Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2005

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 13, 2005Calhoun County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 13, 2005, 8:07 PM CST for Calhoun County, Alabama. It was in force for 41 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, 2005, 8:07 PM CST (02:07 UTC)
Expired
Mar 13, 2005, 8:48 PM CST
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Calhoun County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:08 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 2.1 hours before the alert went out and 107 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 00:00Z on 2005-03-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 491 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2005-03-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 32 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
491 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1546 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
1 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 
WFUS54 KBMX 140207
TORBMX
ALC015-140245-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0006.050314T0207Z-050314T0245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
807 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CALHOUN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA

* UNTIL 845 PM CST

* AT 807 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR OHATCHEE...
  OR ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTH OF RAINBOW CITY...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  WEAVER BY 830 PM CST
  JACKSONVILLE BY 835 PM CST

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL 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 3386 8604 3369 8608 3367 8565 3394 8569

$$

MBS/91
3 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 140225
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
825 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005

ALC015-140245-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-050314T0245Z/
CALHOUN AL-
825 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005

...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 845 PM CST FOR CALHOUN COUNTY...

AT 825 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 6 MILES EAST OF
OHATCHEE...OR ABOUT 9 MILES NORTH OF WEST END-COBB TOWN...MOVING EAST
AT 35 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  6 MILES NORTH OF BLUE MOUNTAIN BY 825 PM CST
  WEAVER BY 830 PM CST
  JACKSONVILLE BY 835 PM CST

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.

LAT...LON 3386 8604 3369 8608 3367 8565 3394 8569

$$

MBS/91
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 140235
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
834 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005

ALC015-140245-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-050314T0245Z/
CALHOUN AL-
835 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005

...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 845 PM CST FOR CALHOUN COUNTY...

AT 828 PM CST...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A WALL CLOUD 
6 MILES WEST OF HIGHWAY 431...OR 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF OHATCHEE. 
THE TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR WEAVER...OR ABOUT 7 MILES NORTH OF 
ANNISTON...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BLUE
MOUNTAIN AND JACKSONVILLE.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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

LAT...LON 3386 8604 3369 8608 3367 8565 3394 8569

$$

MBS/91
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 140248
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
847 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005

ALC015-140257-
/O.EXP.KBMX.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-050314T0245Z/
CALHOUN AL-
847 PM CST SUN MAR 13 2005

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CALHOUN COUNTY EXPIRED DAT 845 PM CST...

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS ENDED FOR CALHOUN COUNTY.  
THE STORMS THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE MOVED EAST OF THE COUNTY.

LAT...LON 3386 8604 3369 8608 3367 8565 3394 8569

$$

MBS/91

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 13, 6:24 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWinston36 min
Mar 13, 6:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene41 min
Mar 13, 6:47 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTuscaloosa61 min
Mar 13, 7:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale44 min
Mar 13, 7:13 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount47 min
Mar 13, 7:14 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXPickens, Sumter31 min
Mar 13, 7:19 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXBlount41 min
Mar 13, 7:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson28 min
Mar 13, 7:35 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXGreene40 min
Mar 13, 7:36 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXSt. Clair39 min
Mar 13, 7:38 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb67 min
Mar 13, 7:54 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar, Pickens36 min
Mar 13, 8:03 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale43 min
Mar 13, 8:40 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXCleburne35 min
Mar 13, 8:56 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSumter49 min
Mar 13, 9:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale26 min
Mar 13, 10:14 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXPickens31 min
Mar 13, 10:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton43 min

Nearby

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