Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Watches in 2003

Tornado Watch 166

April 25, 200351 counties in Alabama; 5 counties in Georgia

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Apr 25, 2003, 12:45 PM CDT for 51 counties in Alabama; 5 counties in Georgia. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Apr 25, 2003, 12:45 PM CDT (17:45 UTC)
Expired
Apr 25, 2003, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 56 counties

Autauga County, AL, Bibb County, AL, Blount County, AL, Bullock County, AL, Butler County, AL, Calhoun County, AL, Chambers County, AL, Cherokee County, AL, Chilton County, AL, Choctaw County, AL, Clay County, AL, Cleburne County, AL, Colbert County, AL, Coosa County, AL, Crenshaw County, AL, Cullman County, AL, Dallas County, AL, DeKalb County, AL, Elmore County, AL, Etowah County, AL, Fayette County, AL, Franklin County, AL, Greene County, AL, Hale County, AL, Jackson County, AL, Jefferson County, AL, Lamar County, AL, Lauderdale County, AL, Lawrence County, AL, Limestone County, AL, Lowndes County, AL, Macon County, AL, Madison County, AL, Marengo County, AL, Marion County, AL, Marshall County, AL, Montgomery County, AL, Morgan County, AL, Perry County, AL, Pickens County, AL, Pike County, AL, Randolph County, AL, Shelby County, AL, St. Clair County, AL, Sumter County, AL, Talladega County, AL, Tallapoosa County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL, Walker County, AL, Wilcox County, AL, Winston County, AL, Catoosa County, GA, Chattooga County, GA, Dade County, GA, Floyd County, GA, Walker County, GA

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 37 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:44 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.

Warnings issued inside it

52 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 25, 12:54 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXHale51 min
Apr 25, 12:59 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXGreene31 min
Apr 25, 1:30 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXGreene30 min
Apr 25, 1:42 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXHale48 min
Apr 25, 1:44 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBibb, Perry31 min
Apr 25, 2:13 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBibb, Perry47 min
Apr 25, 2:35 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXChilton55 min
Apr 25, 2:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale35 min
Apr 25, 2:46 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXHale29 min
Apr 25, 2:56 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXPerry49 min
Apr 25, 3:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb30 min
Apr 25, 3:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCoosa42 min
Apr 25, 3:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga24 min
Apr 25, 3:26 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXDallas49 min
Apr 25, 3:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXElmore58 min
Apr 25, 3:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChilton27 min
Apr 25, 3:43 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXElmore47 min
Apr 25, 3:48 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXAutauga57 min
Apr 25, 3:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale, Marengo, Perry39 min
Apr 25, 3:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNMarshall23 min
Apr 25, 4:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNDeKalb37 min
Apr 25, 4:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNMarshall16 min
Apr 25, 4:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDallas44 min
Apr 25, 4:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCherokee27 min
Apr 25, 4:18 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXTallapoosa42 min
Apr 25, 4:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson, St. Clair47 min
Apr 25, 4:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXElmore31 min
Apr 25, 4:31 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMontgomery44 min
Apr 25, 4:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChoctaw54 min
Apr 25, 4:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarengo37 min
Apr 25, 4:38 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBlount, Etowah52 min
Apr 25, 4:41 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMacon49 min
Apr 25, 4:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNDeKalb34 min
Apr 25, 4:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga31 min
Apr 25, 4:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChambers28 min
Apr 25, 4:47 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXCalhoun, St. Clair, Talladega43 min
Apr 25, 4:49 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXDallas26 min
Apr 25, 4:51 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNDeKalb24 min
Apr 25, 4:56 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXCherokee, Lee49 min
Apr 25, 4:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXElmore47 min
Apr 25, 5:09 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMontgomery51 min
Apr 25, 5:12 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXDallas33 min
Apr 25, 5:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarengo45 min
Apr 25, 5:20 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBullock40 min
Apr 25, 5:26 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMarengo34 min
Apr 25, 5:26 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMacon49 min
Apr 25, 5:29 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLowndes46 min
Apr 25, 5:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBWilcox63 min
Apr 25, 5:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDallas30 min
Apr 25, 5:54 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXCherokee21 min
Apr 25, 6:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarengo45 min
Apr 25, 6:00 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBullock, Russell45 min

Discussions around it

SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 5.8 hours before the alert went out and 37 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2003-04-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2003-04-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 264 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
651 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
264 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
299 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 251744
SEL6  
SPC WW 251745
ALZ000-252300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 166 
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 
1245 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2003

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 

       ALABAMA

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1245 PM UNTIL 
600 PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 85 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA TO
45 MILES SOUTH OF SELMA ALABAMA.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.


OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 164...WW 165...


DISCUSSION...AS COLD FRONT MOVES INTO WRN AL...AIRMASS IS RAPIDLY
DESTABILIZING IN WAKE OF OVERNIGHT STORMS.  SHEAR PROFILES ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELLS/TORNADOES.  THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN
NUMBER AND INTENSIFY THRU THE AFTERNOON EWD ACROSS AL.

AVIATION...TORDADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.


...HALES

345,0850 314,0853 314,0882 345,0880

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 25, 1:15 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCChoctaw, Clarke, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens and 2 more90 min
Apr 25, 3:05 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaldwin, Bibb, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh and 17 more85 min
Apr 25, 5:40 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaldwin, Coffee, Covington, Dale, Escambia, Geneva and 2 more65 min
Apr 25, 6:05 AM CDTTornado WatchSPCCoffee, Covington, Geneva, Houston6 hr
Apr 25, 7:41 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCHouston94 min
Apr 25, 11:04 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCColbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Marion, Winston116 min
Apr 25, 12:59 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAutauga, Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Choctaw, Coosa and 15 more2 hr
Apr 25, 3:08 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAutauga, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun, Chambers and 24 more2 hr
Apr 25, 5:16 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAutauga, Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Chilton and 15 more59 min
Apr 25, 5:40 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCBarbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee and 10 more5 hr
Apr 25, 9:22 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAtkinson, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Clinch, Coffee and 10 more113 min
Apr 25, 10:45 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAppling, Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks and 20 more5 hr
Apr 25, 12:01 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBrantley, Bryan, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Glynn and 6 more119 min
Apr 25, 5:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCBarrow, Bartow, Bibb, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa and 51 more5 hr

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Alabama, 2003Tornado Watches in Georgia, 2003Every tornado watch 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.