3.3 NW Opelika - 2.8 NE Opelika National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in North Central Lee County just north of Opelika and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF-0 tornado. Maximum winds were estimated to be around 70-75 mph. The tornado touched down just north of downtown Opelika, west of Oak Bowery Road where numerous trees were uprooted east of the road. The tornado then traveled east-southeast crossing Morris Avenue where additional small pine trees were uprooted. Further to the east, the tornado crossed U.S. 431 and Industrial Blvd. where minimal damage was observed. The tornado finally lifted near the Opelika sports complex on Andrews Road where several more soft and hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted. Along the path, 20 to 30 trees sustained damage. However, little to no structure damage was noted. Start: 32.6832/-85.4056 End: 32.6769/-85.3542

NWS EF Scale: F0 Polygon

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in north central Lee County just north of the city of Opelika and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF-0 tornado. Maximum winds were estimated to be around 70-75 mph. ||The tornado touched down just north of downtown Opelika, west of Oak Bowery Road where numerous trees were uprooted. The tornado traveled east-southeast crossing Morris Avenue where additional small pine trees were uprooted. Farther to the east, the tornado crossed U.S. 431 and Industrial Blvd. where minimal damage was observed. The tornado lifted near the Opelika Sports Complex on Andrews Road where several more soft and hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted. Along the path, 20 to 30 trees sustained damage. However, little to no structure damage was observed.

A highly amplified upper-level trough approached the central Gulf Coast Region during the afternoon hours. A deepening surface low over the Ohio Valley Region pushed a strong cold southeast towards Alabama. By the middle of the afternoon, deep layer shear had increased to 60 knots with 0-3 km storm-relative helicity values between 200 and 300 m2/s2. Destabilization and shear profiles favored severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes and large hail.

Part of 3-tornado outbreak on March 1, 2016