Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2005

Tornado Warning 156, NWS Birmingham, AL

November 15, 2005Fayette County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Nov 15, 2005, 6:38 PM CST for Fayette County, Alabama. It was in force for 48 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: Nov 15, 2005, 6:38 PM CST (00:38 UTC)
Expired: Nov 15, 2005, 7:26 PM CST
In force: 48 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Fayette County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:37 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 tornado 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
Nov 15, 3:15 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 114 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: 440 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 828 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 270 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 313 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.6
Supercell composite: 2.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KBMX 160038
TORBMX
ALC057-160145-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0156.051116T0038Z-051116T0145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
638 PM CST TUE NOV 15 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  FAYETTE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA

* UNTIL 745 PM CST

* AT 634 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 8 MILES WEST OF
  MOUNT VERNON...OR ABOUT 13 MILES WEST OF FAYETTE...MOVING EAST AT
  25 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  BAZEMORE.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
STURDY SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST
DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

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

LAT...LON 3384 8795 3370 8794 3374 8753 3387 8752
      3387 8764 3391 8764 3391 8768

$$

61

3 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS54 KBMX 160100
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
700 PM CST TUE NOV 15 2005

ALC057-160145-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0156.000000T0000Z-051116T0145Z/
FAYETTE AL-
700 PM CST TUE NOV 15 2005

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CST FOR NORTHERN
FAYETTE COUNTY...

AT 700 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR MOUNT VERNON...OR
ABOUT 8 MILES NORTH OF FAYETTE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO GLEN 
ALLEN...BAZEMORE...HUBBERTVILLE...HOWARD...AND STUDDARDS CROSSROADS.

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CST TUESDAY 
EVENING FOR NORTHWESTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3384 8795 3370 8794 3374 8753 3387 8752
      3387 8764 3391 8764 3391 8768

$$

MBS/91

000 
WWUS54 KBMX 160118
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
718 PM CST TUE NOV 15 2005

ALC057-160145-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0156.000000T0000Z-051116T0145Z/
FAYETTE AL-
718 PM CST TUE NOV 15 2005

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CST FOR NORTHERN
FAYETTE COUNTY...

AT 718 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BAZEMORE...OR
ABOUT 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WINFIELD...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

THIS STORM IS A DANGEROUS STORM AS IT HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING 
ROOF DAMAGE IN VERNON IN LAMAR COUNTY.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 
BAZEMORE...HOWARD...AND STUDDARDS CROSSROADS.

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CST TUESDAY EVENING 
FOR NORTHWESTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3384 8780 3370 8793 3374 8753 3387 8752
      3387 8764 3391 8764 3391 8768

$$

MBS/91

000 
WWUS54 KBMX 160126
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
725 PM CST TUE NOV 15 2005

ALC057-160135-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0156.000000T0000Z-051116T0145Z/
FAYETTE AL-
725 PM CST TUE NOV 15 2005

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR FAYETTE COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

AT 725 PM CST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT
THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD WEAKENED AND WAS NO
LONGER SEVERE...THUS THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CST TUESDAY EVENING 
FOR NORTHWESTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3384 8780 3370 8793 3374 8753 3387 8752
      3387 8764 3391 8764 3391 8768

$$

61

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Nov 15, 2:23 PM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 15, 2:23 PM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
223 PM CST TUE NOV 15 2005

.SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT)

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP
ACROSS THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON. BACK TO OUR WEST, INTENSE SQUALL
LINE DEVELOPING ACROSS ARKANSAS, LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI. THIS
LINE SHOULD BEGIN TO PUSH INTO WEST ALABAMA AROUND 9 PM TO 12
AM...ALONG OR JUST AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT AND EXIT CENTRAL
ALABAMA BETWEEN 4 AND 6 AM.

12Z MODEL RUNS BEGIN TO LIFT MOST OF THE DYNAMICS OUT OF THE
SOUTHEAST AS THE LINE APPROACHES...LEAVING THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL
FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES ACROSS OUR NORTHWEST COUNTIES
THEN WEAKENING AS THE LINE CONTINUES TO PUSH TO THE SOUTHEAST.
ISOLATED SUPERCELLS AHEAD OF THE MAIN LINE COULD BE AN ISSUE LATER
THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
(HWOBMX) DETAILS ALL THIS INFORMATION VERY WELL.

BEHIND THE FRONT FOLLOWS A MAJOR PUSH OF COLD WEATHER. STRONG
ADVECTION PATTERN SHOULD KEEP WEDNESDAY (AFTERNOON) HIGHS IN THE
UPPER 40S NORTHWEST TO MID 50S SOUTHEAST. SHOULD BE BREEZY AT
TIMES TOO, MAKING IT FEEL EVEN COLDER. AREA-WIDE FREEZE BY
THURSDAY MORNING AND A FREEZE WATCH WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THIS
AFTERNOONS PACKAGE.

THURSDAY LOOKS SIMILAR TO WEDNESDAY WITH HIGHS AGAIN IN THE UPPER
40S TO MID 50S. ANOTHER AREA-WIDE FREEZE BY FRIDAY MORNING.

.LONG TERM...(FRIDAY - TUESDAY)

NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL KEEP CENTRAL ALABAMA IN A BELOW AVERAGE
TEMPERATURE PATTERN THROUGH THE EXTENDED. HIGHS MAINLY IN THE 50S
WITH LOWS RANGING FROM UPPER 20S TO MID 30S. NO RAIN CHANCES.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     46  51  25  51 / 100  40   0   0
ANNISTON    49  50  29  50 / 100  50   0   0
BIRMINGHAM  44  50  27  50 / 100  10   0   0
TUSCALOOSA  45  52  28  52 / 100  10   0   0
CALERA      47  52  29  52 / 100  10   0   0
AUBURN      55  55  30  55 /  80  50   0   0
MONTGOMERY  53  54  30  54 / 100  50   0   0
TROY        55  55  31  55 /  80  50   0   0

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LAKE WIND ADVISORY ALL AREAS THROUGH 6 AM WEDNESDAY.
FREEZE WATCH ALL AREAS FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING.

&&

88/88

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 15, 5:03 PM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
503 PM CST TUE NOV 15 2005

ALZ011>015-017>050-161230-
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-
503 PM CST TUE NOV 15 2005

...SEVERE WEATHER THREAT TONIGHT...

...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT TONIGHT...

...FREEZE CONDITIONS EXPECTED THURSDAY MORNING AND FRIDAY MORNING...

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST ALABAMA THIS EVENING...
AND EXIT SOUTHEAST ALABAMA EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.  THE AIRMASS
AHEAD OF THE FRONT IS WARM AND UNSTABLE...ESPECIALLY FOR NOVEMBER.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY DURING THE
EVENING HOURS.

AT THIS TIME...THE GREATEST THREAT IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE FAR
WEST AND NORTHWEST PARTS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA...INCLUDING LAMAR...
MARION...WINSTON...FAYETTE...PICKENS...TUSCALOOSA...SUMTER...
GREENE AND WALKER COUNTIES. THE STORMS IN THESE COUNTIES WILL BE
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND SOME TORNADOES.THE REMAINDER
OF CENTRAL ALABAMA WILL SEE THE POTENTIAL OF DAMAGING WINDS AND
ISOLATED TORNADOES.

THERE MAY BE TWO LINES OF SEVERE WEATHER DURING THIS EVENT. ISOLATED
SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND
TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE AHEAD OF THE FRONT. AS THE FRONT APPROACHES...
A SQUALL LINE WITH EMBEDDED SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED...
WITH THE THREAT OF DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND TORNADOES. ALL
INTERESTS IN CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS AND
FORECASTS...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE PROTECTIVE ACTION IF A WARNING IS
ISSUED. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL GRADUALLY END FROM
NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST AS THE FRONT PASSES DURING THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS.

ALONG WITH THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER...BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED AHEAD AND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. WIND GUSTS OF 25 TO 40
MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ON OPEN WATERWAYS...AND OVER HIGHER TERRAIN.
THE WINDS WILL SWING AROUND TO A NORTHERLY DIRECTION AND REMAIN
BREEZY LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY. ONCE AGAIN...WIND GUSTS
COULD REACH 25 TO 35 MPH ON AREA LAKES AND WATERWAYS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

COLD AIR WILL FUNNEL INTO ALABAMA BEHIND THE STRONG COLD FRONT. LOW
TEMPERATURES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY MORNING WILL RANGE FROM 25 TO 32
DEGREES. THEREFORE...A WIDESPREAD FREEZE IS EXPECTED EACH MORNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL
WILL BE REQUIRED TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 15, 6:32 PM CST, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
632 PM CST TUE NOV 15 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0623 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     1 SW VERNON             33.75N 88.13W
11/15/2005                   LAMAR              AL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            FUNNEL AND WALL CLOUDS REPORTED CROSSING COUNTY ROAD 9
            JUST SOUTHWEST OF VERNON.

&&

JSS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Nov 15, 6:15 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lamar	30 min
Nov 15, 6:42 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lamar	18 min
Nov 15, 7:53 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker	52 min
Nov 15, 8:01 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	29 min
Nov 15, 8:19 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Winston	11 min
Nov 15, 8:20 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens	55 min
Nov 15, 9:09 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	66 min
Nov 15, 9:14 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker	46 min
Nov 16, 3:51 AM CST	Freeze Warning	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	29 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2005 Every tornado warning in 2005 Tornadoes 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.