Huntsville’s 100-year daily rainfall record broken

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The system that moved through the region late Monday night into Tuesday morning produced moderate to heavy rain for many in North Alabama.

With plenty of moisture at the surface and the upper levels of the atmosphere, torrential rain developed after midnight.

Above is a look at the radar trend beginning Monday afternoon and continuing through early Tuesday afternoon.

The steadiest and heaviest rain moved into the around 10:30-11:00 p.m. Monday and then tracked east. The rain began to lighten as it entered Northeast Alabama.

For Huntsville specifically, a 100-year daily rainfall record was broken.

Beginning at midnight, April 30, the Huntsville International Airport recorded 3.37 inches. For record-keeping purposes, all of Huntsville’s climate data is recorded at the airport.

The old record from 1924 was 2.62 inches, so we broke the record by 0.75 inches.

Here is a look at the estimated rain totals across the Tennessee Valley in the graphic on the left. The heaviest rain bands set up across northwest and north-central Alabama. Many locations experienced extended periods of torrential rainfall.

Others who recorded high totals were Leighton, Athens and Muscle Shoals. The farther east you lived, the lower the rain totals were. Henagar recorded around 0.60 inches of rainfall.

Near-Record Heat Midweek:

Highs Wednesday will be in the mid-80s and several degrees off from a record high. Thursday will be the hottest of the week. The temperature is forecast to reach the upper 80s in Huntsville. The record for the city is 91 degrees set in 2012.

Stick with the Weather Authority for the latest information on the heat on the way!

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