Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 40, NWS Birmingham, AL

February 17, 2008Autauga County, Dallas County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Feb 17, 2008, 12:48 PM CST for Autauga County, Dallas County, Alabama. It was in force for 42 min. 1 report 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: Feb 17, 2008, 12:48 PM CST (18:48 UTC)
Expired: Feb 17, 2008, 1:30 PM CST
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Autauga County, AL, Dallas County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 88 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:50 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
Feb 17, 1:10 PM CST	HAIL 1	3 Ene Selma, AL	QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN BRANTLEY.

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
Feb 17, 12:32 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 6.8 hours before the alert went out and 88 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: 5 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 560 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 277 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 350 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 
WFUS54 KBMX 171848
TORBMX
ALC001-047-171930-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0040.080217T1848Z-080217T1930Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1248 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  AUTAUGA COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  DALLAS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...SELMONT-WEST SELMONT...SELMA...

* UNTIL 130 PM CST

* AT 1248 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR ORRVILLE...
  OR 17 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SELMONT-WEST SELMONT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  50 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  SKYHARBOR AIRPORT BY 100 PM CST...
  SELMONT-WEST SELMONT AND SELMA BY 105 PM CST...
  MULBERRY BY 125 PM CST...
  VIDE JUNCTION...DAWSON MILL AND 9 MILES WEST OF BOOTH BY 130 PM
  CST...

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
STURDY 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 800 PM CST SUNDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA.

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

LAT...LON 3231 8727 3267 8665 3249 8653 3239 8676
      3240 8678 3238 8679 3219 8721
TIME...MOT...LOC 1848Z 236DEG 43KT 3227 8722

$$

3 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS54 KBMX 171902
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
102 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

ALC001-047-171930-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-080217T1930Z/
DALLAS AL-AUTAUGA AL-
102 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 PM CST FOR WESTERN
AUTAUGA AND EAST CENTRAL DALLAS COUNTIES...

AT 1259 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR OLD CAHABA PARK...
OR ABOUT 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SELMONT-WEST SELMONT...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 35 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  SELMONT-WEST SELMONT BY 110 PM CST...
  8 MILES SOUTH OF BURNSVILLE BY 120 PM CST...
  MULBERRY BY 130 PM CST...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST SUNDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3233 8716 3267 8665 3249 8653 3239 8675
      3240 8678 3238 8679 3233 8689 3233 8692
      3225 8706 3224 8710
TIME...MOT...LOC 1902Z 247DEG 34KT 3230 8704

$$

27/SWU

000 
WWUS54 KBMX 171914
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
114 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

ALC001-047-171930-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-080217T1930Z/
DALLAS AL-AUTAUGA AL-
114 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 PM CST FOR WESTERN
AUTAUGA AND EAST CENTRAL DALLAS COUNTIES...

AT 113 PM CST...A TORNADO WAS REPORTED.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED
NEAR CRAIG FIELD AIPORT...OR ABOUT 6 MILES EAST OF SELMONT-WEST
SELMONT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  MULBERRY BY 125 PM CST...

LAT...LON 3239 8706 3267 8665 3249 8653 3240 8673
      3240 8678 3237 8680 3233 8689 3232 8695
      3228 8701
TIME...MOT...LOC 1914Z 246DEG 39KT 3235 8690

$$

27

000 
WWUS54 KBMX 171925
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
125 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

ALC001-047-171930-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-080217T1930Z/
DALLAS AL-AUTAUGA AL-
125 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 PM CST FOR WESTERN
AUTAUGA AND EXTREME EAST CENTRAL DALLAS COUNTIES...

AT 122 PM CST...A TORNADO WAS REPORTED.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED
NEAR MULBERRY...OR ABOUT 12 MILES EAST OF SELMONT-WEST SELMONT...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

LAT...LON 3236 8686 3251 8688 3267 8665 3249 8653
      3240 8673 3240 8678 3237 8680 3235 8685
TIME...MOT...LOC 1925Z 246DEG 39KT 3240 8677

$$

27

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 17, 4:08 AM CST	Lake Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	14 hr
Feb 17, 10:59 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Tuscaloosa	31 min
Feb 17, 11:13 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Dallas, Hale, Marengo, Perry	32 min
Feb 17, 11:24 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore and 8 more	66 min
Feb 17, 11:40 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas, Marengo, Perry	35 min
Feb 17, 12:08 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Dallas, Perry	52 min
Feb 17, 12:11 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas, Marengo	49 min
Feb 17, 12:28 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Elmore and 5 more	62 min
Feb 17, 12:53 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton	34 min
Feb 17, 1:09 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore	51 min
Feb 17, 1:27 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Randolph, Talladega	63 min
Feb 17, 1:31 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Elmore	44 min
Feb 17, 1:40 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chambers, Clay, Coosa, Randolph, Tallapoosa	35 min
Feb 17, 1:45 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas, Lowndes	60 min
Feb 17, 1:50 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Pike	55 min
Feb 17, 2:08 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chambers, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Randolph, Tallapoosa	49 min
Feb 17, 2:31 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa	44 min
Feb 17, 2:31 PM CST	Tornado Warning Emergency	BMX	Autauga, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery	59 min
Feb 17, 2:41 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Pike, Russell	64 min
Feb 17, 2:49 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chambers, Coosa, Elmore, Randolph, Tallapoosa	56 min
Feb 17, 3:26 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa	34 min
Feb 17, 3:31 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pike	44 min
Feb 17, 3:37 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Barbour, Russell	38 min
Feb 17, 4:05 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Barbour, Pike	40 min
Feb 17, 4:10 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Pike, Russell	50 min
Feb 17, 4:20 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chambers, Clay, Randolph, Tallapoosa	43 min
Feb 17, 4:40 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Barbour, Russell	25 min

Nearby

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