Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 481, NWS Birmingham, AL

December 10, 20084 counties in Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Dec 10, 2008, 2:00 AM CST for 4 counties in Alabama. It was in force for 30 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Dec 10, 2008, 2:00 AM CST (08:00 UTC)
Expired
Dec 10, 2008, 2:30 AM CST
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Fayette County, AL, Jefferson County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL, Walker County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 69 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:00 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Dec 10, 1:41 AM CSTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 67 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 00:00Z on 2008-12-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 167 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2008-12-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 336 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
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 100800
SVRBMX
ALC057-073-125-127-100830-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0481.081210T0800Z-081210T0830Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
200 AM CST WED DEC 10 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WEST CENTRAL JEFFERSON COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  SOUTH CENTRAL WALKER COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN FAYETTE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTH CENTRAL TUSCALOOSA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 230 AM CST

* AT 200 AM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60
  MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SAMANTHA...OR 9
  MILES NORTH OF HOLT...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  BANKHEAD LOCK
  DAM AND BANKHEAD LOCK AND DAM BY 205 AM CST...
  7 MILES NORTHWEST OF BULL CITY BY 210 AM CST...
  8 MILES NORTHWEST OF OAK GROVE BY 215 AM CST...
  GORGAS STEAM PLANT AND GORGAS BY 220 AM CST...

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR ALABAMA.

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

LAT...LON 3378 8730 3346 8706 3328 8748 3344 8763
TIME...MOT...LOC 0800Z 232DEG 49KT 3342 8745

$$

10/ARM
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 100812
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
212 AM CST WED DEC 10 2008

ALC057-073-125-127-100830-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0481.000000T0000Z-081210T0830Z/
TUSCALOOSA AL-JEFFERSON AL-FAYETTE AL-WALKER AL-
212 AM CST WED DEC 10 2008

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 AM CST
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL WALKER...EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN FAYETTE...WEST
CENTRAL JEFFERSON AND NORTH CENTRAL TUSCALOOSA COUNTIES...

AT 212 AM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF
60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BANKHEAD LOCK AND DAM...OR ABOUT
20 MILES NORTHEAST OF HOLT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GORGAS AND 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GOODSPRINGS BY
  220 AM CST...

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 TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3378 8730 3346 8706 3328 8748 3344 8763
TIME...MOT...LOC 0812Z 232DEG 55KT 3353 8728

$$

10/ARM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 9, 8:52 PM CSTFlash Flood WatchBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Walker, Winston7 hr
Dec 9, 9:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar, Marion45 min
Dec 9, 9:45 PM CSTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston3 hr
Dec 9, 9:59 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar, Marion31 min
Dec 9, 10:01 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXPickens44 min
Dec 9, 10:47 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Greene, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Walker43 min
Dec 9, 11:01 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion, Winston3 hr
Dec 9, 11:13 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXGreene, Pickens32 min
Dec 9, 11:36 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Winston39 min
Dec 9, 11:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPickens, Tuscaloosa30 min
Dec 10, 12:06 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXFayette, Tuscaloosa, Walker24 min
Dec 10, 12:22 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Pickens, Sumter38 min
Dec 10, 12:31 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXFayette, Walker29 min
Dec 10, 12:41 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount, Fayette, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker49 min
Dec 10, 12:50 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXPickens, Tuscaloosa40 min
Dec 10, 12:55 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa50 min
Dec 10, 12:59 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXWalker, Winston16 min
Dec 10, 1:09 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXBlount, Walker6 min
Dec 10, 1:31 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa44 min
Dec 10, 1:32 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXPickens, Tuscaloosa28 min
Dec 10, 1:55 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXJefferson9 min
Dec 10, 1:57 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount, Jefferson, Walker33 min
Dec 10, 2:12 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter, Tuscaloosa48 min
Dec 10, 2:26 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXBlount, Etowah34 min
Dec 10, 2:32 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount, Jefferson28 min
Dec 10, 3:07 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarengo, Sumter23 min
Dec 10, 3:11 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Tuscaloosa34 min
Dec 10, 3:28 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton, Dallas34 min
Dec 10, 3:38 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson37 min
Dec 10, 4:17 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXCherokee13 min
Dec 10, 4:38 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXSt. Clair20 min
Dec 10, 4:40 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXLowndes, Montgomery35 min
Dec 10, 4:44 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXJefferson3 hr
Dec 10, 5:07 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXBibb, Chilton, Dallas, Perry23 min
Dec 10, 5:32 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXCoosa, Tallapoosa28 min
Dec 10, 6:24 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXPike51 min
Dec 10, 6:43 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPike47 min
Dec 10, 6:49 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXCleburne, Randolph15 min
Dec 10, 6:51 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter6 days
Dec 10, 6:51 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter6 days
Dec 10, 7:18 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXCoosa, Tallapoosa27 min
Dec 10, 7:41 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBarbour, Pike49 min
Dec 10, 8:24 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBarbour36 min
Dec 10, 9:56 AM CSTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXBarbour, Pike4 hr
Dec 10, 3:24 PM CSTFlash Flood WatchBMXAutauga, Barbour, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun, Chambers and 24 more20 hr
Dec 10, 3:54 PM CSTWinter Storm WatchBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Walker, Winston12 hr
Dec 10, 4:01 PM CSTLake Wind AdvisoryBMXAutauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more29 hr

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.