Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 17, NWS Mobile, AL

January 31, 2008Covington County, Crenshaw County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 31, 2008, 9:28 PM CST for Covington County, Crenshaw County, Alabama. It was in force for 32 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Jan 31, 2008, 9:28 PM CST (03:28 UTC)
Expired: Jan 31, 2008, 10:00 PM CST
In force: 32 min
Issued by: NWS Mobile, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Covington County, AL, Crenshaw County, AL

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jan 31, 4:34 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 3.5 hours before the alert went out and 192 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 604 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 71 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 855 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 863 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KMOB 010328
SVRMOB
ALC039-041-010400-
/O.NEW.KMOB.SV.W.0017.080201T0328Z-080201T0400Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
928 PM CST THU JAN 31 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN COVINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF ANDALUSIA...
  SOUTHERN CRENSHAW COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 1000 PM CST

* AT 926 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL.  THIS
  STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ANDALUSIA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CLEARVIEW BY 935 PM CST...
  EODA...ROSE HILL AND DOZIER BY 940 PM CST...
  BRANTLEY BY 950 PM CST...
  GLENWOOD BY 1000 PM CST...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

LAT...LON 3166 8614 3164 8615 3161 8612 3155 8612
      3152 8617 3136 8617 3114 8643 3130 8671
      3173 8625
TIME...MOT...LOC 0328Z 223DEG 51KT 3130 8646

$$

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Mobile, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jan 31, 8:05 PM CST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 31, 8:05 PM CST, 1 hour 23 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
805 PM CST THU JAN 31 2008

.UPDATE...PART OF PACKAGE AFFECTED BY PARTIAL CANCELLATION OF TOR
WATCH 31 MEANING THE WX GRIDS/SEVERE WORDING WILL BE AFFECTED. KEPT
THE REST IN MAINLY DUE TO REMAINING SEGMENTS OF THE SQUALL
LINE...AND STORMS LOCATED IN MISSISSIPPI SOUND.

/77

&&

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)...THE LATEST SURFACE
ANALYSIS SHOWS THE WARM FRONT EXTENDING FROM NEAR MCB TO THE
MISSISSIPPI COASTAL WATERS AND ACROSS THE MARINE AREA TO NEAR
APALACHICOLA.  AS THE SURFACE LOW MOVES INTO NORTHERN ALABAMA THIS
EVENING...THE WARM FRONT SHOULD BRIEFLY MOVE INTO THE COASTAL
COUNTIES OF THE FORECAST AREA.  MEANWHILE...THE AMOUNT OF CAPE
REMAINS LIMITED...AT MOST 500 J/KG...AS THE LINE OF CONVECTION MOVES
ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING.  THE 55 KNOT 850 JET RESULTS IN 0-1 KM
HELICITY FOR SURFACE BASED OR NEAR SURFACE BASED CONVECTION OF
150-250 M2/S2...CERTAINLY ENOUGH TO SUPPORT SEVERE CONVECTION.
MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT MID LEVEL DRY AIR WILL BE ERADICATED
AS THE LINE MOVES THROUGH...WITH WET BULB ZERO VALUES RISING TO
ABOVE 11KFT.  THE MINIMAL INSTABILITY REMAINS THE WILD CARD AND
POWERFUL LIMITING FACTOR...AND THE LACK OF DRY AIR ALOFT BECOMES AN
INCREASINGLY SIGNIFICANT LIMITING FACTOR AS WELL.  SO...COULD BE
SOME STRONG STORMS OVER THE COASTAL COUNTIES WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE
LINE AS THE WARM FRONT BRIEFLY MOVES ONSHORE.  CERTAINLY CANNOT RULE
OUT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OR TWO EARLY ON BEFORE THE SOUNDING
MOISTENS COMPLETELY AND WILL MENTION POSSIBLE SEVERE STORMS DESPITE
THE INCREASING LIMITING FACTORS.  DRY AND COOLER CONDITIONS FOLLOW
FOR FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT AS A SURFACE HIGH MOVES ACROSS THE
REGION...THEN DRY CONDITIONS AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE SEASONABLE
TEMPERATURES FOLLOW FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.  THE NEXT SYSTEM
DEVELOPS OVER THE PLAINS ON SUNDAY AND ADVANCES EASTWARD...WITH A
RETURN FLOW LIFTING AN OLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS THE AREA AS A
WARM FRONT...SUPPORTING CHANCE POPS FOR SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. /29

&&

.LONG TERM (MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY)...THE PLAINS SYSTEM EJECTS TO
THE GREAT LAKES INTO QUEBEC ON TUESDAY.  THIS SYSTEM BRINGS A COLD
FRONT THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY
NIGHT.  BEST CHANCE OF RAIN WILL BE TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT WITH
SMALL POPS ON WEDNESDAY.  AFTER WARM DAYS MONDAY AND
TUESDAY...TEMPERATURES RETURN TO NEAR SEASONABLE LEVELS FOR THE
REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. /29

&&

.MARINE...STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING
AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES INTO CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. AS THIS
LOW PRESSURE PASSES NORTH OF THE AREA...IT WILL DRAG A COLD FRONT
THROUGH THE AREA. A STRONG NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL FOLLOW IN ITS
WAKE. THE NORTHWEST FLOW WILL WEAKEN BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF. A SOUTHERLY FLOW
RETURNS OVER THE WEEKEND AS THE HIGH MOVES EAST. /13

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...NO CONCERNS.  AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY REMAINS
JUST ABOVE CRITICAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND. /29 &&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MOBILE      43  58  34  64 / 100  05  10  10
PENSACOLA   43  57  37  62 / 100  05  10  10
DESTIN      48  58  42  61 / 100  05  10  05
EVERGREEN   44  58  27  65 / 100  05  10  05
WAYNESBORO  36  54  26  63 /  90  05  10  10
CAMDEN      38  53  28  64 / 100  05  10  05

&&

.MOB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...NONE.
FL...NONE.
MS...NONE.
GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM FRIDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     COASTAL WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL OUT 20 NM...
     COASTAL WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS OUT 20
     NM...MOBILE BAY...WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL FROM
     20 TO 60 NM...AND WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS
     FROM 20 TO 60 NM.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 31, 8:10 PM CST, 1 hour 18 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
810 PM CST THU JAN 31 2008

ALZ051>064-FLZ001>006-GMZ630-650-655-670-675-MSZ067-075-076-078-
079-020215-
CHOCTAW-WASHINGTON-CLARKE-WILCOX-MONROE-CONECUH-BUTLER-CRENSHAW-
ESCAMBIA-COVINGTON-UPPER MOBILE-UPPER BALDWIN-LOWER MOBILE-
LOWER BALDWIN-INLAND ESCAMBIA-COASTAL ESCAMBIA-INLAND SANTA ROSA-
COASTAL SANTA ROSA-INLAND OKALOOSA-COASTAL OKALOOSA-MOBILE BAY-
COASTAL WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM PENSACOLA FL TO PASCAGOULA MS FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM DESTIN TO PENSACOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM-WAYNE-PERRY-
GREENE-STONE-GEORGE-
810 PM CST THU JAN 31 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
ALABAMA...SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...THE COASTAL WATERS OF ALABAMA AND
NORTHWEST FLORIDA...NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH ALABAMA AND
THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE THROUGH MIDNIGHT. THE STRONGEST STORMS
WITH THE HIGHER CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE EAST OF INTERSTATE
65 THROUGH 11 PM. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE
REGION LATER TONIGHT AND END THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS.

OVER THE MARINE AREA...STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS LATER TONIGHT AS THE
COLD FRONT PASSES. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL
FRIDAY MORNING. WAVE HEIGHTS OFFSHORE HAVE BUILT TO AROUND 7 FEET AND
WILL REMAIN BETWEEN 7 AND 10 FEET UNTIL LATE MORNING FRIDAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION EARLY
WEDNESDAY...A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AHEAD OF THE
FRONT TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL WILL LIKELY BE
ACTIVE THIS EVENING FOR SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 31, 6:35 PM CST, 2 hours 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
635 PM CST THU JAN 31 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0540 PM     TSTM WND DMG     COFFEEVILLE             31.76N 88.09W
01/31/2008                   CHOCTAW            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ON HWY 69 NEAR MILE MARKER 33.

0605 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 S THOMASVILLE         31.88N 87.74W
01/31/2008                   CLARKE             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.

0615 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WALKER SPRINGS          31.54N 87.79W
01/31/2008                   CLARKE             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.

&&

CACERES

Local storm report, Jan 31, 6:45 PM CST, 2 hours 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
645 PM CST THU JAN 31 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0515 PM     TSTM WND DMG     LUCEDALE                30.92N 88.59W
01/31/2008                   GEORGE             MS   STORM CHASER

            TREES DOWN BETWEEN LUCEDALE AND MERRILL ALONG HWY 198.

&&

CACERES

Local storm report, Jan 31, 7:31 PM CST, 1 hour 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
731 PM CST THU JAN 31 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0500 PM     TSTM WND DMG     20 S NEW AUGUSTA        30.91N 89.04W
01/31/2008                   STONE              MS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ON HWY 29 AROUND 20 MILES SOUTH OF NEW
            AUGUSTA.

0502 PM     TSTM WND DMG     10 E RUNNELSTOWN        31.37N 88.94W
01/31/2008                   PERRY              MS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ON HWY 42 BETWEEN RUNNELSTOWN AND RICHTON.

0710 PM     TSTM WND DMG     EVERGREEN               31.43N 86.96W
01/31/2008                   CONECUH            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN IN EVERGREEN.

0710 PM     HAIL             EVERGREEN               31.43N 86.96W
01/31/2008  M0.88 INCH       CONECUH            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            NICKEL HAIL REPORTED IN EVERGREEN.

&&

CACERES

Local storm report, Jan 31, 7:54 PM CST, 1 hour 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
754 PM CST THU JAN 31 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0457 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WIGGINS                 30.86N 89.14W
01/31/2008                   STONE              MS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN WIGGINS.

0740 PM     FLASH FLOOD      TANNER WILLIAMS         30.72N 88.37W
01/31/2008                   MOBILE             AL   NWS EMPLOYEE

            FLASH FLOODING ON TANNER WILLIAMS ROAD 1.6 MILES WEST OF
            BIG CREEK LAKE.

&&

CACERES

Local storm report, Jan 31, 8:13 PM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
813 PM CST THU JAN 31 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0530 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WAYNESBORO              31.67N 88.65W
01/31/2008                   WAYNE              MS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF TREES DOWN.

0700 PM     TSTM WND DMG     GEORGIANA               31.64N 86.74W
01/31/2008                   BUTLER             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN ON HWY 31 NEAR GEORGIANA.

&&

CACERES

Local storm report, Jan 31, 8:49 PM CST, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
849 PM CST THU JAN 31 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0820 PM     FLASH FLOOD      MILTON                  30.62N 87.03W
01/31/2008                   SANTA ROSA         FL   STORM CHASER

            FLASH FLOODING REPORTED ON BERRYDALE ROAD NEAR MILTON.

&&

CACERES

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jan 31, 6:25 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Conecuh, Monroe	35 min
Jan 31, 6:44 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Butler, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Escambia, Monroe and 1 more	61 min
Jan 31, 6:52 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	MOB		23 min
Jan 31, 7:09 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	MOB		2 hr
Jan 31, 7:31 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	MOB		59 min
Jan 31, 7:45 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Covington, Crenshaw	45 min
Jan 31, 8:08 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	MOB	Baldwin, Escambia, Mobile	2 hr
Jan 31, 8:26 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Conecuh, Covington, Escambia	49 min
Jan 31, 8:33 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	MOB		27 min
Jan 31, 9:23 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	MOB		67 min
Jan 31, 10:09 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Covington, Escambia	51 min
Jan 31, 11:17 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	MOB		28 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2008 Every severe thunderstorm 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.