Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 67, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 13, 2003Chilton County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 13, 2003, 1:46 PM CST for Chilton County, Alabama. It was in force for 44 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Mar 13, 2003, 1:46 PM CST (19:46 UTC)
Expired: Mar 13, 2003, 2:30 PM CST
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Chilton County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 24 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:49 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Mar 13, 10:10 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 26 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 428 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -101 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 783 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 111 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 86 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WUUS54 KBMX 131946 RRA
SVRBHM
ALC021-132030-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
146 PM CST THU MAR 13 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CHILTON COUNTY IN ALABAMA

* UNTIL 230 PM CST

* AT 144 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 14 MILES WEST OF JEMISON...MOVING EAST AT 40
  MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...CLANTON AND
THORSBY.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING.
DAMAGING WIND...AND LARGE HAIL ARE LIKELY. STAY INSIDE...AWAY FROM
WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

CALL 1-800-856-0758 TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER.

LAT...LON 3306 8687 3281 8689 3280 8645 3294 8653
          3308 8663

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Mar 13, 1:17 PM CST, 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 13, 1:17 PM CST, 29 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM, AL
117 PM CST THU MAR 13 2003

RATHER YUCKY FORECAST TO DEAL WITH.  WEVE GOT CURRENT STRONG TO
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...UPPER LEVEL CUTOFF LOW...SURFACE FRONTS...A
POTENTIAL WEDGE...AND A STRONG SYSTEM NEXT WEEK.

FIRST OFF...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ONGOING AT THIS TIME OVER
THE FORECAST AREA.  EXPECT THESE TO CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT AGAIN ON BOTH UPPER AND SURFACE FEATURES
THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF PERIODS.  UPPER LEVEL CUTOFF LOW STILL
FORECAST TO DEVELOP AND MEANDER OVER THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH
SATURDAY.  SURFACE FRONT SHOULD PUSH INTO ALABAMA AND THEN STALL
OUT OVER EXTREME SOUTHERN ALABAMA.  COULD SEE SOME STRONG STORMS
SOUTH TOMORROW DEPENDING ON WHERE THE FRONT STALLS OUT.

WITH THE SURFACE BOUNDARY REMAINING CLOSE...AND UPPER LEVEL CUTOFF
SPINNING OVER ALABAMA...WILL KEEP MENTION OF RAIN IN THE FORECAST
THROUGH THIS WEEKEND.

MODEL HIGH TEMPS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY COMING IN COOLER THAN PREVIOUS
RUNS.  WITH A FEW BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS...EXPECT TEMPS TO BE SLIGHTLY
WARMER THAN GUIDANCE NUMBERS FOR DAYTIME HIGHS.  POTENTIAL FLIES IN
THE OINTMENT WILL BE IF THERES NOT ANY BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS...AND IF
A SURFACE WEDGE CAN MAKE IT INTO THE STATE FROM GEORGIA LATE FRIDAY.

TEMPERATURE PROBLEMS MAY DEVELOP LATE FRIDAY AND INTO SATURDAY IF
SURFACE WEDGE CAN MAKE IT INTO EASTERN ALABAMA. WILL NEED TO KEEP
CLOSE EYE ON THOSE EASTERN COUNTIES AS FAR AS TEMPS GO.

RETURN FLOW DEVELOPS BY MONDAY...WITH SOUTHWESTERLY UPPER FLOW
DEVELOPING.  THIS SHOULD HELP MOISTEN THINGS UP EARLY IN THE WEEK...
AND WITH WEAK LITTLE SHORTWAVES MOVING THROUGH ALOFT...DONT FEEL
COMFORTABLE REMOVING RAIN ON MONDAY.

GULF REMAINS WIDE OPEN ON TUESDAY AS RELATIVELY STRONG SYSTEM
APPROACHES SOUTHEASTERN US.  EXPECT SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT IN ADVANCE OF THIS SYSTEM...EVEN THOUGH IT SHOULDNT PASS
THROUGH THE STATE UNTIL LATE TUESDAY AND INTO WEDNESDAY. THIS ONE MAY
NEED TO BE WATCHED FOR THE SEVERE POTENTIAL IT MAY HOLD.  I KNOW...I
KNOW...ITS QUITE A FEW DAYS OUT...BUT MODEL RUNS HAVE BEEN RATHER
CONSISTENT WITH THIS SYSTEM...SHOWING WELL DEFINED SURFACE FRONT...
STRONG UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE...AND STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET.

POPS TONIGHT WILL BE SEMI DEPENDENT UPON LOCATION OF RAIN AT
ISSUANCE TIME.  PRELIMS.

BHM 053/067 051/066 050 4433
MGM 058/071 053/068 052 5533

.BHM...NONE.

73

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 13, 1:27 PM CST, 19 minutes before

ALZ011>015-017>050-132230-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
127 PM CST THU MAR 13 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

.DAY ONE (THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT)...

A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL SWEEP ACROSS
CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON.  THE MAIN THREAT OF
SEVERE STORMS WILL BE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20.  THE STORMS SHOULD
DIMINISH BY EARLY EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN (FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...

A WEAK FRONT WILL STALL OUT OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA FRIDAY
MORNING.  THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA
DURING THE DAY FRIDAY...AND A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE.
A STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS ALABAMA DURING THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.   THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF THIS
SYSTEM ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL
IS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 10:33 AM CST, 3 hours 13 minutes before

ALZ022-131730-

THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1033 AM CST THU MAR 13 2003

.A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR PICKENS COUNTY UNTIL 1130 AM
CST...

.WINDS 35 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING
THUNDERSTORM.

AT 1028 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
THUNDERSTORM OVER CARROLLTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR PICKENSVILLE...
MCMULLEN...ETHELSVILLE...CARROLLTON...ALICEVILLE...GORDO AND REFORM
THROUGH 1130 AM CST.

THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS STRONG WINDS. STRONG WINDS
COULD KNOCK DOWN SMALL TREE LIMBS OR BRANCHES. UNSECURED SMALL
OBJECTS COULD BE BLOWN AROUND.

LAT...LON 3300 8833 3353 8826 3353 8785 3314 8790

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 10:46 AM CST, 3 hours before

ALZ012-013-131745-

THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1046 AM CST THU MAR 13 2003

.A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR FAYETTE AND LAMAR COUNTIES
UNTIL 1145 AM CST...

.WINDS 35 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING
THUNDERSTORMS.

AT 1044 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 31 MILES WEST OF SULLIGENT TO 46 MILES
WEST OF MILLPORT...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR
SULLIGENT...VERNON...MILLPORT...BEAVERTON...KENNEDY...FAYETTE AND
BELK THROUGH 1145 AM CST.

THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS STRONG WINDS. WINDS 35 TO 45
MPH ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS. OUTDOOR OBJECTS SUCH AS LAWN
FURNITURE...TRASH CANS....OR OTHER HOUSEHOLD ITEMS COULD BE BLOWN
AROUND.

LAT...LON 3356 8828 3357 8827 3400 8822 3400 8797
          3393 8796 3392 8777 3354 8789 3354 8828

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 12:46 PM CST, 1 hour before

ALZ023-131915-

THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1246 PM CST THU MAR 13 2003

.A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY
UNTIL 115 PM CST...

.FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING
THUNDERSTORMS.

AT 1241 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 8 MILES WEST OF HOLT TO 19 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF HOLT...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR HOLT
...TUSCALOOSA...AND BROOKWOOD THROUGH 115 PM CST.

THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES. SOME POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. AVOID USING
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. IF YOU FEEL YOUR
SKIN TINGLE...OR YOUR HAIR STAND ON END...SQUAT AS LOW TO THE GROUND
AS POSSIBLE.

LAT...LON 3328 8755 3314 8754 3304 8765 3302 8733
          3324 8720 3335 8722

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 1:27 PM CST, 19 minutes before

ALZ011>015-017>037-039>044-132200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
127 PM CST THU MAR 13 2003

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 41...

  FAYETTE...LAMAR...MARION...PICKENS...TUSCALOOSA...
  WALKER...WINSTON...

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES REMAIN IN
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 41
WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM...

  AUTAUGA...BIBB...BLOUNT...CALHOUN...CHEROKEE...
  CHILTON...CLAY...CLEBURNE...COOSA...DALLAS...
  ELMORE...ETOWAH...GREENE...HALE...JEFFERSON...
  LOWNDES...MARENGO...MONTGOMERY...PERRY...RANDOLPH...
  SHELBY...ST CLAIR...SUMTER...TALLADEGA...TALLAPOOSA...

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 1:32 PM CST, 14 minutes before

ALZ025-033-035-132030-

THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
132 PM CST THU MAR 13 2003

.A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR PERRY...CHILTON AND SOUTHERN
SHELBY COUNTIES UNTIL 230 PM CST...

.WINDS 35 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING
THUNDERSTORMS.

AT 126 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 35 MILES WEST OF MAPLESVILLE TO
MONTEVALLO...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR
WILTON...MONTEVALLO...COLUMBIANA...CALERA...MAPLESVILLE...JEMISON...
THORSBY AND CLANTON THROUGH 230 PM CST.

THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS STRONG WINDS. WINDS 35 TO 45
MPH ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS. OUTDOOR OBJECTS SUCH AS LAWN
FURNITURE...TRASH CANS....OR OTHER HOUSEHOLD ITEMS COULD BE BLOWN
AROUND.

LAT...LON 3283 8710 3284 8688 3308 8693 3321 8673
          3324 8650 3319 8651 3313 8648 3309 8652
          3293 8652 3286 8646 3282 8647 3279 8642
          3272 8642 3268 8701

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 1:32 PM CST, 14 minutes before

ALZ025-035-132030-

THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
132 PM CST THU MAR 13 2003

CORRECTED TO REMOVE PERRY COUNTY

.A THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR CHILTON AND SOUTHERN SHELBY
COUNTIES UNTIL 230 PM CST...

.WINDS 35 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE FROM APPROACHING
THUNDERSTORMS.

AT 126 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM 35 MILES WEST OF MAPLESVILLE TO
MONTEVALLO...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR
WILTON...MONTEVALLO...COLUMBIANA...CALERA...MAPLESVILLE...JEMISON...
THORSBY AND CLANTON THROUGH 230 PM CST.

THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS STRONG WINDS. WINDS 35 TO 45
MPH ARE LIKELY WITH THESE STORMS. OUTDOOR OBJECTS SUCH AS LAWN
FURNITURE...TRASH CANS....OR OTHER HOUSEHOLD ITEMS COULD BE BLOWN
AROUND.

LAT...LON 3283 8710 3284 8688 3308 8693 3321 8673
          3324 8650 3319 8651 3313 8648 3309 8652
          3293 8652 3286 8646 3282 8647 3279 8642
          3272 8642 3268 8701

The office that day

Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 13, 11:06 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Pickens	54 min
Mar 13, 11:39 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette	66 min
Mar 13, 11:49 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	56 min
Mar 13, 12:48 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Hale	42 min
Mar 13, 12:57 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Perry, Tuscaloosa	63 min
Mar 13, 12:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Sumter	46 min
Mar 13, 1:17 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marengo	43 min
Mar 13, 1:46 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Shelby	29 min
Mar 13, 1:55 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lowndes	50 min
Mar 13, 2:05 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Coosa, Talladega	25 min
Mar 13, 2:23 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay	67 min
Mar 13, 2:54 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore	51 min
Mar 13, 3:04 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Montgomery	41 min
Mar 13, 3:16 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Tallapoosa	44 min
Mar 13, 3:22 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Macon	38 min
Mar 13, 3:31 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pike	44 min
Mar 13, 4:14 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Pike	46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2003 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.