Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 422, NWS Birmingham, AL

July 25, 2008Fayette County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 25, 2008, 6:16 PM CDT for Fayette County, Alabama. It was in force for 44 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
Jul 25, 2008, 6:16 PM CDT (23:16 UTC)
Expired
Jul 25, 2008, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
44 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Fayette County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 58 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:17 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 nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 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 12:00Z on 2008-07-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1096 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, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2008-07-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 33 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
1096 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-45 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
963 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
16 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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 25, 3:06 PM CDT, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 25, 3:06 PM CDT, 3 hours 10 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
306 PM CDT FRI JUL 25 2008

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT.

SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL DIMINISH IN COVERAGE OVERNIGHT. SURFACE
CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN MUGGY WITH SOME LIGHT PATCHY FOG POSSIBLE.
OTHERWISE...VARIABLE CLOUDINESS WITH LOWS NEAR 70.

.LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

SOME MORE CERTAINTY IN AN UNCERTAIN FORECAST...ON THE SYNOPTIC
SCALE, ANYWAY. THE NORTHWEST FLOW LOOKS TO CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY
WHICH MEANS THE WEEKEND WILL OFFER THE BEST CHANCES FOR SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS. NEITHER DAY LOOKS TO OFFER ANY CHANCES FOR
SEVERE, OR STRONG FOR THAT MATTER. FREEZING LEVELS ARE
CONSIDERABLY HIGH, MID LAPSE RATES ARE ONLY ON THE ORDER OF 5 TO 6
DEGREES/KFT AND THERE IS MOISTURE THROUGHOUT THE DEPTH OF THE
FORECAST SOUNDINGS. BUT CONVECTION IS EXPECTED AND A COUPLE OF
STRONG STORMS ARE ALWAYS POSSIBLE WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE AS WARM AS
THEY ARE.

MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THINGS GET A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING. THE
FIRST THING THAT NEEDS TO BE RECOGNIZED IS THE HIGH PRESSURE
RIDGE. CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER EASTERN TEXAS...THERE IS MODEL CONSENSUS
ON THE FACT THAT THIS RIDGE WILL SLOWLY BEGIN TO SLIDE EASTWARD
STARTING LATE SUNDAY. THIS COULD RESULT IN TEMPERATURES CLIMBING
NEAR THE TRIPLE DIGITS EACH OF THESE DAYS...MORE SO IN THE WESTERN
COUNTIES ON MONDAY...THEN CREEPING INTO THE NORTHERN TIER OF
COUNTIES BY WEDNESDAY. COUNTIES SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 80/INTERSTATE 85
SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH MOISTURE IN THE AIR TO STAY OUT OF THE TRIPLE
DIGITS...BUT IT WILL BE HOT AND MUGGY, NONETHELESS. POPS ARE THE
REAL UNCERTAINTY IN THIS TIME FRAME, BUT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF
TEMPERATURES NEAR THE CENTURY MARK AND PWS ABOVE 1.5-1.6, STRAIGHT
UP AND STRAIGHT DOWN THUNDERSTORMS COULD HAPPEN...AS STORM MOTIONS
ALL THREE DAYS ARE LESS THAN 5 KTS.

EXPECT THINGS TO BEGIN RETURNING TO CLIMO BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK.

27

&&

.AVIATION...18Z TAF DISCUSSION.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON WITH A GOOD
CHANCE MOST LOCATIONS WILL EXPERIENCE SOME VC THUNDER. THESE WILL
DISSIPATE QUICKLY THIS EVENING WITH SOME PRE-DAWN BR/HZ FROM
ROUGHLY 09Z TO 12Z. NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL BRING IN A SHORTWAVE
TOMORROW WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS POSSIBLE BY LATE
MORNING.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     71  93  70  91  70 /  50  30  20  40  10
ANNISTON    72  93  70  91  72 /  40  30  20  40  10
BIRMINGHAM  73  92  72  91  74 /  40  40  20  40  10
TUSCALOOSA  73  92  72  94  74 /  40  50  20  40  10
CALERA      73  91  72  92  72 /  40  40  20  40  10
AUBURN      71  90  71  87  71 /  30  40  20  40  20
MONTGOMERY  73  93  73  92  73 /  30  50  30  50  20
TROY        71  92  72  89  72 /  30  50  30  50  20

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

88/27/88
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 25, 12:48 PM CDT, 5 hours 28 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1248 PM CDT FRI JUL 25 2008

ALZ011>015-017>050-261800-
AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE-
CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE-
JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY-
PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA-
TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON-
1248 PM CDT FRI JUL 25 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

CONDITIONS ARE SETTING UP FOR A POSSIBLE HEAT WAVE MONDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY.  HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 90S ALONG WITH MORNING
LOWS IN THE MIDDLE 70S...AND ABUNDANT MOISTURE WILL RESULT IN
AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES APPROACHING 110 DEGREES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL
WILL NOT BE NECESSARY.

12/SIRMON

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 25, 2:57 PM CDT, 3 hours 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
257 PM CDT FRI JUL 25 2008

ALZ018-252045-
ETOWAH-
257 PM CDT FRI JUL 25 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR ETOWAH COUNTY UNTIL 345 PM CDT...

AT 254 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM NEAR REECE CITY...OR NEAR GADSDEN...MOVING EAST AT 10
MPH.

PEA SIZE HAIL AND WINDS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  CRUDUP.
  GADSDEN WATER WORKS.
  ANDERSON.
  WILSONIA.
  HOKES BLUFF.
  REAVES.

THIS THUNDERSTORM COULD INTENSIFY QUICKLY...SO BE READY TO ACT IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED.

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

12/SIRMON
Special weather statement, Jul 25, 4:12 PM CDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
412 PM CDT FRI JUL 25 2008

ALZ027-252200-
TALLADEGA-
412 PM CDT FRI JUL 25 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR TALLADEGA COUNTY UNTIL 500 PM CDT...

AT 406 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM NEAR ALPINE...OR 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TALLADEGA...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND WINDS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  ALPINE.
  WINTERBORO.
  WALDO.
  CHANDLER SPRINGS.

THIS THUNDERSTORM COULD INTENSIFY QUICKLY...SO BE READY TO ACT IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED.

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

12/SIRMON
Local storm report, Jul 25, 4:30 PM CDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 25, 6:05 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
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<body>
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    <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>
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        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
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        Please try again in a few minutes.
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 25, 4:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTalladega33 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2008Every 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.