Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 6, NWS Birmingham, AL

January 7, 2009Barbour County, Bullock County, Russell County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 7, 2009, 12:29 AM CST for Barbour County, Bullock County, Russell County, Alabama. It was in force for 46 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 7, 2009, 12:29 AM CST (06:29 UTC)
Expired: Jan 7, 2009, 1:15 AM CST
In force: 46 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Barbour County, AL, Bullock County, AL, Russell 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

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 139 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: 41 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -14 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1003 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 89 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 406 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 492 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 
WUUS54 KBMX 070629
SVRBMX
ALC005-011-113-070715-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0006.090107T0629Z-090107T0715Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1229 AM CST WED JAN 7 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN BARBOUR COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
  NORTHEASTERN BULLOCK COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...
  RUSSELL COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 115 AM CST

* AT 1221 AM 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
  UCHEE TO 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GUERRYTON...OR ALONG A LINE
  EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES NORTH OF HURTSBORO TO 8 MILES EAST OF
  MIDWAY...AND MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  RUSSELL COUNTY SPORTS COMPLEX BY 1235 AM 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 3208 8531 3223 8559 3223 8540 3236 8540
      3245 8528 3246 8500 3244 8495 3234 8499
      3232 8493 3225 8489 3219 8495 3215 8502
      3203 8504 3201 8510
TIME...MOT...LOC 0628Z 270DEG 67KT 3234 8526 3210 8523

$$

KSL

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS54 KBMX 070642
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1242 AM CST WED JAN 7 2009

ALC005-011-113-070715-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0006.000000T0000Z-090107T0715Z/
BARBOUR AL-BULLOCK AL-RUSSELL AL-
1243 AM CST WED JAN 7 2009

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 AM CST
FOR RUSSELL...NORTHEASTERN BULLOCK AND NORTHEASTERN BARBOUR
COUNTIES...

AT 1238 AM 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 PARKMANVILLE TO 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF RUTHERFORD...OR ALONG A
LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PHENIX CITY TO 15 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF HURTSBORO...MOVING EAST AT 75 MPH.

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

LAT...LON 3208 8531 3223 8559 3223 8540 3236 8540
      3245 8528 3246 8500 3244 8495 3234 8499
      3232 8493 3225 8489 3219 8495 3215 8502
      3203 8504 3201 8510
TIME...MOT...LOC 0643Z 270DEG 67KT 3237 8504 3213 8509

$$

KSL

000 
WWUS54 KBMX 070657
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1257 AM CST WED JAN 7 2009

ALC011-070707-
/O.CAN.KBMX.SV.W.0006.000000T0000Z-090107T0715Z/
BULLOCK AL-
1257 AM CST WED JAN 7 2009

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN BULLOCK COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

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

LAT...LON 3208 8531 3222 8530 3225 8532 3234 8529
      3242 8525 3246 8500 3244 8495 3234 8499
      3232 8493 3225 8489 3219 8495 3215 8502
      3203 8504 3201 8510
TIME...MOT...LOC 0657Z 270DEG 67KT 3223 8517 3209 8506

$$

ALC005-113-070715-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0006.000000T0000Z-090107T0715Z/
BARBOUR AL-RUSSELL AL-
1257 AM CST WED JAN 7 2009

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 AM CST
FOR RUSSELL AND NORTHEASTERN BARBOUR COUNTIES...

AT 1255 AM 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 HATCHECHUBBE TO TWIN SPRINGS...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 12
MILES EAST OF HURTSBORO TO 14 MILES NORTH OF GEORGETOWN...MOVING EAST
AT 55 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO RUSSELL
COUNTY SPORTS COMPLEX...PARKMANVILLE...PHENIX DRAG STRIP...FORT
MITCHELL ACTIVITY CENTER...UCHEE CREEK AND FORT MITCHELL

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

LAT...LON 3208 8531 3222 8530 3225 8532 3234 8529
      3242 8525 3246 8500 3244 8495 3234 8499
      3232 8493 3225 8489 3219 8495 3215 8502
      3203 8504 3201 8510
TIME...MOT...LOC 0657Z 270DEG 67KT 3223 8517 3209 8506

$$
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, 11:45 PM CST, 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 11:45 PM CST, 44 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1145 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...06Z 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 RAINFALL HAS ENDED AT TCL EET AND BMX AND
WILL CONTINUE AT MGM ANB THROUGH AROUND 10Z.  AT TOI...HEAVY
RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AROUND 08Z WITH LIGHTER RAIN
CONTINUING THROUGH 10 TO 11Z.  WINDS WILL SHIFT NORTHWESTERLY AT ALL
STIES AT 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 WITH
GUSTS BEAT 20 ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA.  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 57 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, 7:00 PM CST, 5 hours 29 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 6, 11:38 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pike	52 min
Jan 7, 12:04 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Pike	56 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.