Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 156, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 11, 20085 counties in Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 11, 2008, 2:56 PM CDT for 5 counties in Alabama. It was in force for 49 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 11, 2008, 2:56 PM CDT (19:56 UTC)
Expired: Apr 11, 2008, 3:45 PM CDT
In force: 49 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Bibb County, AL, Dallas County, AL, Hale County, AL, Marengo County, AL, Perry County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:58 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 11, 10:15 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 86 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: 33 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -160 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 566 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 217 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 271 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.3

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 11, 1:03 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 11, 1:03 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
103 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

.UPDATE...FOR 18Z AVIATION.

&&

.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

EARLY MORNING TEMPERATURES ARE RANGING FROM THE MID 60S TO LOWER 70S
ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. WINDS CONTINUE TO BE SOUTHERLY WITH THE
OCCASIONAL GUST TO 20 MPH ACROSS THE NORTH. DEWPOINTS RANGE FROM THE
MID AND UPPER 60S ACROSS THE WEST TO THE MID AND UPPER 50S
ELSEWHERE. A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM MISSOURI THROUGH ARKANSAS AND
INTO TEXAS. WELL ADVERTISED LINE OF CONVECTION OVER CENTRAL
TENNESSEE AND NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI CONTINUES TO CREEP CLOSER TO
NORTHWEST ALABAMA THIS MORNING.  AS EXPECTED...IT HAS WEAKENED QUITE
A BIT OVERNIGHT.

THE PRE-FRONTAL LINE WILL BE SLOW TO PUSH INTO THE AREA THIS MORNING
AND SHOULD HANG UP OVER THE NORTHWESTERN COUNTIES UNTIL THE COLD
FRONT APPROACHES WEST ALABAMA SOMETIME AFTER MIDDAY. BY THAT
TIME...THE ATMOSPHERE OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA WILL HAVE HAD PLENTY OF
TIME TO DESTABILIZE AND NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR THE I-59 CORRIDOR EARLY
AFTERNOON. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH
DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL THE PRIMARY THREATS. AS FOR
TORNADOES...FORECAST SOUNDING PROFILES CONTINUE TO SHOW BOUNDARY
LAYER WINDS BECOMING SOUTHWESTERLY AND MORE UNIDIRECTIONAL AS THE
MORNING PROGRESSES. BY THE TIME THE GREATEST INSTABILITY IS
REALIZED...THE TORNADIC THREAT SHOULD BE MINIMAL.

THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH AS WE LOSE THE
DAYTIME INSTABILITY. HOWEVER...ONGOING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WILL CONTINUE WELL INTO THE EVENING AS THE COLD FRONT SLOWLY PASSES
THROUGH THE STATE.

SATURDAY...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PUSH OUT OF SOUTHEAST
ALABAMA BY MID MORNING. THE INITIAL WAVE OF COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL
ALSO BE NOTICEABLE SATURDAY AS HIGHS RANGE FROM THE LOWER 60S TO
LOWER 70S. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY OUT OF THE WEST NORTHWEST.

88

.LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

HIGHLY AMPLIFIED UPPER PATTERN STARTS THE WEEK...WITH TROUGH AXIS
JUST TO THE WEST OF CENTRAL ALABAMA AT THE START OF THE PERIOD. THE
TROUGH AXIS MOVES ACROSS THE AREA MONDAY PROVIDING DEEP NORTHERLY
FLOW THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. UPPER FLOW THEN TRANSITIONS TO
SOUTHWEST INTO FRIDAY AS RIDGE SLOWLY TRAVERSES THE AREA. 500MB
HEIGHTS DROP INTO THE 540S MONDAY AND REBOUND INTO THE 580 RANGE BY
THURSDAY. THE LATEST RUNS OF THE GFS AND ECMWF APPEAR TO HAVE GOOD
AGREEMENT WITH THIS EVOLUTION...WHICH WILL BE MUCH LESS ACTIVE THAN
WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE LAST FEW WEEKS....ALTHOUGH QUITE A
TEMPERATURE RIDE THIS WEEK.

COLD CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SLOWLY FILTERS INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA AND
REMAINS THE DOMINANT FEATURE THE ENTIRE PERIOD...ALTHOUGH QUITE
MODIFIED BY PERIODS END. GFS ENSEMBLE/GFS/NAM/ECMWF/SREF HAVE SOME
SPREAD ON THE MAGNITUDE OF THE COLD SNAP. AT THIS TIME...WILL TAKE
A MIXED APPROACH TO THE LOWS. WILL DROP READINGS INTO THE 30S SUNDAY
MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. WIND AND CLOUD COVER WILL
SOMEWHAT LIMIT OVERALL COOLING. WILL KEEP THE TREND OF THE COLDEST
MORNING FOR TUESDAY..WITH A FEW READINGS JUST BELOW FREEZING IN THE
NORMALLY COOLER SPOTS NORTHWEST AND EAST CENTRAL. ONCE AGAIN DUE
TO CLOUDS...HIGHS DO NOT INCH OUT OF THE 50S UNTIL TUESDAY
AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES BACK TO NORMAL BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

GFS HAS SHIFTED TOWARD THE OLDER RUNS OF THE ECMWF KEEPING JUST
ENOUGH MOISTURE AND LIFT AROUND FOR A FEW SHOWERS SUNDAY THROUGH
MONDAY. RE-INTRODUCED THE 20 POPS EACH PERIOD WITH VERY LITTLE
IN THE WAY OF MEASURING. TO KEEP CONSISTENCY WITH COLDER TEMPS
SURFACE AND ALOFT...MENTIONED SNOW SHOWERS NORTH AND EAST. A FEW
FLAKES MAY BE MIXED IN AT TIMES...BUT OVERALL NO PROBLEMS. THIS IS
NOT FAVORED DUE TO CLIMATOLOGY...BUT MODELS HAVE BEEN CONVERGING
TOWARD THIS COLD SOLUTION.

75/LINHARES

&&

.AVIATION...18Z TAF DISCUSSION.

LINE OF STORMS COMING IN FROM THE WEST WILL AFFECT ALL TAF SITES
THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. BASED THE TIMING OF THESE STORMS
ON CURRENT RADAR TREND. THE ONLY FLIGHT PROBLEMS WILL OCCUR DURING A
THUNDERSTORM. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO LAST LATE INTO THE
EVENING HOURS. MUCH IMPROVED CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TOMORROW.

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT FOR ALL AREAS.

&&

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 11, 1:58 PM CDT, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
158 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

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

0149 PM     HAIL             1 N VERNON              33.77N 88.11W
04/11/2008  E0.75 INCH       LAMAR              AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            NEAR AIRPORT

&&

10.5

Local storm report, Apr 11, 2:30 PM CDT, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
230 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

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

0226 AM     FUNNEL CLOUD     CARBON HILL             33.90N 87.53W
04/11/2008                   WALKER             AL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            BETWEEN NAUVOO AND CARBON HILL

&&

10.5

Local storm report, Apr 11, 2:32 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
232 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

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

0226 AM     FUNNEL CLOUD     CARBON HILL             33.90N 87.53W
04/11/2008                   WALKER             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            BETWEEN NAUVOO AND CARBON HILL

&&

10.5

Local storm report, Apr 11, 2:35 PM CDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
235 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

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

0235 PM     HAIL             3 N CARBON HILL         33.94N 87.53W
04/11/2008  E0.88 INCH       WALKER             AL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            E70 WIND

&&

10.5

Local storm report, Apr 11, 2:37 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
237 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

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

0236 PM     HAIL             1 N CARBON HILL         33.91N 87.53W
04/11/2008  E0.88 INCH       WALKER             AL   AIRPLANE PILOT

            E70 MPH WIND

&&

10.5

Local storm report, Apr 11, 2:39 PM CDT, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
239 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

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

0226 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     1 N CARBON HILL         33.91N 87.53W
04/11/2008                   WALKER             AL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            BETWEEN NAVUOO AND CARBON HILL

&&

10.5

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 11, 9:54 AM CDT	Lake Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	8 hr
Apr 11, 12:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Marion, Walker, Winston	35 min
Apr 11, 12:52 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	38 min
Apr 11, 1:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	50 min
Apr 11, 1:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston	52 min
Apr 11, 1:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Pickens	49 min
Apr 11, 2:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Marion, Walker, Winston	46 min
Apr 11, 2:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	52 min
Apr 11, 2:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marengo	47 min
Apr 11, 2:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Winston	22 min
Apr 11, 2:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Pickens	51 min
Apr 11, 2:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Winston	40 min
Apr 11, 3:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	25 min
Apr 11, 3:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	51 min
Apr 11, 3:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	45 min
Apr 11, 3:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Walker	19 min
Apr 11, 3:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Jefferson, Perry, Shelby	61 min
Apr 11, 3:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	40 min
Apr 11, 3:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair	38 min
Apr 11, 4:01 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair	44 min
Apr 11, 4:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah	38 min
Apr 11, 4:18 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair	42 min
Apr 11, 4:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Greene, Hale, Perry, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	53 min
Apr 11, 4:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	41 min
Apr 11, 4:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	23 min
Apr 11, 4:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Hale, Jefferson, Perry, Shelby and 1 more	48 min
Apr 11, 4:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah	33 min
Apr 11, 4:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount, Calhoun, Etowah, St. Clair	24 min
Apr 11, 5:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Hale, Perry, Tuscaloosa	48 min
Apr 11, 5:41 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Perry	49 min
Apr 11, 6:24 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Perry	51 min
Apr 11, 6:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Clay, Talladega	29 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.