Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2005

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 178, NWS Huntsville, AL

August 17, 2005Franklin County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 17, 2005, 3:14 PM CDT for Franklin County, Alabama. It was in force for 13 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 17, 2005, 3:14 PM CDT (20:14 UTC)
Expired
Aug 17, 2005, 3:27 PM CDT
In force
13 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Franklin County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 75 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:14 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

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 219 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2005-08-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 510 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2005-08-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 45 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
510 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-28 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
679 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
3 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
83 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 17, 10:15 AM CDT, 4 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 17, 10:15 AM CDT, 4 hours 59 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 17, 1:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 14 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
100 PM CDT WED AUG 17 2005

ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-181005-
COLBERT-CULLMAN-DE KALB-FRANKLIN AL-FRANKLIN TN-JACKSON-LAUDERDALE-
LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-LINCOLN-MADISON-MARSHALL-MOORE-MORGAN-
100 PM CDT WED AUG 17 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PARTS OF
SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...(THROUGH TONIGHT)...

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE TENNESSEE VALLEY
THROUGH THE EVENING. THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 50
MPH. A FEW STORMS MAY BRIEFLY BECOME SEVERE...WITH THE PRIMARY THREAT
DAMAGING WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)...

THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH
SUNDAY. THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY
WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. A COLD FRONT IS
FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA LATE SUNDAY...WITH REDUCED CHANCES
OF RAIN NEXT MONDAY AND TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS
NOT EXPECTED THROUGH THE OUTLOOK PERIOD.

RSB

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 17, 12:42 PM CDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1242 PM CDT WED AUG 17 2005

ALZ002-171815-
COLBERT-
1242 PM CDT WED AUG 17 2005

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR COLBERT COUNTY...

AT 1240 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES SOUTH OF CHEROKEE...OR 14 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF IUKA MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.

PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  MYNOT.
  CHEROKEE.
  RED ROCK.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

RSB
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 1:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
115 PM CDT WED AUG 17 2005

ALZ001-002-171900-
COLBERT-LAUDERDALE-
115 PM CDT WED AUG 17 2005

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR COLBERT AND LAUDERDALE COUNTIES...

AT 110 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CHEROKEE...OR 11 MILES EAST OF IUKA...MOVING
EAST AT 5 MPH.

PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  LIME KILN.
  CHEROKEE.
  RED ROCK.

IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY
LIGHTNING. MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER NOW.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

RSB
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 1:30 PM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
130 PM CDT WED AUG 17 2005

ALZ003-004-171915-
FRANKLIN-LAWRENCE-
130 PM CDT WED AUG 17 2005

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR FRANKLIN AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES
UNTIL 215 PM CDT...

AT 125 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES EAST OF PHIL CAMPBELL...OR 9 MILES NORTH
OF HALEYVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WERE DEVELOPING SOUTHWEST OF MOULTON.

PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  MT HOPE.
  MOULTON.
  THE BANKHEAD NATIONAL FOREST.

IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY
LIGHTNING. MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER NOW.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

RSB
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 3:03 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
303 PM CDT WED AUG 17 2005

ALZ007-008-016-172045-
CULLMAN-MARSHALL-MORGAN-
303 PM CDT WED AUG 17 2005

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR CULLMAN...MARSHALL AND MORGAN
COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM CDT...

AT 300 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CULLMAN...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. ANOTHER
STRONG STORM WAS LOCATED WEST OF ARAB NEAR RYAN CROSSROADS.

PEA SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  CULLMAN.
  EVA.
  FAIRVIEW.
  ARAB.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

RSB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 7:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNJackson28 min
Aug 17, 4:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNDeKalb24 min
Aug 17, 4:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNDeKalb23 min
Aug 17, 5:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNDeKalb16 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.