Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 447, NWS Birmingham, AL

August 2, 2008Calhoun County, Etowah County, St. Clair County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 2, 2008, 6:21 PM CDT for Calhoun County, Etowah County, St. Clair County, Alabama. It was in force for 39 min. 3 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: Aug 2, 2008, 6:21 PM CDT (23:21 UTC)
Expired: Aug 2, 2008, 7:00 PM CDT
In force: 39 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

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

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:22 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
Aug 2, 6:33 PM CDT	HAIL 0.88	Southside, AL	CEDAR CIRCLE
Aug 2, 6:43 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Southside, AL	TREES DOWN ON HIGHWAY 77 IN SOUTHSIDE. ROAD BLOCKED.
Aug 2, 6:53 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Ohatchee, AL	TREE DOWN ON RESIDENCE CAUSED ENTRAPMENT HWY77/MUDD ST.

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 2 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 22 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
Aug 2, 4:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 99 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: 2433 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -44 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 664 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 25 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KBMX 022321
SVRBMX
ALC015-055-115-030000-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0447.080802T2321Z-080803T0000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
621 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN ST. CLAIR COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  CALHOUN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...SAKS...JACKSONVILLE...FORT
  MCCLELLAN...
  SOUTH CENTRAL ETOWAH COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF MARKTON...

* UNTIL 700 PM CDT

* AT 620 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  MARKTON...AND MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  OHATCHEE BY 640 PM CDT...
  6 MILES WEST OF SAKS...7 MILES WEST OF BLUE MOUNTAIN AND 9 MILES
  WEST OF WEAVER BY 700 PM CDT...

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 59 EXIT NUMBER 174.

WINDS OF 60 TO 70 MPH WILL BREAK LARGE TREE LIMBS AND CAUSE SOME
DAMAGE...ESPECIALLY TO SMALLER STRUCTURES.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE 
IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND 
LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...PREFERABLY 
INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS.
REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT
SUNDAY MORNING FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA.

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

LAT...LON 3381 8563 3368 8575 3367 8590 3369 8608
      3369 8617 3370 8618 3369 8619 3369 8624
      3394 8622 3394 8568
TIME...MOT...LOC 2320Z 350DEG 13KT 3387 8599

$$

10/ARM

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS54 KBMX 022339
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
639 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 2008

ALC015-055-115-030000-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0447.000000T0000Z-080803T0000Z/
CALHOUN AL-ST. CLAIR AL-ETOWAH AL-
638 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 2008

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL ETOWAH...NORTHEASTERN ST. CLAIR AND CALHOUN
COUNTIES...

AT 635 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
OHATCHEE...OR ABOUT NEAR MARKTON...MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  6 MILES WEST OF SAKS...8 MILES WEST OF BLUE MOUNTAIN AND 9 MILES
  WEST OF WEAVER BY 700 PM CDT...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD
TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT
SUNDAY MORNING FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3381 8563 3368 8575 3367 8590 3369 8608
      3369 8617 3370 8618 3369 8619 3369 8624
      3394 8622 3394 8568
TIME...MOT...LOC 2338Z 350DEG 13KT 3381 8598

$$

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 Aug 2, 3:00 PM CDT, 3 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 2, 3:00 PM CDT, 3 hours 21 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
300 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 2008

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.
WEAK BOUNDARY ACROSS THE EXTREME NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE WILL
PUSH SOUTHWARD TONIGHT AND WASH OUT ACROSS THE CENTRAL SECTIONS.
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED NEAR
THIS BOUNDARY.  WILL DO A REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON PERIOD TO COVER
LEFT OVER WEATHER WITH STORMS DIMINISHING DURING THE EVENING.  FOR
SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...LITTLE CHANGE IS EXPECTED. ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP DURING THE PEAK HEATING HOURS OF
THE AFTERNOON AND END DURING THE EVENING. OVERNIGHT LOWS TONIGHT IN
THE 70S. HOT TEMPERATURES ONCE AGAIN EXPECTED ON SUNDAY WITH READINGS
IN THE WEST IN THE UPPER 90S TO NEAR 100 AND MIDDLE TO UPPER 90S
ELSEWHERE. CURRENT THINKING IS THAT HEAT INDICES WILL REMAIN JUST
BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA.  LOWS SUNDAY NIGHT 70 TO 75.

.LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE IN THE
NORTHERN GULF WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE WESTWARD AWAY FROM THE AREA...
WITH UPPER RIDGE REMAINING IN PLACE ON MONDAY...THEN SLOWLY
RETROGRADING WESTWARD.  FOR THE MOST PART WILL KEEP ISOLATED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST MAINLY DURING THE PEAK HEATING
HOURS.  AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 90S CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE 70S.

THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...OVERALL PATTERN CHANGES DURING THE PERIOD
AS HIGH PRESSURE BREAKS DOWN AND UPPER TROF OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS
DEEPENS AND SLIDES SOUTHEAST.  THIS WILL ALLOW A WEAK SHORT
WAVE TO MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA ON THURSDAY...THEN WEAK
IMPULSES MOVE THROUGH IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
THIS WILL ENHANCE OUR RAIN CHANCES AND KEEP THE TEMPERATURES DOWN
SOMEWHAT DUE TO INCREASED CLOUDINESS.  HIGHEST POPS WILL BE ACROSS
THE NORTHERN SECTIONS WITH MAINLY CHANCE WORDING MENTIONED.  HIGH
90 TO 95 FOR THURSDAY...DROPPING TO AROUND 90 BY SATURDAY.
OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE 70S.

&&

AVIATION...18Z TAF DISCUSSION.

NICE AND UNIFORM CUMULUS FIELD HAS DEVELOPED...AND THIS SHOULD BE
THE PREDOMINANT CONDITION THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON.
STILL CANNOT RULE OUT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...BUT
COVERAGE IS EXPECTED TO BE 10 PERCENT OR LESS.

THE AIR MASS REMAINS QUITE HUMID...AND IS GETTING A BIT STAGNANT. I
WENT AHEAD AND FORECASTED ANOTHER NIGHT OF MVFR VISIBILITIES...
ESPECIALLY AFTER 10Z. WOULDNT BE SURPRISED TO EVENTUALLY SEE A FEW
VISIBILITIES DROP BELOW 2 MILES...OR EVEN SOME CEILINGS BELOW 1000
FEET. NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN THIS AT ANY PARTICULAR LOCATION
THOUGH...SO WILL HANDLE IT IN LATER FORECASTS/UPDATES.

/61/

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     73  94  69  96  71 /  10  10  10  10  10
ANNISTON    72  95  71  95  71 /  10  10  10  10  10
BIRMINGHAM  74  97  73  97  73 /  10  10  10  10  10
TUSCALOOSA  74  99  72  99  73 /  10  10  10  10  10
CALERA      73  97  72  97  72 /  10  10  10  10  10
AUBURN      72  93  73  94  72 /  10  20  10  10  10
MONTGOMERY  74  97  74  97  74 /  10  20  10  10  10
TROY        72  95  72  94  72 /  10  20  10  10  10

&&

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

50

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 2, 1:18 PM CDT, 5 hours 3 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
118 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 2008

ALZ011>015-017>050-031818-
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-
118 PM CDT SAT AUG 2 2008

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THERE IS A SMALL CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH 9 PM
ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. ANY STORM THAT DOES DEVELOP HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO BECOME STRONG. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN...NUMEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND
STRONG WINDS OF UP TO 50 MPH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT
ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

10/ARM

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 2, 5:36 PM CDT, 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
536 PM CDT SAT AUG 02 2008

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

0516 PM     HAIL             2 WSW HOWELLS CROSSROAD 34.17N 85.58W
08/02/2008  E0.88 INCH       CHEROKEE           AL   AMATEUR RADIO

            NICKEL SIZED HAIL REPORTED ALONG COUNTY ROAD 22

&&

HA

Local storm report, Aug 2, 5:43 PM CDT, 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
543 PM CDT SAT AUG 02 2008

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

0524 PM     HAIL             JASPER                  33.85N 87.27W
08/02/2008  M0.88 INCH       WALKER             AL   PUBLIC

&&

10.5

Local storm report, Aug 2, 5:45 PM CDT, 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
545 PM CDT SAT AUG 02 2008

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

0450 AM     HAIL             4 W SMITH DAM           33.94N 87.18W
08/02/2008  E0.75 INCH       WALKER             AL   PUBLIC

&&

10.5

Local storm report, Aug 2, 5:46 PM CDT, 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
546 PM CDT SAT AUG 02 2008

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

0534 AM     HAIL             OAKMAN                  33.71N 87.39W
08/02/2008  M0.75 INCH       WALKER             AL   PUBLIC

&&

10.5

Local storm report, Aug 2, 6:06 PM CDT, 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
606 PM CDT SAT AUG 02 2008

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

0550 PM     HAIL             WARRIOR                 33.81N 86.81W
08/02/2008  E1.00 INCH       JEFFERSON          AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            QUARTER SIZED HAIL REPORTED ON CANE CREEK RD IN WARRIOR

&&

HA

Local storm report, Aug 2, 6:07 PM CDT, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
607 PM CDT SAT AUG 02 2008

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

0550 PM     TSTM WND GST     WARRIOR                 33.81N 86.81W
08/02/2008  M60 MPH          JEFFERSON          AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            MEASURED WIND GUST OF 60 MPH ON CANE CREEK RD

&&

HA

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 2, 3:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee	49 min
Aug 2, 4:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	38 min
Aug 2, 4:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee	45 min
Aug 2, 4:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	39 min
Aug 2, 4:49 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Cherokee	3 hr
Aug 2, 5:03 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Fayette, Walker	3 hr
Aug 2, 5:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount	41 min
Aug 2, 5:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Walker	48 min
Aug 2, 5:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount	45 min
Aug 2, 5:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	43 min
Aug 2, 5:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee	23 min
Aug 2, 5:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah	41 min
Aug 2, 5:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	45 min
Aug 2, 5:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Etowah	40 min
Aug 2, 5:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson, Walker	24 min
Aug 2, 6:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	47 min
Aug 2, 6:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar	43 min
Aug 2, 6:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Hale, Tuscaloosa	39 min
Aug 2, 6:45 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Calhoun, Etowah	3 hr

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.