EF1 tornado in Macon County, Alabama

National Weather Service meteorologists surveyed damage in northeast Macon County and determined that the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado, with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph. The tornado touched down in far northeast Macon County about .25 mile southwest of the intersection of County Road 43 and County Road 24. Several trees were snapped off and one home suffered roof damage shortly after touch down. The tornado tracked north northeast for 1.85 miles where it produced additional tree damage, before exiting Macon County and into Lee County. One home along County Road 43 suffered roof damage.

After over a week of near-record to record high temperatures, several upper-level disturbances followed by a strong upper-level low pressure system produced multiple rounds of severe weather across Central Alabama. This system was characterized by strong upper-level winds and very cold upper-level temperatures. The first round produced one brief, weak tornado in St. Clair County on the evening of January 19. The second round occurred on the morning of January 20 with 12 tornadoes across Marengo, Elmore, Macon, Lee, Pike, and Barbour Counties. A third round produced damaging straight line winds on the night of January 21, including in the Birmingham metro area where the Birmingham airport measured a 75 mph wind gust and in Oneonta where 80 mph straight-line winds caused significant damage. A brief tornado also occurred in Tuscaloosa County with this activity. Finally, a fourth round moved through during the day on January 22 with 3 tornadoes across Bullock and Lee Counties.