Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 128, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 4, 2008Calhoun County, St. Clair County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 4, 2008, 3:16 PM CDT for Calhoun County, St. Clair County, Alabama. It was in force for 29 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: Apr 4, 2008, 3:16 PM CDT (20:16 UTC)
Expired: Apr 4, 2008, 3:45 PM CDT
In force: 29 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Calhoun County, AL, St. Clair County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 91 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:17 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 4, 9:48 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr
Apr 4, 1:27 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 91 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: 464 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -105 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 608 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 278 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 379 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.4
Supercell composite: 5.3

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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 4, 6:40 AM CDT, 8 hours 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 4, 6:40 AM CDT, 8 hours 36 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
640 AM CDT FRI APR 4 2008

.UPDATE...AVIATION DISCUSSION.

&&

.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.

WEDGE CONTINUES TO MAKE ITS PRESENCE KNOWN ACROSS EAST ALABAMA WHERE
TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE 50S...COMPARED TO NEAR 70 DEGREES ACROSS
WEST ALABAMA. WEDGE WILL ERODE AS THE MORNING PROGRESSES AND
SOUTHERLY FLOW INCREASES. A LAKE WIND ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED THIS
PACKAGE FOR TODAY. VERY WARM AND JUICY BOUNDARY LAYER PRESENT
ACROSS WEST ALABAMA WHERE SURFACE DEWPOINTS ARE IN THE MID 60S.
HIGHER DEWPOINTS WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
THIS MORNING WITH UPPER 60S EXPECTED WEST OF I-65.

LINE OF NEARLY CONTINUES THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHES FROM DALLAS TEXAS
ACROSS ARKANSAS AND INTO KENTUCKY. THE LINE HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE ALL
NIGHT AVERAGING 2500 LIGHTNING STRIKES PER 15 MINUTES. THE
CONVECTIVE LINE WILL PUSH SOUTHEASTWARD TODAY AND MOVE INTO NW
ALABAMA AROUND 10 AM. THERE HAS BEEN A FEW THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP OUT
AHEAD OF THE MAIN LINE...AND THIS TREND MAY INCREASE LATER THIS
MORNING AS AIR MASS DESTABILIZES ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA.  SEVERE
WEATHER PARAMETERS STILL LOOKING IMPRESSIVE THIS AFTERNOON WITH
LIFTED INDICES NEAR -5 CELSIUS...CAPES 1000-1500 J/KG...AND 0-6KM
BULK SHEAR NEAR 60 KNOTS. MAIN THREAT WILL BE BOW SEGMENTS ALONG
SQUALL LINE...BUT SHEAR VALUES SUPPORT ROTATING STORMS...AND
TORNADOES A REAL POSSIBILITY. TRAINING CELLS WILL ALSO PRODUCE
LOCALIZED FLOODING.

SQUALL LINE WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS ENTIRE AREA OVERNIGHT
PRODUCING RAINFALL TOTALS BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES ACROSS MOST AREAS.
SEVERE POTENTIAL WILL LIKELY WANE LATER THIS EVENING AS BOUNDARY
LAYER COOLS AND MID LEVEL FORCING DECREASES. SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHERN COUNTIES FROM SUNRISE
SATURDAY THROUGH 12 NOON.  LOW CLOUDS WILL EXTEND WELL NORTH OF
SURFACE COLD FRONT AS 850-700MB TROF STILL BACK NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER...AND CLOUDS WILL BE SLOW TO CLEAR ON SATURDAY.  SKIES SHOULD
BECOME PARTLY CLOUDY ACROSS MOST OF CENTRAL ALABAMA BY SUNSET
SATURDAY.

58/ROSE

.LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

SUNDAY WILL BEGIN A FEW DAYS OF QUIET AND QUITE PLEASANT WEATHER
ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA...WITH HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S. THE
MAIN STORM TRACK WILL TAKE SYSTEMS TO OUR NORTH KEEPING THE REGION
IN UPPER LEVEL WESTERLY TO SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW. COULD SEE THE
INFLUENCE OF WEDGING AROUND THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS BY TUESDAY
MORNING. THE STRENGTH OF THE WEDGE COULD LEAD TO SLIGHTLY COOLER
TEMPERATURES IN THE NORTHEAST THAN CURRENTLY IN THE FORECAST
PACKAGE.

WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...INTRODUCED CHANCE/SLIGHT CHANCE POPS
BEGINNING TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD AS
MODELS HAVE COME INTO AGREEMENT THAT A FRONT WILL APPROACH THE AREA
WEDNESDAY AND STALL OUT LIKELY ACROSS NORTHERN ALABAMA...KEEPING THE
AREA IN A WARM MOIST AIRMASS. KEPT FORECAST CONSERVATIVE SINCE THIS
SYSTEM IS AT THE END OF THE PERIOD AND THERE ARE STILL SOME
DIFFERENCES IN TIMING...STRENGTH...AND HOW FAR SOUTH THE FRONT WILL
PUSH BEFORE IT STALLS.

14

&&

.AVIATION...12Z TAF DISCUSSION.

WEDGE FRONT OVER EAST ALABAMA IS STARTING TO LOSE IT HOLD DUE TO
STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW ABOVE THE SURFACE. CIGS EAST OF I-65 ARE AOB
1000 FEET AGL...WITH CIGS 15-25 ELSEWHERE. FOG HAS NOT REALLY BEEN A
PROBLEM THIS MORNING WITH VSBYS GENERALLY AT 5 MILES OR MORE. LOWER
CIGS ACROSS EAST ALABAMA WILL RISE THIS MORNING TO ARND 2500 FEET
BY 17Z. GRADIENT WINDS WILL BE FROM THE SOUTH AT 12-18 KNOTS WITH
GUSTS TO AS HIGH AS 25 KNOTS.

SQUALL LINE ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT
SOUTHEAST AND REACH THE KTCL-KBHM LINE BY 17Z. THE SQUALL LINE WILL
PRODUCE MAY PRODUCE WINGS GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS...WITH VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL PRODUCING VSBYS BELOW 1/2SM. THE SQUALL LINE WILL CONTIUE
SOUTHEAST AND REACH KMGM ARND 22Z. A COLD FRONT WILL FOLLOW THE
SQUALL LINE BY 3-6 HOURS AND EXPECT MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS BEHIND
FRONT.

58/ROSE

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     73  54  66  49  78 / 100 100  30  10  10
ANNISTON    74  58  68  51  78 /  70 100  30  10  10
BIRMINGHAM  76  54  68  51  78 / 100 100  30  10  10
TUSCALOOSA  77  55  69  50  80 /  90 100  20  10  10
CALERA      77  58  68  51  78 /  70 100  30  10  10
AUBURN      78  60  72  54  76 /  50  80  70  10  10
MONTGOMERY  80  63  72  53  81 /  50  80  70  10  10
TROY        80  63  72  53  79 /  40  80  70  10  10

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7AM TO 7PM FOR ALL COUNTIES.

&&

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 4, 2:48 PM CDT, 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
248 PM CDT FRI APR 04 2008

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

0240 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG LIVINGSTON              32.60N 88.19W
04/04/2008                   SUMTER             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN THE LIVINGSTON
            AREA...AND IN SEVERAL OTHER LOCATIONS AROUND THE COUNTY.

&&

Local storm report, Apr 4, 2:50 PM CDT, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
250 PM CDT FRI APR 04 2008

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

0150 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 SE BILLINGSLEY        32.62N 86.66W
04/04/2008                   AUTAUGA            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES AND POWER LINES REPORTED DOWN IN THE VIDA AREA AT
            THE JUNCTION OF AL HWYS 19 AND 82.

0155 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     1 E HARPERSVILLE        33.34N 86.42W
04/04/2008                   SHELBY             AL   AMATEUR RADIO

            FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED BY AMATUER RADIO OPERATOR OVER US
            HIGHWAY 280.

&&

Local storm report, Apr 4, 2:51 PM CDT, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
251 PM CDT FRI APR 04 2008

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

0103 PM     HAIL             16 SE TUSCALOOSA        33.07N 87.35W
04/04/2008  E0.50 INCH       TUSCALOOSA         AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            DIME TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN HAGLER.

0150 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 SE BILLINGSLEY        32.62N 86.66W
04/04/2008                   AUTAUGA            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES AND POWER LINES REPORTED DOWN IN THE VIDA AREA AT
            THE JUNCTION OF AL HWYS 19 AND 82.

0155 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     1 E HARPERSVILLE        33.34N 86.42W
04/04/2008                   SHELBY             AL   AMATEUR RADIO

            FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED BY AMATUER RADIO OPERATOR OVER US
            HIGHWAY 280.

0240 PM     HAIL             5 NNW CALERA            33.17N 86.79W
04/04/2008  M1.00 INCH       SHELBY             AL   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL OBSERVED AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
            SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE...KBMX.

0240 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG LIVINGSTON              32.60N 88.19W
04/04/2008                   SUMTER             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN THE LIVINGSTON
            AREA...AND IN SEVERAL OTHER LOCATIONS AROUND THE COUNTY.

&&

Local storm report, Apr 4, 3:08 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
308 PM CDT FRI APR 04 2008

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

0233 PM     HAIL             ALABASTER               33.23N 86.82W
04/04/2008  E0.88 INCH       SHELBY             AL   NWS EMPLOYEE

            NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED AT 254 PARKPLACE WAY.

&&

JWRIGHT

Local storm report, Apr 4, 3:10 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
310 PM CDT FRI APR 04 2008

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

0255 PM     TSTM WND DMG     EUTAW                   32.84N 87.89W
04/04/2008                   GREENE             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            NUMEROUS TREE DOWN ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTY.

&&

Local storm report, Apr 4, 3:11 PM CDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
311 PM CDT FRI APR 04 2008

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

0305 PM     HAIL             PELL CITY               33.56N 86.27W
04/04/2008  E0.88 INCH       ST. CLAIR          AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN THE PELL CITY AREA.

&&

JWRIGHT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 4, 3:58 AM CDT	Lake Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	15 hr
Apr 4, 12:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cherokee	35 min
Apr 4, 1:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Hale, Tuscaloosa	44 min
Apr 4, 1:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Shelby, Talladega	40 min
Apr 4, 1:28 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Shelby, Talladega	47 min
Apr 4, 1:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee	29 min
Apr 4, 1:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Dallas, Hale, Marengo, Perry	51 min
Apr 4, 1:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Etowah, St. Clair	35 min
Apr 4, 1:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Talladega	45 min
Apr 4, 1:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cherokee	30 min
Apr 4, 1:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb	35 min
Apr 4, 1:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas, Hale, Marengo, Perry	47 min
Apr 4, 2:01 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby	44 min
Apr 4, 2:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Etowah, St. Clair	28 min
Apr 4, 2:09 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne, Talladega	51 min
Apr 4, 2:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter	26 min
Apr 4, 2:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby	39 min
Apr 4, 2:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Shelby	23 min
Apr 4, 2:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	35 min
Apr 4, 2:33 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Dallas, Perry	42 min
Apr 4, 2:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Etowah, St. Clair	15 min
Apr 4, 2:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Sumter and 1 more	45 min
Apr 4, 2:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Coosa, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	29 min
Apr 4, 2:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers, Clay, Randolph, Tallapoosa	42 min
Apr 4, 2:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	35 min
Apr 4, 2:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Dallas, Marengo	50 min
Apr 4, 2:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, St. Clair, Talladega	35 min
Apr 4, 3:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount	34 min
Apr 4, 3:17 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Coosa	43 min
Apr 4, 3:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay, Talladega	27 min
Apr 4, 3:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Hale, Jefferson, Perry, Shelby and 1 more	51 min
Apr 4, 3:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers, Randolph	32 min
Apr 4, 3:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne	29 min
Apr 4, 3:32 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas, Lowndes	43 min
Apr 4, 3:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Coosa, Tallapoosa	44 min
Apr 4, 3:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee, Cleburne	20 min
Apr 4, 3:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby	36 min
Apr 4, 4:03 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Shelby	27 min
Apr 4, 4:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cleburne	26 min
Apr 4, 4:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Lowndes, Montgomery	47 min
Apr 4, 4:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Clay, Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa	40 min
Apr 4, 4:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	52 min
Apr 4, 4:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Etowah, St. Clair, Talladega	46 min
Apr 4, 4:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers, Clay, Randolph, Tallapoosa	36 min
Apr 4, 4:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Dallas	14 min
Apr 4, 4:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Etowah, Randolph and 1 more	52 min
Apr 4, 4:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery	66 min
Apr 4, 5:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lowndes	36 min
Apr 4, 5:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas	37 min
Apr 4, 5:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore, Macon, Tallapoosa	42 min
Apr 4, 5:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore, Montgomery	38 min
Apr 4, 6:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers, Lee, Macon, Tallapoosa	63 min
Apr 4, 6:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore, Lee, Macon, Montgomery, Tallapoosa	31 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2008 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2008

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.