Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2008

Flash Flood Warning 17, NWS Huntsville, AL

July 9, 2008Limestone County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this flash flood warning at Jul 9, 2008, 4:42 PM CDT for Limestone County, Alabama. It was in force for 89 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 9, 2008, 4:42 PM CDT (21:42 UTC)
Expired
Jul 9, 2008, 6:11 PM CDT
In force
89 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Limestone County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 83 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:44 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 nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 151 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2008-07-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1146 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2008-07-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 126 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1146 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-47 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
962 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
126 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
153 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 9, 1:48 PM CDT, 2 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 9, 1:48 PM CDT, 2 hours 54 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
148 PM CDT WED JUL 9 2008

.DISCUSSION...
COLD FRONT STILL TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AT
THIS HOUR...WITH RADAR COVERAGE INCREASING AS CONVECTION CONTINUES
TO DEVELOP IN THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT AT HAND. PER 16Z
REDSTONE RAOB...CAPE VALUES ARE 3000 J/KG WITH WINDEX VALUES
SUPPORTIVE OF SOME DAMAGING WIND GUSTS THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. SPC
HAS EXPANDED THE DAY 1 OUTLOOK AGAIN...ENCOMPASSING AREAS FURTHER
WEST INTO CNTRL TN AND INCLUDING EXTREME NERN AL. THE MAIN THREATS
EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...IN ADDITION TO HEAVY
RAINFALL...INCLUDE GUSTY WINDS AND MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL. CURRENT
ATTENTION IS FOCUSED MORESO ON THE WIND THREAT AND HEAVY RAIN THREAT
THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING...BUT WILL STILL MONITOR FOR THE POTENTIAL
FOR HAIL.

NOW...FOR THE REST OF THE FORECAST...

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...
COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE TENNESSEE VALLEY IS THE MAJOR STORY FOR
THE NEXT 24 HOURS OR SO. MODEL CONSENSUS IS IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT
GIVEN THE CURRENT WX PATTERN...BUT MODEL OF CHOICE WAS PREDOMINATELY
THE GFS FOR TIMING/STRENGTH OF THE APPROACHING SYSTEM. QPF DIFFERED
QUITE A BIT BETWEEN THE MODELS...BUT MOST WERE TRENDING TOWARD A
WETTER PATTERN FOR THIS SYSTEM. PWATS INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON TO AOA
2...AND WITH A CONVERGENCE ZONE SETTING UP ACROSS THE AREA...HEAVY
RAINFALL POTENTIAL WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED.

CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY WITH
UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT IN PLACE. TOMORROW POSES A BIT OF A PROBLEM
BETWEEN THE MODELS WITH THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE IN PLACE ACROSS THE
TENNESSEE VALLEY. THE FRONT WILL WASH OUT SOMEWHERE ACROSS THE CWA
BY FRIDAY...BUT AM NOT TOO CONFIDENT WITH EXACTLY WHERE. HIGHER POPS
WILL LIKELY BE SOUTH OF THE TN RIVER WITH POPS DECREASING TO THE
NORTH AS DRIER AIR FILTERS IN. POPS ARE STILL INCLUDED IN THE GRIDS
DUE TO WEAK CONVERGENCE IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA DURING THIS TIME.

.LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
MODELS ARE NOW ADVERTISING A TROUGHING PATTERN IN THE ERN
CONUS...WHICH IS APPARENTLY THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THEY WERE
SHOWING YESTERDAY. THE GFS/ECMWF ARE SHOWING A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
SPINNING OVER THE UPR MIDWEST WITH A CDFNT DRAPED ACROSS THE SRN
PLAINS. IF THIS SCENARIO PANS OUT...A CDFNT WILL ENTER NW AL
SOMETIME BETWEEN 00Z MONDAY AND 6Z MONDAY AND WILL PUSH THROUGH THE
AREA BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WOULD BRING INCREASED CHANCES OF RAIN
ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY FOR THE TENNESSEE VALLEY...FOLLOWED BY COOLER
TEMPS. WITH THAT SAID...AGREE WITH THE MID-SHIFT ISSUANCE THIS
MORNING AND AM SKEPTICAL OF THIS ACTUALLY PANNING OUT. A GUESS AS TO
WHY THIS SOLUTION SUDDENLY APPEARS IS MOST LIKELY HURRICANE BERTHA
IN THE ATLANTIC. FOR NOW...THIS POSSIBLE SOLUTION IS ON THE RADAR
SCREEN FOR LACK OF A BETTER PHRASE...BUT NOT MUCH STOCK WILL BE PUT
INTO IT FOR NOW. MUCH MORE BELIEVABLE IN THE EXTENDED...HOWEVER...
IS THE PRESENCE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING INTO THE REGION NEXT WEEK.
TUESDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND LOOKS TO BE DRY WITH HIGH PRESSURE
ANCHORED OVER THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY INTO THE VIRGINIAS. AS THE WEEK
PROGRESSES...THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM SLIDES EASTWARD...ALLOWING FOR
DIURNAL CONVECTION TO LIKELY DEVELOP. WILL ALLOW LATER MODEL RUNS TO
COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT THOUGH BEFORE ADDING THIS TO THE GRIDS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
HUNTSVILLE    71  86  69  89 /  60  60  30  30
SHOALS        70  86  69  90 /  60  60  30  30
CULLMAN       70  85  69  88 /  50  60  30  30
FAYETTEVILLE  71  85  69  87 /  60  60  30  30
ALBERTVILLE   71  86  69  88 /  50  60  30  30
FORT PAYNE    71  86  68  89 /  50  60  30  30

&&

.HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...NONE.
TN...NONE.
&&

12
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 9, 12:35 PM CDT, 4 hours 7 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1235 PM CDT WED JUL 9 2008

ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-100100-
LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN-
MARSHALL-JACKSON-DE KALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN-
1235 PM CDT WED JUL 9 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS
OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

A WARM...MOIST AND UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT WILL INTERACT WITH AN
APPROACHING COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON TO CREATE THE CHANCE FOR
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS ARE
POSSIBLE...WITH THE PRIMARY THREAT BEING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS.
OTHERWISE...THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING WILL BE
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH...ALONG WITH
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.

RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD TONIGHT WITH THE
PRIMARY THREAT BECOMING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. IMPACTS OF FLOODING
COULD INCREASE OVER AREAS THAT RECEIVE ANY PROLONGED PERIOD OF
SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...

A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR
ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. AT THIS
TIME...THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE HEAVY RAIN.
FLOOD IMPACTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED THROUGH FRIDAY...
ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS AND LOCATIONS THAT RECEIVE SEVERAL ROUNDS
OF HEAVY RAINFALL.

ANOTHER COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE AREA LATE THIS WEEKEND
WITH AN ONGOING CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL MAY
BE REQUESTED FOR LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ARE ENCOURAGED TO CLOSELY MONITOR WEATHER
CONDITIONS THROUGH THIS EVENING.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 9, 1:20 PM CDT, 3 hours 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
120 PM CDT WED JUL 9 2008

ALZ001-091900-
LAUDERDALE-
120 PM CDT WED JUL 9 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR WESTERN LAUDERDALE COUNTY UNTIL 200
PM CDT...

AT 120 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR PINEFLAT...OR 13 MILES NORTH OF IUKA...
MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  WATERLOO.
  WRIGHT.

IF ON OR NEAR PICKWICK LAKE...GET OUT OF THE WATER AND MOVE INDOORS
OR INSIDE A VEHICLE. REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE OUT TO 15 MILES
FROM THE PARENT THUNDERSTORM. IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE
CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER NOW.
DONT BE CAUGHT ON THE WATER IN A THUNDERSTORM

KULA
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 2:02 PM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
202 PM CDT WED JUL 9 2008

ALZ001-002-092000-
COLBERT-LAUDERDALE-
202 PM CDT WED JUL 9 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR NORTHWEST COLBERT AND WESTERN
LAUDERDALE COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM CDT...

AT 202 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A CLUSTER OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS CENTERED OVER PICKWICK LAKE. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS
9 MILES SOUTH OF WALNUT GROVE...OR 14 MILES NORTHEAST OF
IUKA...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY
DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  WRIGHT.
  THREET.
  OAKLAND.
  CLOVERDALE.
  UNDERWOOD-PETERSVILLE.

SEEK SHELTER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

KULA
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 2:42 PM CDT, 2 hours before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
242 PM CDT WED JUL 9 2008

ALZ001-002-092045-
COLBERT-LAUDERDALE-
242 PM CDT WED JUL 9 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR NORTHEAST COLBERT AND EASTERN
LAUDERDALE COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM CDT...

AT 242 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
NEAR UNDERWOOD-PETERSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY
DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  OAKLAND.
  SHEFFIELD.
  UNDERWOOD-PETERSVILLE.
  SAINT FLORIAN.
  FORD CITY.
  KILLEN.

THIS THUNDERSTORM COULD INTENSIFY QUICKLY...SO BE READY TO ACT IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED.

KULA
Special weather statement, Jul 9, 3:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 9, 4:18 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 9, 4:32 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 9, 1:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNMadison21 min
Jul 9, 3:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLimestone29 min
Jul 9, 4:55 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningHUNMadison3 hr
Jul 9, 5:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNMorgan30 min
Jul 9, 5:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNDeKalb14 min
Jul 9, 5:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNDeKalb34 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2008Every flash flood 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.