Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 16, NWS Tallahassee, FL

February 17, 2008Dale County, Alabama

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 17, 2008, 3:45 PM CST for Dale County, Alabama. It was in force for 45 min. 2 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, 3:45 PM CST (21:45 UTC)
Expired: Feb 17, 2008, 4:30 PM CST
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS Tallahassee, FL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Dale County, AL

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Feb 17, 4:11 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	Ariton, AL	1 BARN DESTROYED. 1 RESIDENCE HEAVILY DAMAGED.
Feb 17, 4:20 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	Ariton, AL	1 BARN DESTROYED. 1 RESIDENCE HEAVILY DAMAGED.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 2 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 26 minutes after it went out.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Tallahassee Rgnl, FL (KTLH), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 174 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: 766 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 268 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 304 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 
WUUS52 KTAE 172146
SVRTAE
ALC045-172230-
/O.NEW.KTAE.SV.W.0016.080217T2145Z-080217T2230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
345 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TALLAHASSEE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  DALE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...OZARK...DALEVILLE...FORT RUCKER...

* UNTIL 430 PM CST

* AT 341 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS
  IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
  EXTENDING FROM 26 MILES WEST OF ARITON TO 24 MILES WEST OF LEVEL
  PLAINS...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
  LUVERNE TO 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ELBA...AND MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  LEVEL PLAINS BY 405 PM CST...
  DALEVILLE...FORT RUCKER AND ARITON BY 410 PM CST...
  OZARK AND NEWTON BY 415 PM CST...
  PINCKARD AND MIDLAND CITY BY 420 PM CST...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. IF A TORNADO 
IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A STURDY 
STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE 
IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. 
PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG 
BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

RELAY REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
TALLAHASSEE AT (8 5 0) 9 4 2 8 8 3 3. OR...YOU MAY CONTACT THE
NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR YOUR COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST SUNDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTHEAST ALABAMA AND NORTH FLORIDA AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA.

LAT...LON 3132 8542 3126 8579 3163 8579 3164 8572
      3164 8571 3164 8542 3163 8541
TIME...MOT...LOC 2145Z 261DEG 51KT 3162 8609 3133 8612

$$

38-GODSEY

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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Feb 17, 1:46 PM CST, 1 hour 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 17, 1:46 PM CST, 1 hour 59 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
246 PM EST SUN FEB 17 2008

...SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT...

.SYNOPSIS...
THE SQUALL LINE AND COLD FRONT CONTINUE TO APPROACH OUR
AREA...AND A FEW SUPCELLS HAVE DEVELOPED AHEAD OF THE MAIN LINE.
CONDITIONS APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER...AND WE EXPECT A
BUSY NIGHT.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY) SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS (SOME
SEVERE) WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH THE SEVERE THREAT
DECREASING AFTER MIDNIGHT AS THE CAPE DIMINISHES. RAIN WILL
GRADUALLY END FROM WEST TO EAST MONDAY...FOLLOWED BY FAIR WEATHER
AS A SURFACE RIDGE DEVELOPS ACROSS OUR AREA. TEMPERATURES MAY
REACH FREEZING TUESDAY MORNING.

.LONG TERM...
(THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) FORECAST PATTERN BECOMES INCREASINGLY
MESSY...MORE UNSETTLED LOOKING AND MORE UNCERTAIN TOWARDS THE END
OF THE WEEK AND INTO NEXT WEEKEND...AS THE TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN
U.S. LOSES AMPLITUDE...AND A SERIES OF SHORT WAVES MOVE ACROSS THE
SOUTHWEST U.S. UNDER A HIGH LATITUDE BLOCKY PATTERN...AND THEN
LIFT NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE MID ATLANTIC STATES...TAKING MOST OF
THEIR ENERGY TO THE NORTH OF OUR AREA. WEAK RIDGING WILL REMAIN
OVER THE SOUTHEAST...AND A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL LIKELY STALL
SOMEWHERE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. FOR NOW WILL BROAD BRUSH THE POPS
WITH NO MORE THE 30 PERCENT THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY GIVEN THE
UNCERTAINTY IN THE OVERALL FORECAST AS TO ULTIMATE LOCATION OF THE
FRONTAL BOUNDARY... AND TIMING OF THE SHORT WAVES IN THE SOUTHERN
STREAM THAT WILL AFFECT THE LOCATION AND NORTH OR SOUTH MOVEMENT
OF THE FRONT. IT WILL BE A PERIOD OF MODERATING TEMPERATURES AND
RELATIVELY HIGH DEW POINTS BEGINNING ON THURSDAY...AND EXPECT SOME
AREAS OF FOG WILL DEVELOP EACH NIGHT AS WELL.

&&

.AVIATION...
EXPECT BKN-OVC CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE AT PFN AND DHN THROUGHOUT
THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY WITH BKN-OVC CONDS MOVING BACK INTO TO
TLH AND ABY BY EARLY AFTERNOON. MAIN CONCERN WILL BE TIMING OF
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS INTO THE REGION...SOME OF WHICH WILL BE
STRONG TO SEVERE. THINK THE BEST THREAT FOR STORMS WILL BE BETWEEN
20Z AND 02Z AT OUR WESTERN TERMINALS...22Z AND 04Z AT THE CENTRAL
TERMINALS AND 02Z AND 08Z AT VLD. ONCE THE COLD FRONT
PASSES...LINGERING MVFR CIGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MID AFTERNOON ON
MONDAY. WINDS WILL LIKELY BE GUSTY BEHIND THE FRONT THROUGH MONDAY
EVENING.

&&

.MARINE...
A MARGINAL SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY EVENT WILL CONTINUE
OVERNIGHT...THEN WINDS AND SEAS WILL SLOWLY SUBSIDE.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
WILL ISSUE A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR OUR FL
ZONES.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
TALLAHASSEE  60  70  35  62  36 /  90  80  10   0  10
PANAMA CITY  59  67  40  62  42 /  90  50  10   0  10
DOTHAN       53  62  35  60  36 /  90  30  10   0  10
ALBANY       58  65  34  59  34 /  90  60  10   0  10
VALDOSTA     59  71  36  60  35 /  70  90  10   0  10
CROSS CITY   61  72  38  63  34 /  50  90  10   0  10

&&

.TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE
     FOLLOWING ZONES: COFFEE...DALE...GENEVA...HENRY...HOUSTON.

GA...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: BAKER...BEN HILL...BERRIEN...BROOKS...CALHOUN...
     CLAY...COLQUITT...COOK...DECATUR...DOUGHERTY...EARLY...
     GRADY...IRWIN...LANIER...LEE...LOWNDES...MILLER...
     MITCHELL...QUITMAN...RANDOLPH...SEMINOLE...TERRELL...
     THOMAS...TIFT...TURNER...WORTH.

FL...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EST /6 PM CST/ THIS EVENING FOR
     THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BAY...CALHOUN...COASTAL WALTON...
     DIXIE...FRANKLIN...GADSDEN...GULF...HOLMES...INLAND
     WALTON...JACKSON...JEFFERSON...LAFAYETTE...LEON...LIBERTY...
     MADISON...TAYLOR...WAKULLA...WASHINGTON.

     FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
     FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: BAY...CALHOUN...DIXIE...FRANKLIN...
     GADSDEN...GULF...HOLMES...INLAND WALTON...JACKSON...
     JEFFERSON...LAFAYETTE...LEON...LIBERTY...MADISON...TAYLOR...
     WAKULLA...WASHINGTON.

GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM EST MONDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: APALACHEE BAY OR COASTAL WATERS FROM KEATON BEACH TO
     OCHLOCKONEE RIVER FL OUT TO 20 NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM
     OCHLOCKONEE RIVER TO APALACHICOLA FL OUT TO 20 NM...COASTAL
     WATERS FROM SUWANNEE RIVER TO KEATON BEACH OUT 20 NM...
     COASTAL WATERS FROM APALACHICOLA TO DESTIN FL OUT 20 NM...
     WATERS FROM SUWANNEE RIVER TO APALACHICOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60
     NM...WATERS FROM APALACHICOLA TO DESTIN FL FROM 20 TO 60
     NM.

&&

AVIATION...GODSEY
LONG TERM...DUVAL
REST OF DISCUSSION...FOURNIER

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 17, 3:13 AM CST, 12 hours 32 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
413 AM EST SUN FEB 17 2008

ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-
GMZ730-750-755-765-770-775-181100-
COFFEE-DALE-HENRY-GENEVA-HOUSTON-INLAND WALTON-COASTAL WALTON-
HOLMES-WASHINGTON-JACKSON-BAY-CALHOUN-GULF-FRANKLIN-GADSDEN-LEON-
JEFFERSON-MADISON-LIBERTY-WAKULLA-TAYLOR-LAFAYETTE-DIXIE-QUITMAN-
CLAY-RANDOLPH-TERRELL-DOUGHERTY-LEE-WORTH-TURNER-TIFT-BEN HILL-
IRWIN-EARLY-MILLER-BAKER-MITCHELL-COLQUITT-COOK-BERRIEN-SEMINOLE-
DECATUR-GRADY-THOMAS-BROOKS-LOWNDES-LANIER-
APALACHEE BAY OR COASTAL WATERS FROM KEATON BEACH TO OCHLOCKONEE
RIVER FL OUT TO 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM APALACHICOLA TO DESTIN FL OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM  OCHLOCKONEE RIVER TO APALACHICOLA FL OUT TO
20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM  SUWANNEE RIVER TO KEATON BEACH OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM APALACHICOLA TO DESTIN FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM  SUWANNEE RIVER TO APALACHICOLA FL FROM 20 TO 60 NM-
413 AM EST SUN FEB 17 2008 /313 AM CST SUN FEB 17 2008/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND THE FLORIDA BIG BEND
AND PANHANDLE...AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING...

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...
A DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WHICH IS MOVING QUICKLY
NORTHEASTWARD TOWARDS THE GREAT LAKES WILL BRING ITS TRAILING COLD
FRONT NEAR THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION BY LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. A SQUALL LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD
FRONT...WITH THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER INCREASING FROM WEST TO
EAST BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON. STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE WILL BE
THE GREATEST SEVERE WEATHER THREAT ACROSS THE AREA...BUT LARGE
HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES CANNOT ALSO BE RULED OUT...ESPECIALLY
TO THE WEST OF THE APALACHICOLA RIVER. THIS COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED
TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING...WITH
COOLER AND DRIER AIR GRADUALLY BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...
HIGH PRESSURE WITH COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL BE THE RULE FOR
MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH WARMER BUT MORE UNSETTLED
CONDITIONS LIKELY RETURNING FOR THE END OF NEXT WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTERS ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

17-GOULD

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 17, 2:31 PM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
331 PM EST SUN FEB 17 2008

ALZ065>069-FLZ007>012-172130-
BAY-COASTAL WALTON-COFFEE-DALE-GENEVA-HENRY-HOLMES-HOUSTON-INLAND
WALTON-JACKSON-WASHINGTON-
231 PM CST SUN FEB 17 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IN EFFECT FOR BAY...COFFEE...DALE...
GENEVA...HENRY...HOLMES...HOUSTON...JACKSON...WALTON AND WASHINGTON
COUNTIES...

* UNTIL 330 PM CST

AT 226 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MONTGOMERY ALABAMA
TO GULF SHORES ALABAMA...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. SOME OF THESE STORMS
HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES.

DIME SIZE HAIL...WINDS AROUND 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND
TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. REMEMBER...A TORNADO
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT...AND THIS LINE OF STRONG STORMS WILL BE
CLOSELY MONITORED CLOSELY FOR SEVERE WEATHER.

9-FOURNIER

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tallahassee, FL issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 17, 9:23 AM CST	Lake Wind Advisory	TAE	Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston	9 hr
Feb 17, 1:36 PM CST	Tornado Warning	TAE	Coffee	54 min
Feb 17, 1:56 PM CST	Fire Weather Watch	TAE	Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston	25 hr
Feb 17, 3:19 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TAE	Coffee, Geneva	56 min
Feb 17, 3:52 PM CST	Tornado Warning	TAE	Coffee, Dale	23 min
Feb 17, 4:04 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TAE	Henry	56 min
Feb 17, 4:11 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TAE	Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Houston	64 min
Feb 17, 4:22 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TAE	Coffee, Dale	53 min
Feb 17, 5:57 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TAE	Dale, Henry	48 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.