Extreme Drought (D3) Conditions developed in portions of Jackson and Dekalb Counties in Northeastern AL with the Drought Monitor issuance on April 21st.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 HUN wrote it up.
Extreme Drought (D3) Conditions developed in portions of Jackson and Dekalb Counties in Northeastern AL with the Drought Monitor issuance on April 21st.
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 Apr 20, 11:00 PM CST, 1 hour earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 1200 AM CDT Tue Apr 21 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 859 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026 - A more unsettled pattern arrives on Friday with rain and storms in the forecast through the beginning of the new work week. - We will be monitoring for the potential for severe weather during the period mentioned above, no severe weather is currently forecast. && .NEAR TERM... (Rest of tonight and Tuesday) Issued at 859 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026 Another night of clear skies and calm winds will allow for radiational cooling to drop temps into the mid 40s to low 50s. Through the day tomorrow, surface high pressure will push off the Atlantic coast eliciting return from from the SSE. The weak WWA from return flow will allow temps to warm to the high 70s to low 80s. On a broader scale, a weak low pressure system can currently be seen shifting through east Texas towards the Gulf Coast. Through the day tomorrow, this low pressure system will travel east across the Gulf Coast. We will be too far removed to the north to see any rain or wind associated with they system however we will see an increase in cloud cover from the SW through the afternoon. Partly to mostly cloudy skies will be present for much of the area late Tuesday as the aformentioned Gulf system pushes east. && .SHORT TERM... (Tuesday night through Thursday) Issued at 859 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026 Cloud cover will remain for much of the night on Tuesday in association with a weak low pressure system moving across the Gulf Coast. By Wednesday, ridging aloft will nudge the shortwave prompting the low pressure system south towards the FL Peninsula. This will clear skies as ridging builds through the central CONUS behind this feature. At the surface, we will find ourself sandwiched between high pressure to our east and a developing low pressure system off the Rocky Mountains. Along and ahead of the approaching low pressure system and associated fronts (addressed in the long term) strong SSW flow will develop allowing for additional WAA. Highs will break into the 80s on Wednesday and Thursday with clear skies still prevailing thanks to the high pressure to our east. The tightening pressure gradient on Thursday will support some gusty winds through the afternoon. With a wet and stormy pattern ahead, Thursday will be the nicest day through the remainder of the forecast. && .LONG TERM... (Thursday night through Monday) Issued at 859 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026 An active period of weather is forecast during the long term period bringing the potential for some much needed rainfall to the Tennessee Valley. Thursday night into Friday, the upper level ridge breaks down leaving a more zonal flow pattern heading into the weekend. As a sfc low across the Dakotas slowly moves off to the northeast, an attendant cold front draped across the Upper Midwest down south into the Mississippi River Valley swings east Friday. This will bring a medium/high chance (50-70%) of showers and storms to the local forecast area starting Friday night and continuing into Saturday. A few shortwaves riding along the upper level jet from Texas towards the Tennessee Valley will ripple through the area this weekend keeping medium chances (40-60%) of showers and storms through Sunday. Confidence in timing remains quite low with these weekend systems, but the main threat is locally heavy rainfall. Something that is much needed given the abnormally dry Spring. There is at least low probabilities of some strong storms, mainly on Saturday as that is when the good shear overlaps with modest instability. As we head into Monday a more pronounced upper level trough digs down across the Desert Southwest. Sfc cyclogenesis is forecast to develop across OK/TX and then the low will eject northeastward into the Plains. The cold front to its south is forecast to swing through Monday bringing medium chances (40-60%) of showers and thunderstorms. Once again there are signs of strong to maybe severe storms coinciding with this system given the ensemble means have 40-50 knots of deep layer shear combined with 500-750 J/kg of CAPE. A lot can change between now and the upcoming weekend, but trends continue to show an active pattern. && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1200 AM CDT Tue Apr 21 2026 VFR conditions along with light winds will prevail through the TAF period. Clouds will gradually increase through the day as well. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...None. TN...None. && NEAR TERM...RAD SHORT TERM....RAD LONG TERM....GH AVIATION...26
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Extreme Drought (D3) Conditions developed in portions of Jackson and Dekalb Counties in Northeastern AL.
Extreme Drought (D3) Conditions developed in portions of Jackson and Dekalb Counties in Northeastern AL.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alabama in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Alabama, April 2026
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: 1335262, 1335263.