Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 41, NWS Birmingham, AL

February 17, 2008Autauga County, Chilton County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Feb 17, 2008, 12:53 PM CST for Autauga County, Chilton County, Alabama. It was in force for 34 min. 7 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
Feb 17, 2008, 12:53 PM CST (18:53 UTC)
Expired
Feb 17, 2008, 1:27 PM CST
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Autauga County, AL, Chilton County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 48 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:54 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
Feb 17, 12:58 PM CSTTSTM WND DMG10 Sw Clanton, ALTREES AND POWERLINES DOWN ON COUNTY ROAD 37.
Feb 17, 1:05 PM CSTTSTM WND DMGClanton, ALTREES AND POWERLINES DOWN IN THE CITY.
Feb 17, 1:05 PM CSTTORNADO 13 Se Clanton, ALA TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN TOWARD THE END OF A LARGE DOWNBURST SWATH SOUTH OF CLANTON. THE TORNADO STARTED NEAR EXIT 205 ON INTERSTATE 65 AND ENDED ALONG CR 41. ONE MOBILE HOME WAS DESTROYED AND SEVERAL OTHER STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED. SEVERAL TREES AND POWER LINES
Feb 17, 1:10 PM CSTTSTM WND DMG5 Se Clanton, ALPOSSIBLE TORNADO...NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ON COUNTY ROAD 41 JUST NORTH OF THE STATE EMA OFFICE...MOBILE HOME DESTROYED AND DAMAGE TO A GARAGE.
Feb 17, 1:10 PM CSTTORNADO 13 Se Clanton, ALA TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN TOWARD THE END OF A LARGE DOWNBURST SWATH SOUTH OF CLANTON. THE TORNADO STARTED NEAR EXIT 205 ON INTERSTATE 65 AND ENDED ALONG CR 41. ONE MOBILE HOME WAS DESTROYED AND SEVERAL OTHER STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED. SEVERAL TREES AND POWER LINES
Feb 17, 1:15 PM CSTTSTM WND DMGClanton, ALDOWNED POWER LINES AND SIGNS BLOWN DOWN NEAR EXIT 205 ON INTERSTATE 65.
Feb 17, 1:20 PM CSTTSTM WND DMGVerbena, ALTREES AND POWERLINES DOWN IN THE CITY.

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
Feb 17, 12:32 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 6.9 hours before the alert went out and 49 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 2008-02-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 5 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 2008-02-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 277 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
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 171853
TORBMX
ALC001-021-171930-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0041.080217T1853Z-080217T1930Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1253 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN AUTAUGA COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  SOUTHEASTERN CHILTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF CLANTON...

* UNTIL 130 PM CST

* AT 1253 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 6 MILES WEST OF
  BILLINGSLEY...OR 18 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CLANTON...MOVING NORTHEAST
  AT 60 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  POOLES CROSSROADS BY 100 PM CST...
  6 MILES NORTHWEST OF NEW PROSPECT AND 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CLANTON
  BY 105 PM CST...
  COOPER AND VERBENA BY 110 PM CST...
  MITCHELL DAM BY 115 PM CST...

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.

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 3274 8684 3293 8652 3283 8646 3283 8647
      3278 8642 3270 8642 3260 8675
TIME...MOT...LOC 1853Z 240DEG 52KT 3266 8677

$$
3 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 171906
SVSBMX

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

ALC001-021-171930-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0041.000000T0000Z-080217T1930Z/
AUTAUGA AL-CHILTON AL-
106 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

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

AT 103 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ENTERPRISE...OR
ABOUT 7 MILES SOUTH OF CLANTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  MITCHELL DAM BY 115 PM CST...

LAT...LON 3281 8673 3293 8652 3283 8646 3283 8647
      3278 8642 3270 8642 3266 8654 3266 8655
      3265 8658 3265 8662
TIME...MOT...LOC 1906Z 240DEG 52KT 3275 8658

$$

27
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 171916
SVSBMX

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

ALC001-021-171930-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0041.000000T0000Z-080217T1930Z/
AUTAUGA AL-CHILTON AL-
116 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

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

AT 113 PM CST...A TORNADO WAS REPORTED.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED
NEAR VERBENA...OR ABOUT 9 MILES EAST OF CLANTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
60 MPH.

LAT...LON 3266 8656 3285 8664 3293 8652 3283 8646
      3283 8647 3280 8645 3278 8642 3270 8642
TIME...MOT...LOC 1916Z 240DEG 52KT 3282 8643

$$

27
000 
WWUS54 KBMX 171927
SVSBMX

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

ALC001-021-171937-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0041.000000T0000Z-080217T1930Z/
AUTAUGA AL-CHILTON AL-
127 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL CHILTON AND NORTHEASTERN
AUTAUGA COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS ENDED. THE STORMS THAT PROMPTED THE
WARNING HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE COUNTY.

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

LAT...LON 3266 8656 3285 8664 3293 8652 3283 8646
      3283 8647 3280 8645 3278 8642 3270 8642
TIME...MOT...LOC 1927Z 240DEG 52KT 3290 8627

$$

27

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 17, 4:08 AM CSTLake Wind AdvisoryBMXAutauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more14 hr
Feb 17, 10:59 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Tuscaloosa31 min
Feb 17, 11:13 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDallas, Hale, Marengo, Perry32 min
Feb 17, 11:24 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga, Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore and 8 more66 min
Feb 17, 11:40 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXDallas, Marengo, Perry35 min
Feb 17, 12:08 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton, Dallas, Perry52 min
Feb 17, 12:11 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXDallas, Marengo49 min
Feb 17, 12:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Elmore and 5 more62 min
Feb 17, 12:48 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXAutauga, Dallas42 min
Feb 17, 1:09 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore51 min
Feb 17, 1:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Randolph, Talladega63 min
Feb 17, 1:31 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton, Elmore44 min
Feb 17, 1:40 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXChambers, Clay, Coosa, Randolph, Tallapoosa35 min
Feb 17, 1:45 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXDallas, Lowndes60 min
Feb 17, 1:50 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXBarbour, Bullock, Pike55 min
Feb 17, 2:08 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXChambers, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Randolph, Tallapoosa49 min
Feb 17, 2:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCoosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa44 min
Feb 17, 2:31 PM CSTTornado Warning EmergencyBMXAutauga, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery59 min
Feb 17, 2:41 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXBarbour, Bullock, Pike, Russell64 min
Feb 17, 2:49 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXChambers, Coosa, Elmore, Randolph, Tallapoosa56 min
Feb 17, 3:26 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXCoosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa34 min
Feb 17, 3:31 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXPike44 min
Feb 17, 3:37 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXBarbour, Russell38 min
Feb 17, 4:05 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXBarbour, Pike40 min
Feb 17, 4:10 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBarbour, Bullock, Pike, Russell50 min
Feb 17, 4:20 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXChambers, Clay, Randolph, Tallapoosa43 min
Feb 17, 4:40 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXBarbour, Russell25 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.