Short answer: in Alabama, severe weather can come in any month. The main tornado season is spring, and there is a second one in late fall. The coast adds hurricane season on top. This page shows who issues your warnings, when the risk peaks, and how to set a weather radio for eight Alabama counties.
Editorial Research & Review
- Based on
- National Weather Service pages for Alabama, the National Weather Service county listing for NOAA Weather Radio, and U.S. Census Bureau boundaries for the cities. Read on October 9, 2026
- Hands-on testing
- Not performed by The-Weather.com. We did not test radio reception anywhere in Alabama
- Research last verified
- October 9, 2026
Who Issues the Warnings in Alabama
Four National Weather Service forecast offices share the state. Each has its own page with forecasts, radar and warnings:
- NWS Birmingham: central Alabama
- NWS Huntsville: north Alabama
- NWS Mobile/Pensacola: southwest Alabama and the coast
- NWS Tallahassee: the southeast corner
Not sure which one is yours? Type your ZIP code at weather.gov and the right office comes up by itself. For shelters and evacuation news, follow your county emergency management agency and the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.
When the Risk Peaks
- Spring, March through May: the primary severe weather season, according to NWS Birmingham.
- Early November to mid-December: a secondary season. It is easy to forget, because by then it feels like the stormy part of the year is over.
- Any month, day or night: NWS Birmingham is clear that tornadoes can happen at any time of year (NWS Birmingham: Severe Weather Awareness Week).
- June 1 to November 30: Atlantic hurricane season, which matters most for Mobile and Baldwin counties on the coast (National Hurricane Center).
A warning in the middle of the night is the hard one. A phone on silent does not wake you. That is the job a weather radio is built for.
NOAA Weather Radio: Frequencies and SAME Codes for Eight Counties
A weather radio with SAME sounds its alarm only for the counties you enter. You need two things: the six-digit code of your county and a transmitter that carries it.
| City | County | SAME code | Transmitters listed for the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | Jefferson | 001073 | Birmingham: 162.550 MHz (KIH54) Tuscaloosa: 162.400 MHz (KIH60) Anniston: 162.475 MHz (KIH58) Oneonta: 162.425 MHz (WNG606) |
| Huntsville | Madison | 001089 | Huntsville: 162.400 MHz (KIH20) Arab: 162.525 MHz (WNG642) Winchester: 162.525 MHz (WNG554) |
| Montgomery | Montgomery | 001101 | Montgomery: 162.400 MHz (KIH55) Greenville: 162.425 MHz (WNG607) Dozier: 162.550 MHz (KIH59) |
| Mobile | Mobile | 001097 | Mobile: 162.550 MHz (KEC61) Leakesville: 162.425 MHz (WNG640) |
| Tuscaloosa | Tuscaloosa | 001125 | Tuscaloosa: 162.400 MHz (KIH60) Birmingham: 162.550 MHz (KIH54) |
| Dothan | Houston | 001069 | Westville: 162.450 MHz (WWH20) Blakely: 162.525 MHz (KZZ70) Sneads: 162.425 MHz (WNG633) |
| Prattville | Autauga | 001001 | Montgomery: 162.400 MHz (KIH55) Selma: 162.450 MHz (WNG635) Greenville: 162.425 MHz (WNG607) |
| Gulf Shores, Orange Beach | Baldwin | 001003 | Mobile: 162.550 MHz (KEC61) Pensacola: 162.400 MHz (KEC86) Jackson: 162.500 MHz (WWF55) |
Source: National Weather Service, NOAA Weather Radio county coverage, read October 9, 2026, when all transmitters in this table were listed as "Normal". The county is the one that holds the main part of the city (U.S. Census Bureau); parts of some cities lie in a neighboring county. A listing is a starting point, not a promise of reception.
Alabama has 67 counties. For any other county, or to check one address, use the official NWS Station Search: it shows the stations near you and the counties each one carries. Transmitters can be off the air, so look at the NWS outage page too.
Then set the radio: here is how to program SAME codes. For Mobile and Baldwin counties, our Gulf Coast frequencies and SAME codes page goes into more detail, with a map.
Tools That Help
- A weather alert radio. Not every model keeps running when the power fails, so check for battery backup. Start with our comparison of the 5 best NOAA weather alert radios, or see the wider guide to emergency weather radios if you also want a crank radio for the go-bag.
- A home weather station. It does not warn you of a tornado. It does show what is happening in your own yard: rainfall, wind and a falling barometer. See the 5 best home weather stations or browse all home weather stations.
- A wind meter. Handy for the garden, the boat or the drone. See our guide to the anemometer. It is not a safety device: when a warning is issued, go to shelter instead of going outside to measure.
County Pages
We have one county guide so far: severe weather preparedness in Autauga County (Prattville). More background is in our weather education section.
Questions About Alabama Weather
When is tornado season in Alabama?
The primary season is spring, March through May. A secondary season typically runs from the beginning of November until mid-December. NWS Birmingham adds that tornadoes can happen in any month and at any time of day.
What is the SAME code for Jefferson County, Alabama?
001073. Jefferson County, which holds most of Birmingham, is listed under four transmitters: Birmingham on 162.550 MHz, Tuscaloosa on 162.400 MHz, Anniston on 162.475 MHz and Oneonta on 162.425 MHz.
Which National Weather Service office covers my part of Alabama?
Birmingham covers central Alabama, Huntsville the north, Mobile/Pensacola the southwest and the coast, and Tallahassee the southeast corner. Enter your ZIP code at weather.gov to be sure.
Sources
- NWS Birmingham: Severe Weather Awareness Week
- National Weather Service: NOAA Weather Radio county coverage listing
- National Weather Service: NOAA Weather Radio Station Search
- National Hurricane Center: tropical cyclone climatology
- Alabama Emergency Management Agency
- Alabama Weather Blog: daily forecasts and discussion (not an official source)
Update Log
- October 9, 2026: Page rewritten with checked information: the four National Weather Service offices, the severe weather seasons according to NWS Birmingham, and NOAA Weather Radio transmitters and SAME codes for eight counties. Removed the county blurbs that linked to pages that did not exist.
