Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2005
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 348, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2005, 3:12 PM CDT for St. Clair County, Alabama. It was in force for 33 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
- May 20, 2005, 3:12 PM CDT (20:12 UTC)
- Expired
- May 20, 2005, 3:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County St. Clair County, AL
The radar
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 57 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 8:40 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 57 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1086 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -66 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1017 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 32 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 147 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 134 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.9
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WUUS54 KBMX 202012
SVRBMX
ALC115-202045-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0348.050520T2012Z-050520T2045Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
312 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
SOUTHERN ST. CLAIR COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...PELL CITY...MOODY
* UNTIL 345 PM CDT
* AT 306 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS
IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM RIVERSIDE TO MOODY...AND MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH.
* THE LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY
RURAL AREAS OF THE INDICATED COUNTY.
IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS.
REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758.
LAT...LON 3368 8620 3368 8653 3357 8653 3351 8639
3340 8638 3339 8634 3348 8631 3352 8624
$$
61What 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 May 20, 2:58 PM CDT, 14 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 20, 2:58 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 258 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 .SHORT TERM...(THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY)... NEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS BEING ISSUED...WHICH WILL INCLUDE MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA. IMPRESSIVE LIGHTNING RATES WITH THE STORMS ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA...RATES HAVE EXCEEDED 15 CLOUD-TO-GROUND STRIKES PER MINUTE AT TIMES. SEVERE REPORTS HAVE BEEN TRICKLING IN...MOSTLY TREES DOWN...AND MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL. ALL OF THIS ACTIVITY IS THE RESULT OF SURFACE INSTABILITY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. TRACK OF THE UPPER LOW IS SLIGHTLY FARTHER EAST THAN MODELS WERE SUGGESTING AT THIS TIME YESTERDAY...BUT ALL IN ALL GUIDANCE FOR THIS EVENT HAS BEEN ON TRACK. THIS COMPLEX OF STORMS SHOULD HAVE A STRONG ENOUGH COLD POOL TO MAINTAIN ITSELF INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...BUT WILL LIKELY EXIT OUR AREA OF CONCERN BY MIDNIGHT. 850 TROUGH SHOULD BE ORIENTED FROM AROUND MOBILE, AL TO MACON, GA BY SUNRISE...WITH GENERALLY CLEAR CONDITIONS TO THE NORTH OF THIS LINE...ENCOMPASSING VIRTUALLY ALL OF OUR CWA. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY LOOK NICE...BUT TEMPERATURES WILL QUICKLY REBOUND BACK INTO THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 80S ON SUNDAY. A FEW 90S ARE ALSO EXPECTED...MAINLY IN THE URBAN AREAS. MORE SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER IS EXPECTED TO RETURN LATE SUNDAY. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY)... A WEAK FAST MOVING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA SUNDAY NIGHT. MOISTURE WILL BE QUESTIONABLE. INTRODUCED SOME CHANCE POPS (UPPER 20S LOW 30S) WITH THIS UPDATE...BUT CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH. THERMAL RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHWEST WILL KEEP OUR AREA UNDER NORTHWESTERLY FLOW MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO ORGANIZED PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED FOR THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK...AT LEAST THROUGH THURSDAY. HOWEVER...WEAK IMPULSES IN NORTHWEST FLOW CAN BE VERY TRICKY...PRODUCING UPSTREAM THUNDERSTORM COMPLEXES THAT TRACK INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA. TEMPERATURES BEHIND THE FRONT EARLY MONDAY WILL BE A BIT COOLER THAN TEMPERATURES BEHIND THE FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. HIGHS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BREAK THE 85 DEGREE MARK FOR MOST LOCATIONS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY PROVIDING TEMPORARY RELIEF FROM THE SUMMERTIME CONDITIONS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED OF LATE. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GADSDEN 62 81 57 83 / 10 0 0 10 ANNISTON 62 80 60 83 / 10 10 0 10 BIRMINGHAM 62 81 60 85 / 10 0 0 10 TUSCALOOSA 62 85 62 88 / 10 10 0 10 CALERA 62 83 61 85 / 10 10 0 10 AUBURN 64 82 59 84 / 50 10 0 10 MONTGOMERY 65 85 60 87 / 50 10 0 10 TROY 65 85 60 87 / 50 10 0 10 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && 12/12
Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 1:30 PM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 130 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ011>015-017>050-201900- AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE- CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE- JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY- PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA- TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON- 130 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 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 MOVE ACROSS AREAS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20 BETWEEN 1 AND 4 PM...AND AFFECT AREAS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 BETWEEN 4 PM AND 11 PM. DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND HAIL ARE THE MAIN THREATS. IN ADDITION...SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 AND AHEAD OF LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND POSSIBLY A TORNADO OR TWO WILL OCCUR WITH THESE STORMS. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 ARE DEVELOPING IN A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE AND AFTERNOON HEATING. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING JUST AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WILL WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY). THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON MONDAY. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH 11 PM. STEFKOVICH
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 20, 1:02 PM CDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 102 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ036-037-201830- COOSA-TALLAPOOSA- 102 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR COOSA AND TALLAPOOSA COUNTIES UNTIL 130 PM CDT... ...SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 1257 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER WEOGUFKA...MOVING EAST AROUND 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR WEOGUFKA... ROCKFORD...KELLYTON AND ALEXANDER CITY THROUGH 130 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS IS SMALL HAIL. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. JONES
Special weather statement, May 20, 1:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 159 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ038-201930- CHAMBERS- 159 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR CHAMBERS COUNTY UNTIL 230 PM CDT... ...SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 155 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER MILLTOWN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR MILLTOWN...STROUD... LAFAYETTE...FIVE POINTS AND LANETT THROUGH 230 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THIS STORMS IS FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. IF LIGHTNING IS OBSERVED... WAIT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES AFTER THE LAST LIGHTNING FLASH OR THUNDER BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. ANOTHER THREAT FROM THIS STORMS IS SMALL HAIL. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER...IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER NOW. JONES
Local storm report, May 20, 2:06 PM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
206 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0202 PM DOWNBURST 4 E BLOUNTSVILLE 34.08N 86.52W
05/20/2005 BLOUNT AL EMERGENCY MNGR
EMA REPORTED A TREE DOWNED BY STRONG WINDS ONTO A HOUSE
&&
JPSSpecial weather statement, May 20, 2:42 PM CDT, 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 242 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ALZ045-047-048-202015- LEE-MACON-RUSSELL- 242 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR RUSSELL...MACON AND LEE COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM CDT... ...SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE FROM AN APPROACHING THUNDERSTORM... AT 240 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM OVER SOCIETY HILL...MOVING EAST AROUND 30 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT AREAS IN AND NEAR SOCIETY HILL... AUBURN...LADONIA...SMITHS STATION...PHENIX CITY AND FORT MITCHELL THROUGH 315 PM CDT. THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM THIS STORMS ARE SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS IN THE VICINITY OF THIS STORM...TAKE SHELTER NOW. JONES
Local storm report, May 20, 2:56 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
256 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0210 PM TSTM WND DMG ONEONTA 33.95N 86.47W
05/20/2005 BLOUNT AL EMERGENCY MNGR
NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ACROSS COUNTY AND
ALONG STATE HIGHWAY 79 BETWEEN 210 PM AND 225 PM.
0238 PM HAIL 2 NE CARBON HILL 33.92N 87.50W
05/20/2005 1.75 INCH WALKER AL EMERGENCY MNGR
GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN NAVROO-PROSPECT AREAS.
&&
JPSThe office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 7:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lee | 36 min |
| May 19, 8:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun | 42 min |
| May 20, 1:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Coosa | 22 min |
| May 20, 1:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount, Etowah | 64 min |
| May 20, 2:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 64 min |
| May 20, 2:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount | 33 min |
| May 20, 2:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 60 min |
| May 20, 2:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Walker | 38 min |
| May 20, 2:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Autauga, Elmore | 27 min |
| May 20, 3:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Talladega | 42 min |
| May 20, 3:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Walker | 16 min |
| May 20, 3:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 46 min |
| May 20, 3:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Shelby | 78 min |
| May 20, 3:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Talladega | 32 min |
| May 20, 3:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Fayette, Tuscaloosa | 43 min |
| May 20, 4:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 52 min |
| May 20, 4:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb | 37 min |
| May 20, 5:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Pickens | 33 min |
| May 20, 5:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 33 min |
| May 20, 5:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Hale | 24 min |
| May 20, 5:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Hale | 47 min |
| May 20, 6:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Autauga, Lowndes, Montgomery | 35 min |
| May 20, 6:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Sumter | 45 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2005Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2005
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.