Drought conditions continued during the month of March as below-normal rainfall was observed through the first three months of the year. Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) drought conditions persisted across southeastern Central Alabama.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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 March as below-normal rainfall was observed through the first three 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 Feb 28, 11:58 PM CST, 2 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 1158 PM CST Sat Feb 28 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1043 PM CST SAT FEB 28 2026 - Medium to high chance of visibilities less than 1 mile late tonight through mid morning Sunday across the southeastern portions of Central Alabama. - A dry and above normal temperature pattern will continue through rest of this weekend and into mid week. && .DISCUSSION... (Sunday through next Saturday) Issued at 1043 PM CST SAT FEB 28 2026 We currently have a clear satellite picture across C AL. However, that is expected to change over the late night/pre-dawn hours. Thin low level moisture is expected to be favorable for another night of low stratus and dense fog across the SE counties of C AL. Have gone ahead and issued a dense fog advisory for 3am through 9am to account for a similar scenario/airmass as we had this past morning (Sat). Otherwise, look for generally dry and rainfree conditions through Wed. Weak surface ridging will be in place across the Deep South through Sunday as a larger and stronger ridge will traverse across the Great Lakes through New England through Mon and then push EWD into the Atlantic. This will result in our flow turning to SEWD into AL on Mon. Returning onshore SE flow will allow warm low level moisture to increase slowly for the first half of the week. In the upper levels, we start off with NW flow tonight that transitions to WSW/to a somewhat zonal flow for Sun into the first half of the week. A shortwave will move EWD off the lee of the Rockies Tue into Wed and across the Central Plains. As it does so on Wed, our upper flow into AL will become SW. By Thu, the better energy will be closer to the main shortwave over IA/MO/IL, but we should have enough moisture to have a low to moderate chance for a few showers and thunderstorms with ripples through the SW flow. This as well as perturbations from around a larger deepening low over the SW US into the Deep South will keep pops off/on into next weekend and the end of the extended. 08 Previous discussion: (This afternoon through Friday) Issued at 1127 AM CST SAT FEB 28 2026 Water vapor imagery reveals a shortwave trough pulling off the southeast coast as weak ridging begins to build into the region. Much drier air is in place with GOES TPW imagery picking up PWATs generally from 0.3-0.5". A thin layer of low level moisture beneath the drier air led to some stubborn dense fog this morning. Another round of potentially dense fog is expected tonight over many of the same locations. HREF guidance suggests a ~70% chance of vis less than 1 mile. Latest RAP/NAM guidance also supports this with condensation pressure deficits from 1-5mb with dewpoint depressions less than 1 degree. Otherwise, look for warming temps and rain-free conditions through the remainder of the weekend. We look to remain dry through the middle of next week. A few upper level impulses attempt to head our way but are steered away by mid level ridging in place. A stronger wave ejects out of the Plains by Thursday which will bring a 20-30% chance of rain back into the forecast. 95/Castillo && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1158 PM CST SAT FEB 28 2026 The potential for LIFR conditions at KAUO and KMGM around daybreak, is less clear for this TAF cycle. Visibility and ceilings were nudged upward, and confidence is not particularly high in conditions reaching airport minimums. VFR conditions should return around 14-15z. VFR conditions will prevail at KBHM, KEET, and KTCL. 87/Grantham && .FIRE WEATHER... For this Sunday and Monday, min RH values are forecast to fall into the 30-40% range each afternoon with little to no chance for any rainfall. Min RH values increase some into the 40-50% range for Tuesday and Wednesday with rain chances returning by Thursday. Soil and fuel moistures will continue to drop as afternoon temperatures rise into the 70s and perhaps into the 80s by the midweek. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 43 76 49 75 / 0 0 10 0 Anniston 46 77 51 75 / 0 0 10 0 Birmingham 50 78 54 76 / 0 0 10 0 Tuscaloosa 48 79 53 79 / 0 0 10 0 Calera 48 79 52 79 / 0 0 10 0 Auburn 49 76 53 75 / 0 0 0 0 Montgomery 48 77 50 78 / 0 0 0 0 Troy 48 78 50 78 / 0 0 0 0 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Dense Fog Advisory from 3 AM to 9 AM CST Sunday for the following counties: Barbour-Bullock-Chambers-Elmore-Lee-Lowndes- Macon-Montgomery-Pike-Russell-Tallapoosa. && DISCUSSION...08/95/Castillo AVIATION...87/Grantham
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Lowndes County began March with the southern half in Severe (D2) drought. D2 conditions were removed for a week but added back during the second week. D2 was expanded to include more of the county toward the end of the month, with Extreme (D3) conditions introduced across the southern quarter.
Montgomery County began March with the southern two-thirds in Severe (D2) drought. D2 conditions were removed for a week but added back during the second week. D2 was expanded to include nearly all the county toward the end of the month, with Extreme (D3) conditions introduced across the far southwestern portion.
Bullock County began March with Severe (D2) conditions across the county, with Extreme (D3) conditions across the northern third. Most of the county was removed from D2, with the exception of the northern third, during the first week of the month. D2 conditions returned county-wide during the second week. The northern third returned to D3 by the end of the month.
Macon County began March with Extreme (D3) conditions across the county. The county was downgraded to Severe (D2) during the first week of the month. D3 conditions returned county-wide by the end of the month.
Severe (D2) to Extreme (D3) conditions persisted across Lee County throughout March.
Severe (D2) conditions persisted across the southern third of Chambers County throughout March.
Russell County began March with Severe (D2) conditions across the southern half and Extreme (D3) conditions across the northern half, which was downgraded to only D2 across the northern half during the first week of the month. A week later, the entire county was upgraded to D2 conditions and was upgraded again to D3 conditions by the end of the month.
Barbour County began March with Severe (D2) conditions across the county. The northern half was reduced to Moderate (D1) for a week before D2 was reintroduced. Extreme (D3) conditions were introduced across the northern and eastern portions by the end of the month.
Pike County began March with Severe (D2) conditions across the county. The northern half was reduced to Moderate (D1) for a week before D2 was reintroduced, which then persisted through the end of 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, March 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: 1316138, 1316139, 1316140, 1316141, 1316142, 1316143, 1316144, 1316145, 1316146.