systems and where the front will line up each day. We have high confidence that we will be in a warm and unstable airmass for several days in the late week period, but the amount of forcing for strong to severe storms remains in question. Regardless, we will have to monitor this period for severe storms as well as dangerous heat as heat indices could reach the mid 90s Thursday and Friday. Keep an eye on forecast updates throughout the week. && .AVIATION... (18Z TAFS) Issued at 100 PM CDT Mon May 12 2025 Ceilings of 030-040agl (VFR) are expected this afternoon with scattered to numerous SHRA and TSRA developing. Timing for TSRA at KMSL and KHSV is most probable from 20-00Z. Temporary drops to MVFR ceilings and visibility are expected with the TSRA, and cannot rule out IFR as well, so amendments may be needed. After the SHRA and TSRA exit this evening, low clouds and patchy BR are expected. By 09Z, ceilings will likely drop below 010agl (IFR) at KHSV and in the 010-015agl range (MVFR) at KMSL. Ceilings will remain at least 010-020agl (MVFR) after 14Z. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...None. TN...None. && NEAR TERM...17 SHORT TERM....17 LONG TERM....25 AVIATION...17
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:05 UTC.
1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A report of three quarter inch in diameter hail was reported by the MPING observing network at this location.
A tree was knocked down at Riverton Rose Trail at Eagle Point Drive. Time estimated by radar.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, May 2025
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: 1276654, 1276941.