Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 193, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 2, 2009Walker County, Winston County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 2009, 5:33 PM CDT for Walker County, Winston County, Alabama. It was in force for 42 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: May 2, 2009, 5:33 PM CDT (22:33 UTC)
Expired: May 2, 2009, 6:15 PM CDT
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Walker County, AL, Winston County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 92 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
May 2, 2:55 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 102 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: 830 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 507 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 62 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 76 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 1.3

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 May 2, 2:53 PM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 2:53 PM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
253 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2009

.DISCUSSION...

FAIRLY WET PATTERN WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD.
CURRENTLY TWO SEPARATE BOUNDARIES ARE IN PLACE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST.
THE FIRST...MORE SYNOPTIC SCALE...CONTINUES TO BE THE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY TO THE NORTH OF US. LOOKING AT RADAR...ANOTHER MCS HAS
DEVELOPED ALONG THAT BOUNDARY AND WILL SLOWLY WORK INTO THE WESTERN
PORTIONS OF THE AREA AND THEN SLIDE THROUGH MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
THIS AFTERNOON. AT THE SAME TIME A SECOND...MORE MESOSCALE BOUNDARY
HAS SET UP SHOP GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF AN ANNISTON TO SELMA
LINE. HERE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO FIRE UP. BOTH
ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR
SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON. THE MAIN THREATS FOR BOTH OF THESE
AREA WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL...ALTHOUGH AN ISOLATED TORNADO
CAN NOT BE RULED OUT AS DESCENT SHEAR SPREADS AS FAR SOUTH AS DALLAS
COUNTY.

ON SUNDAY...THE MAIN FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SLOWLY DRIFT SOUTHWARD
AND A SURFACE LOW WILL SWING UP AND ALONG THE BOUNDARY. AS THE FRONT
MOVES SOUTHWARD DURING THE DAY...SURFACE HEATING SHOULD LEAD TO A
QUITE UNSTABLE AIRMASS ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. DAMAGING WINDS AND
HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT...ALTHOUGH ISOLATED TORNADOES CAN NOT
BE RULED OUT...ESPECIALLY THE CLOSER TO THE BOUNDARY A STORM FIRES
UP. RIGHT NOW...MODELS ARE INDICATING CAPE VALUES TO BE BETWEEN 700
AND 1500 J/KG...LIFTED INDEX VALUES OF -3 TO -5...PW OF 1.5 TO 2
INCHES. THE BIG QUESTION IS GOING TO BE TIMING. MODELS ARE HINTING
AT MAYBE SOME ISOLATED ACTIVITY SUNDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE STATE WITH THE MAIN LINE WORKING INTO
NORTHWESTERN SECTIONS BY LATE AFTERNOON. ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO
BE ENHANCED THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AS THE FRONT DRIFTS SOUTH.
MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS IS THAT SOME OF THE BETTER LIFT AND CHANCE
FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE DURING THE LATE EVENING AND INTO THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS. CURRENTLY SPC HAS MOST OF CENTRAL ALABAMA UNDER A
SLIGHT RISK...SO STAY TUNED.

THE BOUNDARY SLIDES SOUTH BY TUESDAY...BUT THEN A NEW BOUNDARY WORKS
IN BY WEDNESDAY AND WILL STALL OUT ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
ALABAMA.

&&

.AVIATION...18Z TAF DISCUSSION.

STILL EXPECTING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS TO
MOVE INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST LATER THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE
NORTHERN SITES.  EXPECT SOUTHWEST WINDS TO CONTINUE AND A LOWERING
OF CEILINGS AND VIS AS SHOWERS MOVE OVERHEAD.  LINGERING RAIN AND
EMBEDDED THUNDER COULD LAST THROUGH MUCH OF THE EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT PERIOD.  THE SOUTHERN SITES WILL HAVE JUST ISOLATED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...BUT ISOLATED
SHOWERS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO LINGER THROUGH THE EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT.  CLOUD COVER WILL GENERALLY LOWER THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT
AS PERSISTENCE FROM THE PREVIOUS OVERNIGHT OBS INDICATED.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     61  79  60  74  54 /  70  60  80  50  20
ANNISTON    62  81  63  75  56 /  60  50  70  60  30
BIRMINGHAM  66  80  64  75  56 /  60  60  80  50  20
TUSCALOOSA  66  82  63  74  57 /  60  60  80  50  20
CALERA      66  82  64  77  58 /  50  50  70  50  20
AUBURN      63  84  65  80  61 /  30  30  40  70  40
MONTGOMERY  66  86  66  81  60 /  20  30  50  70  30
TROY        64  85  66  82  62 /  20  20  30  60  40

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

07/07/07

Hazardous weather outlook, May 2, 12:15 PM CDT, 5 hours 18 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1215 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2009

ALZ011>015-017>050-031715-
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-
1215 PM CDT SAT MAY 2 2009

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND WIDESPREAD
HEAVY RAINFALL AFTER 2 PM ACROSS AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF A
LIVINGSTON...TO CLANTON...TO LAFAYETTE LINE. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL
BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND HAIL.  SOUTH OF THIS
LINE...EXPECT ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 2 PM UNTIL 9
PM...WITH THE THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
MIDNIGHT SUNDAY NIGHT.  THE MAIN THREAT AT THIS TIME IS DAMAGING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...BUT ISOLATED TORNADOES CANNOT BE
RULED OUT.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON MONDAY AS A WEAK COLD
FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BECOME
NECESSARY TODAY AND AGAIN ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 2, 4:30 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
430 PM CDT SAT MAY 02 2009

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

0422 PM     TSTM WND DMG     HAMILTON                34.14N 87.98W
05/02/2009                   MARION             AL   PUBLIC

            TREES DOWN

&&

MBAER

Local storm report, May 2, 4:54 PM CDT, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
454 PM CDT SAT MAY 02 2009

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

0449 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     4 SE VERNON             33.72N 88.06W
05/02/2009                   LAMAR              AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NEAR CODY WITH WALL CLOUD

&&

MBAER

Local storm report, May 2, 5:05 PM CDT, 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
505 PM CDT SAT MAY 02 2009

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

0502 PM     HAIL             3 W VERNON              33.76N 88.17W
05/02/2009  E1.00 INCH       LAMAR              AL   PUBLIC

&&

MBAER

Local storm report, May 2, 5:07 PM CDT, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
507 PM CDT SAT MAY 02 2009

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

0503 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     3 W FAYETTE             33.69N 87.88W
05/02/2009                   FAYETTE            AL   PUBLIC

            NEAR MT VERNON HWY 18

&&

MBAER

Local storm report, May 2, 5:10 PM CDT, 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
510 PM CDT SAT MAY 02 2009

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

0508 PM     HAIL             7 SW VERNON             33.69N 88.20W
05/02/2009  E1.75 INCH       LAMAR              AL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NEAR BAXTER

&&

MBAER

Local storm report, May 2, 5:18 PM CDT, 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
518 PM CDT SAT MAY 02 2009

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

0512 PM     TORNADO          3 NW FAYETTE            33.72N 87.87W
05/02/2009                   FAYETTE            AL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TORNADO REPORTED BY TWO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS NEAR
            COUNTY RD 107 AND HWY 18

&&

STEFKOVICH

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 1, 7:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee, Etowah	49 min
May 1, 7:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah	49 min
May 2, 2:28 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	47 min
May 2, 3:08 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	40 min
May 2, 3:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	52 min
May 2, 3:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion, Winston	43 min
May 2, 4:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Marion, Winston	30 min
May 2, 4:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar	55 min
May 2, 4:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar	59 min
May 2, 5:02 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lamar	28 min
May 2, 5:17 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette	58 min
May 2, 5:23 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar	67 min
May 2, 6:02 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Tuscaloosa, Walker	58 min
May 2, 6:51 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Tuscaloosa, Walker	54 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.