Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 446, NWS Birmingham, AL

December 8, 2009Fayette County, Lamar County, Marion County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Dec 8, 2009, 11:18 PM CST for Fayette County, Lamar County, Marion 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: Dec 8, 2009, 11:18 PM CST (05:18 UTC)
Expired: Dec 9, 2009, 12:00 AM CST
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Fayette County, AL, Lamar County, AL, Marion County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 39 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:18 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
Dec 8, 6:12 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 5.3 hours before the alert went out and 130 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: 11 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -328 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 495 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 644 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 840 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 4.2

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 Dec 8, 8:55 PM CST, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 8, 8:55 PM CST, 2 hours 23 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
855 PM CST TUE DEC 8 2009

.UPDATE...EVENING FORECAST.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

CURRENT FORECAST STILL LOOKS ON TRACK. MADE SOME CHANGES TO BOTH
THE HOURLY AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURES. MOST IF NOT ALL LOCATIONS
HAVE ALREADY REACHED THE FORECAST LOW. BASICALLY...THE TREND FOR
THE REST OF THE NIGHT IS FOR TEMPERATURES TO ACTUALLY BE
INCREASING.

THE THREAT OF TORNADIC ACTIVITY HAS NOT CHANGED. STILL EXPECTING
FOR MOST OF THE ACTIVITY TO REMAIN WEST OF INTERSTATE 65 WITH THE
THREAT EXTENDING OUT AT LEAST THROUGH 2 AM. PLEASE REMAIN VIGILANT
BY EITHER LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA
(RADIO OR TELEVISION) FOR FREQUENT UPDATES.

10/ARM

&&

.AVIATION...00Z TAF DISCUSSION.

QUITE A MESSY FORECAST FOR THE NEXT 12 TO 18 HOURS. LOW CLOUDS AND
VISIBILITIES ALONG WITH THUNDERSTORMS WILL CAUSE CONDITIONS TO
RANGE BETWEEN MVFR...IFR AND POSSIBLY LIFR ON AND OFF THROUGHOUT THE
NIGHT. BASED THE TIMING ON WHEN THE MAIN LINE OF STORMS WILL MOVE
THROUGH ALL SITES ON THE CURRENT RADAR TREND. WILL ADJUST THOSE AS
NEEDED.

MVFR CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TOMORROW...EVEN THOUGH MODELS
WANT TO CLEAR CLOUDS OUT COMPLETELY. MODELS DO TEND CLEAR CLOUDS TOO
FAST IN THESE KIND OF SITUATIONS AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS ONE OF
THOSE CASES.

10/ARM

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH NOON WEDNESDAY FOR ALL OF
CENTRAL ALABAMA.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 8, 8:55 PM CST, 2 hours 23 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
855 PM CST TUE DEC 8 2009

ALZ011>015-017>050-091200-
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-
855 PM CST TUE DEC 8 2009

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

SEVERE WEATHER IS LIKELY THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING ACROSS ALL
OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60
MPH...HAIL...ISOLATED TORNADOES...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. THE CHANCE
FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING.

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE
OHIO VALLEY REGION BY SUNRISE WEDNESDAY. A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL PULL WARM AND MOIST AIR INTO CENTRAL
ALABAMA TONIGHT. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA
WEDNESDAY MORNING...BRINGING AN END TO THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT.

BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL EXIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING IN
ASSOCIATION WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM...PRODUCING SOUTHERLY WINDS 15 TO
25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH.

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

BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT ON WEDNESDAY. WINDS
WILL BE WESTERLY AND BECOME GUSTY. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL BE
BETWEEN 10 AND 20 MPH WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 25 MPH.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL BE
NECESSARY TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 8, 9:09 PM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
909 PM CST TUE DEC 08 2009

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

0840 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG CURRY                   33.96N 87.21W
12/08/2009                   WALKER             AL   AMATEUR RADIO

            POWER OUTAGES REPORTED DUE TO WIND IN CURRY. WIND GUSTS
            ESTIMATED 30 TO 40 MPH.

&&

GGOGGINS

Local storm report, Dec 8, 10:21 PM CST, 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1021 PM CST TUE DEC 08 2009

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

1005 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG HAMILTON                34.14N 87.98W
12/08/2009                   MARION             AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREE DOWN COUNTY ROAD 42 AND SUNRISE. GRADIENT WIND
            RELATED

&&

GGOGGINS

Local storm report, Dec 8, 10:35 PM CST, 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1035 PM CST TUE DEC 08 2009

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

1005 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ECHOLA                  33.34N 87.79W
12/08/2009                   TUSCALOOSA         AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES AND POWERLINES REPORTED DOWN SIPSEY VALLEY RD -
            EASTWARD ACROSS HWY 171 - EASTWARD TO LAKE TUSCALOOSA.
            POSSIBLE TORNADO

&&

GGOGGINS

Local storm report, Dec 8, 10:44 PM CST, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1044 PM CST TUE DEC 08 2009

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

1028 PM     TSTM WND DMG     HUEYTOWN                33.44N 87.00W
12/08/2009                   JEFFERSON          AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREES DOWN NEAR FOREST RD

&&

KLAWS

Local storm report, Dec 8, 11:04 PM CST, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1104 PM CST TUE DEC 08 2009

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

1050 PM     FLASH FLOOD      HAMILTON                34.14N 87.98W
12/08/2009                   MARION             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            FLOODED COUNTY ROADS HWY 61...HWY 43...BEXAR
            EAST/WEST...CR11...HWY 78...CR52 IN TWIN
            COMMUNITY...TAYLOR RAOD IN GUIN...PROVIDENCE ST IN
            WINFIELD.

&&

KLAWS

Local storm report, Dec 8, 11:05 PM CST, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1105 PM CST TUE DEC 08 2009

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

1030 PM     TSTM WND DMG     PLEASANT GROVE          33.52N 86.41W
12/08/2009                   ST. CLAIR          AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            POWERLINES DOWN ON 4TH ST.

&&

KLAWS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 8, 6:05 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Lamar	9 hr
Dec 8, 7:56 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter	49 min
Dec 8, 7:58 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Fayette	3 hr
Dec 8, 8:56 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Fayette, Marion, Walker, Winston	6 hr
Dec 8, 9:19 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens	41 min
Dec 8, 9:44 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	46 min
Dec 8, 9:51 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens	24 min
Dec 8, 10:08 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	37 min
Dec 8, 10:22 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Walker	33 min
Dec 8, 10:37 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson	38 min
Dec 8, 11:14 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah, St. Clair	22 min
Dec 8, 11:29 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Sumter	61 min
Dec 9, 12:05 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Greene, Hale, Perry, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	40 min
Dec 9, 12:09 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair	51 min
Dec 9, 12:23 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Hale, Marengo, Perry and 1 more	52 min
Dec 9, 12:25 AM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Coosa and 6 more	3 hr
Dec 9, 1:05 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Shelby, Talladega	40 min
Dec 9, 1:11 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore	49 min
Dec 9, 1:30 AM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Clay, Talladega	90 min
Dec 9, 1:37 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay, Cleburne, Randolph	38 min
Dec 9, 2:01 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers, Randolph, Tallapoosa	44 min
Dec 9, 4:16 AM CST	Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	13 hr
Dec 9, 6:41 AM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter	51 hr
Dec 9, 8:53 AM CST	River Flood Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo	3 days
Dec 9, 9:38 AM CST	Areal Flood Warning	BMX	Lamar	24 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.