Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Huntsville, AL

April 4, 2008Lauderdale County, Limestone County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at Apr 4, 2008, 8:29 AM CDT for Lauderdale County, Limestone County, Alabama. It was in force for 31 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
Apr 4, 2008, 8:29 AM CDT (13:29 UTC)
Expired
Apr 4, 2008, 9:00 AM CDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Lauderdale County, AL, Limestone County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:31 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
Apr 4, 8:34 AM CDTTORNADO5 E Coxey, ALAN EF-0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN WITH MAXIMUM WINDS AT 60 MPH PRODUCED MINOR DAMAGE TO A HOME AND DESTROYED A SMALL SHED AND DOWNED SEVERAL TREES ALONG A QUARTER MILE PATH.

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
Apr 4, 2:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 145 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 2008-04-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 251 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2008-04-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -254 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
251 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-64 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
550 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
60 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-254 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-102 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.4
Supercell composite
-6.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KHUN 041328
TORHUN
ALC077-083-041400-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0013.080404T1329Z-080404T1400Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
829 AM CDT FRI APR 4 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  SOUTHEASTERN LAUDERDALE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 900 AM CDT

* AT 826 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR
  ROGERSVILLE...OR ABOUT 19 MILES WEST OF ATHENS...MOVING EAST AT 25
  MPH.

* LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO INCLUDE...
  ROGERSVILLE.
  ATHENS.

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.

LAT...LON 3500 8698 3479 8695 3481 8736 3490 8738
TIME...MOT...LOC 1329Z 250DEG 23KT 3485 8728

$$

KULA
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS54 KHUN 041341
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
841 AM CDT FRI APR 4 2008

ALC077-041351-
/O.CAN.KHUN.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-080404T1400Z/
LAUDERDALE AL-
841 AM CDT FRI APR 4 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN LAUDERDALE COUNTY IS
CANCELED...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 AM CDT
FRIDAY MORNING FOR NORTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE.

LAT...LON 3500 8698 3479 8695 3481 8721 3494 8721
TIME...MOT...LOC 1341Z 267DEG 35KT 3484 8710

$$

ALC083-041400-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-080404T1400Z/
LIMESTONE AL-
841 AM CDT FRI APR 4 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 AM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY...

AT 841 AM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 
JUST EAST OF CAIRO...OR ABOUT 12 MILES WEST OF ATHENS...MOVING EAST 
AT 40 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
CARTWRIGHT...LEGGTOWN AND ELKMONT.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

LAT...LON 3500 8698 3479 8695 3481 8721 3494 8721
TIME...MOT...LOC 1341Z 267DEG 35KT 3484 8710

$$

KULA
000 
WWUS54 KHUN 041402
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
902 AM CDT FRI APR 4 2008

ALC083-041412-
/O.EXP.KHUN.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-080404T1400Z/
LIMESTONE AL-
902 AM CDT FRI APR 4 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY EXPIRED AT
900 AM CDT...

WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THE THUNDERSTORM THAT
PROMPTED THE TORNADO WARNING HAD WEAKENED AND WAS NO LONGER SEVERE.
THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WERE
STILL POSSIBLE FROM THIS THUNDERSTORM. STAY INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.

LAT...LON 3500 8698 3479 8695 3481 8721 3494 8721
TIME...MOT...LOC 1341Z 267DEG 35KT 3484 8710

$$

KULA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 4, 6:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale37 min
Apr 4, 8:09 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Lawrence36 min
Apr 4, 8:20 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHUNLauderdale3 hr
Apr 4, 8:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLauderdale, Limestone33 min
Apr 4, 8:52 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLimestone, Madison38 min
Apr 4, 9:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNMadison25 min
Apr 4, 10:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNCullman, Morgan40 min
Apr 4, 11:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNCullman29 min
Apr 4, 11:28 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNMarshall47 min
Apr 4, 12:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNDeKalb, Jackson51 min
Apr 4, 12:19 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNDeKalb26 min
Apr 4, 12:47 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNDeKalb28 min
Apr 4, 1:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNDeKalb26 min
Apr 4, 2:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNCullman, Morgan41 min
Apr 4, 3:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNCullman18 min
Apr 4, 3:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNMarshall38 min
Apr 4, 4:16 PM CDTFlash Flood WatchHUNColbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan5 hr

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.