Alabama lightning map
Alabama runs from a thunderstorm-soaked Gulf Coast — among the stormiest in the nation — up to a still-active interior, with a long warm convective season.
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Detected from NOAA GOES-19 GLM satellite data. Aggregate count for Alabama — your exact location and alerts live in the app.
About lightning in Alabama
Alabama sits in “Dixie Alley,” where abundant Gulf moisture fuels severe weather in both spring and fall, plus pulse thunderstorms through the humid summer. Storms here are notorious for striking at night and moving fast within forest and rolling terrain that hides the sky. The season stretches April through September. With visibility limited and storms quick, the live distance and trend to the nearest flash are safer guides than thunder alone.
- Thunderstorm days/yr
- 60
- US rank
- #3 of 50
- Peak season
- April–September
State thunderstorm-day normals are provisional (NOAA/NWS); per-city climate data is shown where a station normal is published.
Cities in Alabama
Lightning safety in Alabama
When storms build across Alabama, the distance to the nearest strike matters more than a statewide count. Follow the 30-30 rule: if thunder follows lightning by 30 seconds or less, get indoors, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before heading back out. If you can hear thunder, you are already close enough to be struck. StrikeCast surfaces the live distance and trend so you can act before the storm reaches you.
StrikeCast app
Distance, trend & alerts — in your pocket.
GPS-precise distance to the nearest strike, live approaching/moving-away trend, and push alerts for every place that matters across Alabama — home, work, the kids' school.
Your exact location stays on your device. Never shared. Never tracked.
Lightning guides
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm days does Alabama get?
Alabama averages about 60 thunderstorm days a year, versus a US average near 25 — roughly 2.4× the national norm. Activity peaks April–September.
Where does Alabama rank for lightning in the US?
By mean annual thunderstorm days, Alabama ranks #3 of 50 states. Rankings use NOAA/NWS climate normals; the live distance and trend on this page come from NOAA GOES-19 satellite data.
When is thunderstorm season in Alabama?
Lightning is most frequent April–September in Alabama.
How does StrikeCast track lightning in Alabama?
StrikeCast reads NOAA GOES-19 GLM (Geostationary Lightning Mapper) satellite data, updated continuously, to show how far away the nearest strike is and whether it is approaching or moving away. Save any place in Alabama in the free app to get a push alert when lightning closes in.