Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 161, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 11, 20084 counties in Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 11, 2008, 3:52 PM CDT for 4 counties in Alabama. It was in force for 38 min. 6 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Apr 11, 2008, 3:52 PM CDT (20:52 UTC)
Expired: Apr 11, 2008, 4:30 PM CDT
In force: 38 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

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

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:55 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 11, 4:15 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Gadsden, AL	AL 77 AND BROOK AVE TREES UPROOTED AND CARS BLOWN INTO FENCE.
Apr 11, 4:15 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Gadsden, AL	TREES WERE UPROOTED AND CARS WERE BLOWN INTO FENCE AT THE INTERSECTION OF AL 77 AND BROOK AVE.
Apr 11, 4:16 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Gadsden, AL	TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN. WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT OF A BANK. ONE HOME WAS DAMAGED. ONE MOBILE HOME WAS DAMAGED. ONE LARGE BRICK WALL COLLAPSED.
Apr 11, 4:16 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Gadsden, AL	SPORADIC UPROOTED AND SNAPPED TREES WERE FOUND ALONG A 4.5 MILE DISTANCE. THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. SOME OF THE DOWNED TREES FELL ON HOUSES AND OUT BUILDINGS CAUSING STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. SOME LIGHT/MINOR ROOF AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS NOTED I
Apr 11, 4:16 PM CDT	TSTM WND GST 86	Gadsden, AL	86 MPH WIND GUSTS WERE MEASURED AT THE EOC.
Apr 11, 4:16 PM CDT	TSTM WND GST 86	Gadsden, AL	TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN, USDA BLDG. TREE DOWN ON HOME.WINDS RECORDED AT EOC.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 6 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 23 minutes after it went out.

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
Apr 11, 3:00 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 111 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

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KBMX 112052
SVRBMX
ALC015-019-055-115-112130-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0161.080411T2052Z-080411T2130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
352 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN ST. CLAIR COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTH CENTRAL CALHOUN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  EXTREME WEST CENTRAL CHEROKEE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA...
  ETOWAH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...MARKTON...SOUTHSIDE...RAINBOW CITY...
  HOKES BLUFF...GADSDEN...

* UNTIL 430 PM CDT

* AT 349 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND
  DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  HORSE PENS FORTY...OR 8 MILES EAST OF ONEONTA...AND MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  GALLIANT AND STEELE BY 400 PM CDT...
  RAMSEY...HOWELTON AND GADSDEN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT BY 405 PM CDT...
  RIDGEVILLE AND ATTALLA BY 410 PM CDT...
  REECE CITY...GADSDEN AND GADSDEN STEAM PLANT BY 415 PM CDT...

WINDS OF 70 TO 80 MPH WILL UPROOT TREES...DOWN POWER LINES AND CAUSE
DAMAGE TO HOMES AND STRUCTURES.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOUR ARE IH ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDAITELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL AND DEADLY CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. IF A TORNADO
IS SPOTTED... ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A STURDY
STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.


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

LAT...LON 3390 8570 3383 8630 3391 8635 3392 8634
      3394 8637 3397 8634 3400 8634 3423 8593
      3422 8586 3423 8584
TIME...MOT...LOC 2052Z 241DEG 39KT 3395 8630

$$

03

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, 3:25 PM CDT, 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 11, 3:25 PM CDT, 27 minutes before

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

.DISCUSSION...

WE ARE CURRENTLY IN FULL SEVERE WEATHER MODE HERE AT THE OFFICE.
STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME
OF THESE COULD BECOME SEVERE. SEE BHMHWOBMX FOR THE LATEST THREAT
ASSESSMENT. UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS ARE EXPECTED TO SLOWLY MOVE
NORTH AND THUS DECREASING THE THREAT AS WE HEAD INTO THE
NIGHT...MAINLY AFTER 8 PM. HAVING SAID THAT...STAY TUNED TO NOAA
WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL TV AFFILIATES FOR THE LATEST
CRITICAL...POTENTIALLY LIFE SAVING INFORMATION.

A BIG CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE IS EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND AND EARLY
NEXT WEEK. AFTER THESE WARM SPRING DAYS...WE WILL BRIEFLY GO BACK
TO WINTER. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW EXTREME COLD AIR ALOFT
ASSOCIATED WITH A UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM. THINGS ARE STILL LOOKING
PRETTY INTERESTING FOR SUNDAY NIGHT/MONDAY MORNING. A SLUG OF
MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH A TROF WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA
SUNDAY NIGHT. THERE COULD BE ENOUGH MOISTURE THAT WE COULD SQUEEZE
OUT SOME FLURRIES OR LIGHT SNOW. NOTHING SIGNIFICANT BY ANY MEANS
THOUGH. BUT...WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE POTENTIAL CLOSELY
OVER THE NEXT FEW PACKAGES.

NEXT WEEK LOOKS TO BE PRETTY DRY WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN PLACE.
TEMPERATURES WILL SLOWLY RETURN TO NORMAL BY THE END OF THE WEEK.

10/ARM

&&

.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.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     54  64  36  55  33 /  70  10  10  20  20
ANNISTON    55  68  36  54  33 /  80  10  10  20  20
BIRMINGHAM  53  66  40  55  35 /  70  10  10  20  20
TUSCALOOSA  54  69  40  57  39 /  50  10  10  10  20
CALERA      56  68  41  57  37 /  70  10  10  10  20
AUBURN      58  67  42  59  36 /  70  30  10  10  20
MONTGOMERY  60  70  43  63  39 /  80  20  10  10  10
TROY        61  71  40  63  34 /  70  50  10  10  10

&&

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

&&

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 11, 3:26 PM CDT, 26 minutes before

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

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

0318 PM     HAIL             N CURRY                 33.95N 87.21W
04/11/2008  E0.88 INCH       WALKER             AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

10.5

Local storm report, Apr 11, 3:31 PM CDT, 21 minutes before

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

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

0331 PM     HAIL             8 S JASPER              33.74N 87.27W
04/11/2008  E0.75 INCH       WALKER             AL   PUBLIC

&&

10.5

Local storm report, Apr 11, 3:34 PM CDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
334 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

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

0330 PM     HAIL             8 S JASPER              33.74N 87.27W
04/11/2008  E0.75 INCH       WALKER             AL   PUBLIC

&&

10.5

Special weather statement, Apr 11, 3:37 PM CDT, 15 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
337 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

ALZ017-018-026-112115-
BLOUNT-ETOWAH-ST. CLAIR-
337 PM CDT FRI APR 11 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR BLOUNT...ETOWAH AND ST. CLAIR
COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM CDT...

AT 337 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM NEAR HIGHLAND LAKE...OR NEAR ONEONTA...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 45 MPH.

WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY
DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  ALLGOOD.
  HIGHLAND LAKE.
  WHITNEY JUNCTION.
  HORSE PENS FORTY.
  GALLIANT.
  RAMSEY.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR
NORTHERN ALABAMA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 900 PM CDT FRIDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHERN ALABAMA.

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

JD/81

Local storm report, Apr 11, 3:48 PM CDT, 4 minutes before

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

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

0335 PM     HAIL             N SAMANTHA              33.41N 87.58W
04/11/2008  E0.88 INCH       TUSCALOOSA         AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PRUIT LOOP ROAD, HWY 171

&&

10.5

Local storm report, Apr 11, 3:50 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

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

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

0350 PM     HAIL             SAMANTHA                33.41N 87.58W
04/11/2008  E1.75 INCH       TUSCALOOSA         AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            IN PROGRESS

&&

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, 2:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Dallas, Hale, Marengo, Perry	49 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, 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.