Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Birmingham, AL

January 10, 2008Marengo County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Jan 10, 2008, 12:51 PM CST for Marengo County, Alabama. It was in force for 24 min. 4 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
Jan 10, 2008, 12:51 PM CST (18:51 UTC)
Expired
Jan 10, 2008, 1:15 PM CST
In force
24 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Marengo County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 147 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:55 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jan 10, 1:08 PM CSTTSTM WND DMG1 W Dixons Mill, ALTREES WERE BLOWN DOWN NEAR DIXONS MILL. STORM CHASE TEAM REPORTED DAMAGE. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
Jan 10, 1:08 PM CSTTSTM WND DMG5 Se Sweet Water, ALSEVERAL TREES SNAPPED OFF NEAR AMBER LANE AND HIGHWAY 10 JUST WEST OF DIXONS MILL...AND FOUR HOMES HAD MINOR DAMAGE. THE TORNADO WAS RATED AN EF0...WITH AN ESTIMATED WIND SPEED OF 60-70 MPH. IT WAS 200 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT AND HAD A PATH LENGTH OF AP
Jan 10, 1:08 PM CSTTORNADO 05 Se Sweet Water, ALSEVERAL TREES SNAPPED OFF NEAR AMBER LANE AND HIGHWAY 10 JUST WEST OF DIXONS MILL...AND FOUR HOMES HAD MINOR DAMAGE. THE TORNADO WAS RATED AN EF0...WITH AN ESTIMATED WIND SPEED OF 60-70 MPH. IT WAS 200 YARDS WIDE AT ITS WIDEST POINT AND HAD A PATH LENGTH OF AP
Jan 10, 1:09 PM CSTTSTM WND DMG17 S Linden, ALTREES KNOCKED DOWN IN THE DIXON MILLS AREA...NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF CR 6 AND HWY 10.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jan 10, 11:33 AM CSTTornado Watch PDSSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 6.9 hours before the alert went out and 147 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 2008-01-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 261 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 12:00Z on 2008-01-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 162 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
261 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
621 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
162 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
132 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KBMX 101850
TORBMX
ALC091-101915-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0002.080110T1851Z-080110T1915Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1251 PM CST THU JAN 10 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN MARENGO COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 115 PM CST

* AT 1245 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS
  TRACKING A TORNADO 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NICHOLSVILLE...OR 19 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF GROVE HILL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SWEET
  WATER...DIXONS MILL...SURGINER...MILLER...CALVARY...THOMASTON...
  OCTAGON...MAGNOLIA AND SHILOH

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR WESTERN ALABAMA.

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

LAT...LON 3233 8771 3218 8752 3212 8758 3213 8761
      3210 8761 3199 8775 3199 8804 3200 8804
TIME...MOT...LOC 1851Z 223DEG 37KT 3195 8795

$$


12/SIRMON
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 101902
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
102 PM CST THU JAN 10 2008

ALC091-101915-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-080110T1915Z/
MARENGO AL-
102 PM CST THU JAN 10 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 PM CST FOR
SOUTHWESTERN MARENGO COUNTY...

AT 1259 PM CST...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO.  THIS
TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR NICHOLSVILLE...OR ABOUT 20 MILES NORTH OF
GROVE HILL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SWEET
WATER...DIXONS MILL...SURGINER...SHILOH...OCTAGON...MILLER AND
MAGNOLIA

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR WESTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3224 8778 3211 8761 3210 8762 3207 8766
      3199 8775 3199 8801 3200 8803
TIME...MOT...LOC 1902Z 223DEG 37KT 3200 8788

$$

12/SIRMON

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 10, 4:21 AM CSTLake Wind AdvisoryBMXAutauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more16 hr
Jan 10, 12:26 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Sumter34 min
Jan 10, 1:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Tuscaloosa30 min
Jan 10, 1:16 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDallas, Hale, Marengo, Perry29 min
Jan 10, 1:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar, Marion, Winston29 min
Jan 10, 2:03 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar42 min
Jan 10, 2:14 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXLamar46 min
Jan 10, 2:40 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion24 min
Jan 10, 2:48 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXPickens42 min
Jan 10, 3:31 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXPickens, Tuscaloosa44 min
Jan 10, 3:31 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXMarengo, Sumter29 min
Jan 10, 3:57 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter33 min
Jan 10, 4:11 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXJefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker34 min
Jan 10, 4:43 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXBlount, Jefferson, Walker34 min
Jan 10, 5:49 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXShelby41 min
Jan 10, 5:56 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCherokee19 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes 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.