Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS Birmingham, AL

January 6, 2009Pike County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 6, 2009, 11:38 PM CST for Pike County, Alabama. It was in force for 52 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 6, 2009, 11:38 PM CST (05:38 UTC)
Expired: Jan 7, 2009, 12:30 AM CST
In force: 52 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Pike 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 6, 10:51 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 5.6 hours before the alert went out and 168 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: 545 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 76 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -92 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 166 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 KBMX 070538
SVRBMX
ALC109-070630-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0004.090107T0538Z-090107T0630Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1138 PM CST TUE JAN 6 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  PIKE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...TROY...GOSHEN...BRUNDIDGE...

* UNTIL 1230 AM CST

* AT 1136 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A LINE OF
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
  ANSLEY TO 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GOSHEN...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
  FROM 9 MILES SOUTH OF MEADVILLE TO 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GOSHEN...
  AND MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  TROY UNIVERSITY AND TROY BY 1145 PM CST...
  LINWOOD...BRUNDIDGE...BANKS AND ANTIOCH BY 1150 PM CST...

WINDS OF 60 TO 70 MPH WILL BREAK LARGE TREE LIMBS AND CAUSE SOME
DAMAGE...ESPECIALLY TO SMALLER STRUCTURES.

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3178 8615 3179 8620 3196 8617 3197 8591
      3196 8581 3187 8580 3187 8568 3164 8575
      3165 8616
TIME...MOT...LOC 0538Z 270DEG 49KT 3194 8606 3164 8604

$$

KSL

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS54 KBMX 070551
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1151 PM CST TUE JAN 6 2009

ALC109-070630-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0004.000000T0000Z-090107T0630Z/
PIKE AL-
1151 PM CST TUE JAN 6 2009

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1230 AM CST
FOR PIKE COUNTY...

AT 1148 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN
EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
FROM 6 MILES NORTH OF TROY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TO 7 MILES EAST OF
HENDERSON...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES NORTH OF TROY TO
10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BRUNDIDGE...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  MONTICELLO AND BRUNDIDGE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT BY MIDNIGHT CST...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 AM CST WEDNESDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3179 8608 3194 8609 3197 8591 3196 8581
      3187 8580 3187 8568 3164 8575 3165 8610
TIME...MOT...LOC 0551Z 270DEG 49KT 3195 8593 3165 8591

$$

KSL

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 Jan 6, 6:00 PM CST, 5 hours 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 6:00 PM CST, 5 hours 38 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
600 PM CST TUE JAN 6 2009

.UPDATE...AVIATION DISCUSSION.

&&

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
THIS AFTERNOON. CURRENTLY...A WARM FRONT IS DRAPED ACROSS NORTHEAST
CENTRAL ALABAMA...NORTH OF A LINE FROM GADSDEN TO BIRMINGHAM...TO A
SURFACE LOW AND COLD FRONT ACROSS WESTERN ALABAMA. AT THIS
TIME...COLD FRONT HAS PUSHED EAST OF A LINE FROM TUSCALOOSA TO
MERIDIAN MISSISSIPPI. THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY
SHIFT EASTWARD TONIGHT...SPREADING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
EASTWARD AS WELL. AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP IN A MOIST AND UNSTABLE
ENVIRONMENT. LOCATIONS ACROSS THE SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON WARMED INTO
THE MID 70S...AND SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE DEVELOPING ACROSS THE
SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA.

THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE
FRONT. IF ANY STORMS CAN GET GOING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST...A FEW OF
THOSE COULD ALSO BE STRONG TO SEVERE. SEE BHMHWOBMX FOR FURTHER
DETAILS ON THE SEVERE THREAT.

14

.LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER SHORT WAVE WILL PASS THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY...THE
FINAL KICK TO CLEAR US OUT. A FEW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE
DAY. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT IS A TEMPERATURE
FORECAST AND USED A BLEND OF GUIDANCE...THICKNESS AND GENEROUS
TWEAKING TO GET AVERAGE TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES.

HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT OFF THE EAST COAST FRIDAY NIGHT WITH
MODEST RETURN FLOW AHEAD OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT WHICH IS SCHEDULED
TO ARRIVE ON SATURDAY. A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE
FROM LATE SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING. THE AIRMASS
BEHIND THIS FRONT SHOULD BE COOL ENOUGH TO KEEP US AT OR SLIGHTLY
BELOW CLIMATOLOGICAL AVERAGE THROUGH MONDAY.

SOME UNCERTAINTIES WITH PRECIPITATION CHANCES AT THE END OF THE
PERIOD. THE GFS CONTINUES ADVERTISING A LOW COMING OUT OF THE
WESTERN GULF BRINGING US ANOTHER GOOD ROUND OF RAIN...OR SOMETHING
WINTRY...ON TUESDAY...WHILE THE ECMWF KEEPS US DRY. ENSEMBLES TEND
TO FAVOR THE ECMWF HERE.

88

&&

.AVIATION...00Z TAF DISCUSSION.

A LINE OF SHOWERS WILL IMPACT MGM AND TOI THROUGH 02Z LIKELY
RESULTING IN NORTHWESTERLY WIND UP TO 30 KT...AND BRIEF HEAVY
RAINFALL.  BEHIND THE LINE LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE
AT ALL SITES FOR MOST OF THE NIGHT WITH NORTHWESTERLY FLOW LESS THAN
10 KNOTS.  CEILINGS WILL RANGE FROM 500 TO 2000 FEET OVERNIGHT.
TOMORROW...ONLY LIGHT RAIN WILL LINGER AND CEILINGS WILL GRADUALLY
IMPROVE.  WINDS WILL INCREASE TO AROUND 10 KNOTS ACROSS ALL OF
CENTRAL ALABAMA WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KNOTS.  BY 00Z ALL CEILINGS
SHOULD BE ABOVE 6000 FEET.

12/SIRMON

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     47  51  33  52  32 / 100  50  10  10   0
ANNISTON    49  54  35  54  33 / 100  50  10  10   0
BIRMINGHAM  47  52  38  55  36 / 100  40  10  10   0
TUSCALOOSA  47  54  37  58  35 / 100  30   0   0   0
CALERA      48  53  37  57  36 / 100  40   0   0   0
AUBURN      53  56  38  57  37 / 100  50   0   0   0
MONTGOMERY  54  57  36  61  37 / 100  40   0   0   0
TROY        55  59  39  63  34 /  90  30   0   0   0

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 PM TODAY NORTH OF LINE FROM
ALICEVILLE...TO BIRMINGHAM...TO CENTRE.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9PM TONIGHT SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
LIVINGSTON...TO CLANTON...TO LAFAYETTE.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 6, 7:32 PM CST, 4 hours 6 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
732 PM CST TUE JAN 6 2009

ALZ011>015-017>050-080135-
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-
732 PM CST TUE JAN 6 2009

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

A FEW STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST
SECTIONS AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA.  WINDS 30 TO 35
MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE.

FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ACROSS A LARGE SECTION OF THE NORTH AS RECENT
HEAVY RAINS HAVE CAUSED NUMEROUS ROAD CLOSURES AND WATER TO COVER
MANY ROADWAYS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

DUE TO THE RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL SOME FLOODING IN COUNTIES
ACROSS THE NORTH WILL PERSIST INTO WEDNESDAY.  IN ADDITION...
MINOR FLOODING WILL CONTINUE...MAINLY ALONG THE TOMBIGBEE AND BLACK
WARRIOR RIVER BASINS THROUGH SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL
MAY BE NECESSARY TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...MAINLY DUE TO FLOODING.

KSL

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 6, 5:38 PM CST, 6 hours before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
538 PM CST TUE JAN 06 2009

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

&&

MBAER

Local storm report, Jan 6, 5:47 PM CST, 5 hours 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
547 PM CST TUE JAN 06 2009

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

0453 PM     TSTM WND GST     OXFORD                  33.60N 85.83W
01/06/2009  E0.00 MPH        CALHOUN            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            NUMEROUS LARGE TREES SNAPPED OFF. DAMAGE AT SHELL
            STATION. DAMAGE AROUND QUINTARD MALL AND AT HIGH
            SCHOOL.SEVERAL EATERIES AND FUEL STATIONS SUSTAINED
            SIGNIFICANT ROOF AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGES.

&&

MBAER

Local storm report, Jan 6, 7:00 PM CST, 4 hours 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
700 PM CST TUE JAN 06 2009

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

0659 PM     FLOOD            VERNON                  33.76N 88.11W
01/06/2009                   LAMAR              AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            38 COUNTY WIDE ROADS AFFECTED BY FLOODING. 10 WASH OUTS.
            UPDATED FROM EARLIER ASSESSMENT.

&&

MBAER

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jan 6, 6:56 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah, St. Clair	3 hr
Jan 6, 7:37 PM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Marengo, Tuscaloosa	38 hr
Jan 6, 7:55 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Cherokee	3 hr
Jan 6, 8:06 PM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Shelby, Talladega	14 hr
Jan 6, 8:06 PM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Bibb, Jefferson, Shelby	34 hr
Jan 6, 8:06 PM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Etowah and 3 more	18 hr
Jan 6, 8:13 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion, Pickens	3 hr
Jan 6, 9:57 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Blount, Etowah, St. Clair	8 hr
Jan 6, 10:35 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery	3 hr
Jan 6, 10:48 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Lamar, Marion, Pickens	7 hr
Jan 7, 12:04 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Pike	56 min
Jan 7, 12:29 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Russell	46 min
Jan 7, 12:38 AM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Tuscaloosa	3 days
Jan 7, 4:12 AM CST	Lake Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	14 hr
Jan 7, 6:10 AM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Bibb, Dallas, Perry	31 hr
Jan 7, 11:15 AM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	5 days
Jan 7, 2:20 PM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Coosa, Etowah, St. Clair, Shelby and 1 more	20 hr

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.