Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 142, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 10, 2009Shelby County, Talladega County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 10, 2009, 5:34 PM CDT for Shelby County, Talladega County, Alabama. It was in force for 41 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: Apr 10, 2009, 5:34 PM CDT (22:34 UTC)
Expired: Apr 10, 2009, 6:15 PM CDT
In force: 41 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Shelby County, AL, Talladega County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 37 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:35 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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 10, 11:23 AM CDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	8 hr
Apr 10, 2:39 PM CDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 38 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: 648 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -48 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 490 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 404 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 474 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 2.0
Supercell composite: 12.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 10, 3:10 PM CDT, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 10, 3:10 PM CDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
310 PM CDT FRI APR 10 2009

.DISCUSSION...

NOT MANY CHANGES TO PREVIOUS FORECAST PACKAGE. PARTS OF NE CWA
UNDER A HIGH RISK FROM SPC WITH REMAINDER OF AREA UNDER MDT RISK. RAPID
DESTABILIZATION IS TAKING PLACE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS MUCH OF
CENTRAL ALABAMA...AS THE CAP IS QUICKLY ERODING AWAY FURTHER
NORTH. WILL WATCH THE CAP STAY STRONGER FURTHER SOUTH...SAY SOUTH
OF I20...BUT EVENTUALLY COOLING ALOFT COMBINED WITH SURFACE
HEATING AND MOISTENING WILL WIN OUT. THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT
REMAIN ARE PW VALUES FOR AREAS SOUTH OF 20. FOR NOW WE ARE LOOKING
AT VALUES JUST ABOVE 1 INCH ALONG THE FRONT SUGGESTING THE CELLS
WILL BECOME MORE INDIVIDUALIZED AND ISOLATED AS THE LINE PUSHES
FURTHER SOUTH AND EAST. AREAS NORTH LOOK PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS AS
AGAIN RAPID DESTABILIZATION IS ALLOWING CAPE VALUES TO SOAR TO
JUST BELOW 3000 J/KG AND SRH VALUES ABOVE 300 BOTH IN THE 0 TO 3
KM RANGE AND 0 TO 1 KM RANGE. TORNADOES WILL BE A HIGH
THREAT...WITH EVEN STRONG TORNADOES POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN
CWA. HAIL CONTINUES TO BE THE BIGGEST THREAT AS LAPSE RATES ALOFT
CONTINUE TO INCREASE AND CAPE VALUES IN THE MAXIMUM HAIL GROWTH
ZONE HAVE INCREASED TO NEARLY 500 J/KG...WHICH IS ABOUT THE
HIGHEST IVE SEEN IN QUITE SOME TIME. IN ADDITION...VERY STRONG
GRADIENT FLOW WILL CONTINUE FOR AREAS AHEAD OF THE FRONT...
POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN SOME TREES GOING DOWN.

DUE TO ORIENTATION OF STORMS (NE-SW)...EXPECT SEVERE WEATHER TO
CONTINUE FOR AREAS EAST OF I-65 AND SOUTH OF I-20 UNTIL THE 02-04Z
TIMEFRAME WITH THE LINE MOVING INTO GA AFTER THAT TIME.

CALM AND COOLER ON SATURDAY WITH NEXT SYSTEM AFFECTING REGION AS
EARLY AS 00Z SUNDAY IN WESTERN SECTIONS AND ACROSS REMAINDER OF
STATE AFTER 06Z. TUE AND WED WILL HAVE NEAR NORMAL TEMPS WITH
ANOTHER ROUND OF STORMS LATE IN WEEK.

LAWS/STEFKOVICH

&&

.AVIATION...18Z TAF DISCUSSION.

BRISK SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL GUST TO OVER 25 KNOTS AS COLD
FRONT ADVANCES INTO AREA THIS AFTERNOON.  PREVAILING CIGS 3-4
THOUSAND FEET THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL LOWER BRIEFLY TO MVFR
OR LOWER WHERE THUNDERSTORMS OCCUR. GREATEST THREAT FOR STORMS WILL
BE ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF COLD FRONT BUT CANNOT RULE OUT ISOLATED
STORMS IN ADVANCE OF THE MAIN LINE.  ANY STORM THAT DEVELOPS WILL
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE...WITH BEST TORNADIC THREAT AT
TCL...BHM ANB AND EET MAINLY BEFORE 00Z.  OTHERWISE MAIN THREAT
WOULD APPEAR TO BE LARGE HAIL AND STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.
23Z-04Z TSTMS SHOULD BE MAINLY EAST OF THE I65 CORRIDOR.

CDFNT CURRENTLY NR JAN TO TUP LINE SHOULD BE NEAR TCL 21Z...BHM AND
EET ARND 22Z...ANB BY 00Z...MGM 02-03Z AND TOI ARND 04Z. WINDS WILL
SHIFT TO MORE WESTERLY DIRECTION BEHIND THE FRONT AND GRADUALLY
DIMINISH TO 10 KNOTS OR LESS AFTER 02Z.

MAY BE SOME BRIEF CLEARING OR DECREASE IN CLOUDS BETWEEN 02Z AND 08Z
BUT EXPECT LOW CLOUDS 15-25 HUNDRED FEET TO DEVELOP AFTER THAT TIME
AND PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF SATURDAY MORNING.

41

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     49  67  42  68  56 /  30  10  10  10  70
ANNISTON    52  67  46  69  60 /  30  10  10  10  70
BIRMINGHAM  51  66  46  70  61 /  20  10  10  20  70
TUSCALOOSA  52  69  45  70  63 /  20  10  10  30  70
CALERA      53  67  47  69  60 /  20  10  10  20  70
AUBURN      56  71  48  72  57 /  30  10  10  10  70
MONTGOMERY  56  74  47  74  60 /  20  10  10  20  70
TROY        57  75  49  75  60 /  30  10  10  20  50

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES UNTIL 7 PM TODAY.

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 10, 1:04 PM CDT, 4 hours 30 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
104 PM CDT FRI APR 10 2009

ALZ011>015-017>050-111130-
AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE-
CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE-
JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY-
PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA-
TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON-
104 PM CDT FRI APR 10 2009

...MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTH
ALABAMA...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS NORTH
CENTRAL ALABAMA. LARGE HAIL...TORNADOES...AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE ALL
POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

FOR AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM AUBURN...TO ALABASTER...TO
REFORM...THERE WILL BE A POTENTIAL FOR SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WITH STRONG TORNADOES AND VERY LARGE HAIL.

FOR AREAS SOUTH OF THIS LINE...ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE
WITH VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL END WITH A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THE FRONT WILL BE LOCATED NEAR A
LINE FROM SELMA TO ANNISTON BY AROUND 7 PM.

IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS
NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS WILL LAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.
WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. THESE WINDS MAY KNOCK
A FEW TREES DOWN OR BREAK SOME LIMBS. SECURE ALL OUTDOOR FURNITURE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON MONDAY...AS A COLD FRONT
PUSHES THROUGH THE AREA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL BE NEEDED
INTO THE EVENING AND POSSIBLY AGAIN ON MONDAY.

75/LINHARES

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 10, 4:58 PM CDT, 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
458 PM CDT FRI APR 10 2009

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

0409 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SNEAD                   34.12N 86.40W
04/10/2009                   BLOUNT             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            STRUCTURE DAMAGED ON HWY 278 IN SNEAD. EXTENT OF DAMAGE
            UNKONOWN AT THIS TIME.

&&

KSUMRALL

Local storm report, Apr 10, 5:15 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
515 PM CDT FRI APR 10 2009

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

0505 PM     HAIL             N FOSTERS CROSS ROADS   33.42N 85.56W
04/10/2009  E1.00 INCH       RANDOLPH           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            STARTED AS PEA, PROGRESSED TO QUARTER SIZED AT THE VFD.

&&

KSUMRALL

Local storm report, Apr 10, 5:16 PM CDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
516 PM CDT FRI APR 10 2009

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

0506 PM     HAIL             CHILDERSBURG            33.28N 86.35W
04/10/2009  E0.25 INCH       TALLADEGA          AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

KSUMRALL

Local storm report, Apr 10, 5:20 PM CDT, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
520 PM CDT FRI APR 10 2009

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

0508 PM     HAIL             NW LINEVILLE            33.31N 85.75W
04/10/2009  E1.00 INCH       CLAY               AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            IN THE DELTA COMMUNITY.

&&

KSUMRALL

Local storm report, Apr 10, 5:22 PM CDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
522 PM CDT FRI APR 10 2009

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

0520 PM     HAIL             NEWELL                  33.44N 85.40W
04/10/2009  E1.75 INCH       RANDOLPH           AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

KSUMRALL

Local storm report, Apr 10, 5:23 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
523 PM CDT FRI APR 10 2009

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

0522 PM     HAIL             GADSDEN                 34.01N 86.01W
04/10/2009  E1.75 INCH       ETOWAH             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            AT THE EMA OFFICE DOWNTOWN.

&&

KSUMRALL

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 10, 3:20 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar	40 min
Apr 10, 3:50 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston	40 min
Apr 10, 4:00 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar	45 min
Apr 10, 4:25 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Marion, Walker, Winston	35 min
Apr 10, 4:46 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	44 min
Apr 10, 5:40 AM CDT	Lake Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	7 hr
Apr 10, 6:02 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Etowah, St. Clair	28 min
Apr 10, 6:21 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah	24 min
Apr 10, 12:35 PM CDT	Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	6 hr
Apr 10, 1:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion	45 min
Apr 10, 2:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion, Winston	51 min
Apr 10, 2:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	16 min
Apr 10, 3:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	34 min
Apr 10, 3:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	24 min
Apr 10, 3:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby	30 min
Apr 10, 3:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee	42 min
Apr 10, 3:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	41 min
Apr 10, 4:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah	52 min
Apr 10, 4:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair	34 min
Apr 10, 4:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah	34 min
Apr 10, 4:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cherokee	45 min
Apr 10, 4:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, St. Clair, Talladega	47 min
Apr 10, 4:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	20 min
Apr 10, 4:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson	44 min
Apr 10, 4:35 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, Talladega	40 min
Apr 10, 4:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cherokee, Etowah	48 min
Apr 10, 4:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Jefferson, Shelby, Talladega	47 min
Apr 10, 4:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby, Tuscaloosa	48 min
Apr 10, 5:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	44 min
Apr 10, 5:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay, Cleburne, Randolph	41 min
Apr 10, 5:09 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Clay, Cleburne, Randolph	29 min
Apr 10, 5:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah	48 min
Apr 10, 5:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah, St. Clair	61 min
Apr 10, 5:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah, St. Clair	23 min
Apr 10, 5:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah	52 min
Apr 10, 5:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Shelby, Talladega, Tallapoosa	46 min
Apr 10, 5:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne, Etowah, St. Clair	60 min
Apr 10, 5:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Shelby	21 min
Apr 10, 6:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, Shelby, Talladega	60 min
Apr 10, 6:02 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chilton, Coosa, Tallapoosa	58 min
Apr 10, 6:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers, Clay, Coosa, Randolph, Talladega, Tallapoosa	60 min
Apr 10, 6:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Perry	51 min
Apr 10, 6:32 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa	28 min
Apr 10, 6:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chambers, Elmore, Lee, Tallapoosa	65 min
Apr 10, 6:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa	63 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2009 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2009

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.