Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 474, NWS Birmingham, AL

December 9, 20085 counties in Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Dec 9, 2008, 11:36 PM CST for 5 counties in 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: Dec 9, 2008, 11:36 PM CST (05:36 UTC)
Expired: Dec 10, 2008, 12:15 AM CST
In force: 39 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Fayette County, AL, Pickens County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL, Walker County, AL, Winston County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:40 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
Dec 9, 11:44 PM CST	HAIL 0.25	Double Springs, AL	REPORTED IN THE DOUBLE SPRINGS AREA.
Dec 10, 12:17 AM CST	TSTM WND GST 60	Jasper, AL
Dec 10, 12:25 AM CST	TSTM WND DMG	1 Sw Berry, AL	POSSIBLE TORNADO TOUCHDOWN ON COUNTY ROAD 62. ROOF TORN OFF MOBILE HOME.

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

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Dec 9, 8:03 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 5.6 hours before the alert went out and 98 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: 167 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -33 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 741 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 336 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 421 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 3.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KBMX 100536
SVRBMX
ALC057-107-125-127-133-100615-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0474.081210T0536Z-081210T0615Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1136 PM CST TUE DEC 9 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WALKER COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...JASPER...CORDOVA...
  EASTERN WINSTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF ARLEY...
  SOUTHEASTERN FAYETTE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTHEASTERN PICKENS COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTHWESTERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 1215 AM CST

* AT 1130 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A LINE OF
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
  HOUSTON RECREATIONAL AREA TO 8 MILES NORTH OF OAKMAN TO 9 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF BANKSTON...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF ARLEY TO 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CARBON HILL TO 11 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF FAYETTE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  INMANFIELD...ADDISON...FALLS CITY...LAKE SHORE...PARRISH...CURRY...
  HELICON...LYNNS PARK...BELOIT...GORGAS...SMITH DAM AND GORGAS STEAM
  PLANT

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

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR WESTERN ALABAMA.

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

LAT...LON 3430 8712 3371 8711 3349 8738 3347 8793
      3385 8746 3431 8743
TIME...MOT...LOC 0536Z 292DEG 50KT 3412 8727 3380 8732
          3352 8766

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 9, 8:52 PM CST	Flash Flood Watch	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Walker, Winston	7 hr
Dec 9, 9:15 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	45 min
Dec 9, 9:45 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston	3 hr
Dec 9, 9:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	31 min
Dec 9, 10:01 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens	44 min
Dec 9, 10:47 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Greene, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Walker	43 min
Dec 9, 11:01 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Winston	3 hr
Dec 9, 11:13 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens	32 min
Dec 9, 11:45 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	30 min
Dec 10, 12:06 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Tuscaloosa, Walker	24 min
Dec 10, 12:22 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Pickens, Sumter	38 min
Dec 10, 12:31 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	29 min
Dec 10, 12:41 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Fayette, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	49 min
Dec 10, 12:50 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	40 min
Dec 10, 12:55 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	50 min
Dec 10, 12:59 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	16 min
Dec 10, 1:09 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount, Walker	6 min
Dec 10, 1:31 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	44 min
Dec 10, 1:32 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	28 min
Dec 10, 1:55 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Jefferson	9 min
Dec 10, 1:57 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson, Walker	33 min
Dec 10, 2:00 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	30 min
Dec 10, 2:12 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	48 min
Dec 10, 2:26 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah	34 min
Dec 10, 2:32 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson	28 min
Dec 10, 3:07 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marengo, Sumter	23 min
Dec 10, 3:11 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Tuscaloosa	34 min
Dec 10, 3:28 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Dallas	34 min
Dec 10, 3:38 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson	37 min
Dec 10, 4:17 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cherokee	13 min
Dec 10, 4:38 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	St. Clair	20 min
Dec 10, 4:40 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lowndes, Montgomery	35 min
Dec 10, 4:44 AM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Jefferson	3 hr
Dec 10, 5:07 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Perry	23 min
Dec 10, 5:32 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Coosa, Tallapoosa	28 min
Dec 10, 6:24 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pike	51 min
Dec 10, 6:43 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pike	47 min
Dec 10, 6:49 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cleburne, Randolph	15 min
Dec 10, 6:51 AM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter	6 days
Dec 10, 6:51 AM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter	6 days
Dec 10, 7:18 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Coosa, Tallapoosa	27 min
Dec 10, 7:41 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Pike	49 min
Dec 10, 8:24 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour	36 min
Dec 10, 9:56 AM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Barbour, Pike	4 hr
Dec 10, 3:24 PM CST	Flash Flood Watch	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun, Chambers and 24 more	20 hr
Dec 10, 3:54 PM CST	Winter Storm Watch	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Walker, Winston	12 hr
Dec 10, 4:01 PM CST	Lake Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	29 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.