Drought conditions continued during the month of February as below-normal rainfall was observed through the first two months of the year. Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) drought conditions persisted across southeastern Central Alabama.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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.
Drought conditions continued during the month of February as below-normal rainfall was observed through the first two months of the year. Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) drought conditions persisted across southeastern Central Alabama.
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 Jan 31, 5:13 PM CST, 6 hours 47 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 513 PM CST Sat Jan 31 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 508 PM CST SAT JAN 31 2026 - An Extreme Cold Warning remains in effect for the entire area tonight into Sunday morning. Wind chills are currently forecast between 3 below zero across eastern counties to the single digits above zero elsewhere Sunday morning. - A Wind Advisory remains in effect through 9 PM this evening, with gusts up to 30-35 mph at times. && .DISCUSSION... (This afternoon through Thursday) Issued at 1137 AM CST SAT JAN 31 2026 An upper low moving from Tennessee to Georgia resulted in snow showers across Central Alabama this morning, with minor accumulations in some areas. This activity has largely ended across the region by this midday hour. The main focus continues to be low temperatures and very cold wind chills that will be in place through midday Sunday. An Extreme Cold Warning is now in effect for all of Central Alabama through noon Sunday as wind chills are expected to be as low as -3 to 5 degrees, especially across northeastern Central Alabama, depending on time and location. Low temperatures tonight will be in the teens area-wide, and, with the even lower wind chill values, could potentially be hazardous to anyone spending an extended period of time outside, along with pets and animals sensitive to cold weather. We should warm up into the upper 30s to low 40s in most areas by tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile, we still have a Wind Advisory in effect through 9 pm tonight, with gusts up to 30-35 mph at times. This goes in conjunction with the cold temperatures to result in wind chills of 10 to 20 degrees this afternoon, before values fall after dark. We will see a warmup going into the early week, with temperatures up into the 50s or even low 60s by Tuesday ahead of an approaching cold front. Rain chances will begin to increase by Tuesday afternoon as the front works through the area, with potential for 0.5-0.75" of rain through Wednesday morning. Most models indicate rain chances should end by midday Wednesday, with perhaps some lingering rain in the southeast into Wednesday night. Behind the front, lows will be back into the 20s Wednesday night and Thursday night, with highs in the 40s Thursday rebounding into the 50s by Friday. 12 && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 508 PM CST SAT JAN 31 2026 VFR conditions are currently in place across all terminals. Low level stratus will build in around BHM/EET after 06Z leading to a brief stint of MVFR ceilings. VFR returns after sunrise. There is a 30-50% chance of MVFR ceilings have TCL so have introduced a TEMPO group to account for the uncertainty. MGM/AUO hold onto VFR through this TAF cycle. Otherwise, breezy northwesterly winds will slightly weaken overnight with gusts from 15-25 knots likely at times through Sunday morning for BHM/EET/TCL. MGM/AUO stay breezy through this cycle. 95/Castillo && .FIRE WEATHER... Very cold and very dry air will return across Central Alabama through the weekend with gusty northwest 20ft winds as high as 20 mph and 10m gusts up to 30-35 mph this afternoon, slowly decreasing through the day on Sunday. MinRH values are forecast to drop back down into the upper 20s to 30s this afternoon and Sunday afternoon with single digit dewpoint values. Winds will diminish by Monday with RHs on the rebound ahead of the next cold front, with a likely chance for wetting rainfall arriving by Tuesday night through Wednesday afternoon. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 14 38 17 51 / 0 0 0 0 Anniston 15 37 20 51 / 0 0 0 0 Birmingham 16 38 23 51 / 0 0 0 0 Tuscaloosa 17 40 22 54 / 0 0 0 0 Calera 15 39 21 53 / 0 0 0 0 Auburn 17 38 23 50 / 0 0 0 0 Montgomery 18 41 22 54 / 0 0 0 0 Troy 17 41 21 54 / 0 0 0 0 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Extreme Cold Warning until noon CST Sunday for the following counties: Autauga-Barbour-Bibb-Blount-Bullock-Calhoun-Chambers- Cherokee-Chilton-Clay-Cleburne-Coosa-Dallas-Elmore-Etowah- Fayette-Greene-Hale-Jefferson-Lamar-Lee-Lowndes-Macon-Marengo- Marion-Montgomery-Perry-Pickens-Pike-Randolph-Russell-Shelby-St. Clair-Sumter-Talladega-Tallapoosa-Tuscaloosa-Walker-Winston. Wind Advisory until 9 PM CST this evening for the following counties: Autauga-Barbour-Bibb-Blount-Bullock-Calhoun-Chambers- Cherokee-Chilton-Clay-Cleburne-Coosa-Dallas-Elmore-Etowah- Fayette-Greene-Hale-Jefferson-Lamar-Lee-Lowndes-Macon-Marengo- Marion-Montgomery-Perry-Pickens-Pike-Randolph-Russell-Shelby-St. Clair-Sumter-Talladega-Tallapoosa-Tuscaloosa-Walker-Winston. && DISCUSSION...12 AVIATION...95/Castillo
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The majority of Marengo County was removed from Severe (D2) drought on February 3.
The southern half of Lowndes County remained in Severe (D2) drought through February.
Much of Montgomery County remained in Severe (D2) drought through February.
Much of Macon County was upgraded from Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) drought in early February, remaining in D3 the remainder of the month.
Lee County began February with Severe (D2) conditions across the western half and Extreme (D3) conditions across the eastern half. D3 conditions expanded county-wide by the second week of the month.
Russell County began February with Severe (D2) conditions across the southern half and Extreme (D3) conditions across the northern half, which persisted throughout the month.
Severe (D2) conditions persisted across Bullock County throughout the month. Extreme (D3) conditions were introduced across the northern third of the county during the second week.
Severe (D2) conditions persisted across Barbour County throughout the month.
Severe (D2) conditions persisted across Pike County throughout the month.
Severe (D2) conditions persisted across the southern third of Chambers County throughout the month.
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, February 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: 1309457, 1309458, 1309459, 1309460, 1309461, 1309462, 1309463, 1309464, 1309465, 1316137.