Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Mobile, AL

January 10, 20094 counties in Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Jan 10, 2009, 5:13 PM CST for 4 counties in Alabama. It was in force for 37 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 10, 2009, 5:13 PM CST (23:13 UTC)
Expired
Jan 10, 2009, 5:50 PM CST
In force
37 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Baldwin County, AL, Clarke County, AL, Monroe County, AL, Washington County, AL

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 94 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:13 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 nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 217 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2009-01-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 7 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2009-01-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 359 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
7 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-132 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
633 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
70 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
359 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
398 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WFUS54 KMOB 102313
TORMOB
ALC003-025-099-129-110000-
/O.NEW.KMOB.TO.W.0005.090110T2313Z-090111T0000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
513 PM CST SAT JAN 10 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN MONROE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...  
  EXTREME NORTHERN BALDWIN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...            
  SOUTHERN CLARKE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...  
  EXTREME SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 600 PM CST

* AT 510 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  A TORNADO JUST EAST OF MCINTOSH...ABOUT 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF       
  CARLTON...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE  TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  CARLTON BY 530 PM CST...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING...PREFERABLY IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR A ROOM SUCH AS
A CLOSET OR BATHROOM. IF POSSIBLE...GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER
PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY
AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS
STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE DAMAGING HAIL OR DAMAGING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

LAT...LON 3157 8758 3132 8750 3125 8799 3131 8801
TIME...MOT...LOC 2312Z 249DEG 25KT 3130 8796

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS54 KMOB 102330
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
530 PM CST SAT JAN 10 2009

ALC129-102339-
/O.CAN.KMOB.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-090111T0000Z/
WASHINGTON AL-
529 PM CST SAT JAN 10 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE TORNADO THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED EAST INTO CLARKE 
COUNTY. 

LAT...LON 3127 8788 3133 8788 3157 8758 3132 8750
TIME...MOT...LOC 2329Z 248DEG 23KT 3131 8785

$$

ALC003-025-099-110000-
/O.CON.KMOB.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-090111T0000Z/
MONROE AL-CLARKE AL-BALDWIN AL-
529 PM CST SAT JAN 10 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CST FOR EXTREME
NORTH CENTRAL BALDWIN...SOUTHERN CLARKE AND SOUTHWESTERN MONROE
COUNTIES...

AT 527 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS 
TORNADO WAS NEAR CARLTON...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  CHOCTAW BLUFF BY 540 PM CST...
  CHRYSLER BY 545 PM CST...
  ELISKA AND MT PLEASANT BY 550 PM CST...
  GAINESTOWN BY 555 PM CST...
  HOMEWOOD AND BARLOW BEND BY 600 PM CST...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY BE OBSCURING THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU
WAIT TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE
PLACE.

LAT...LON 3127 8788 3133 8788 3157 8758 3132 8750
TIME...MOT...LOC 2329Z 248DEG 23KT 3131 8785

$$
000 
WWUS54 KMOB 102350
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
550 PM CST SAT JAN 10 2009

ALC003-025-099-102359-
/O.CAN.KMOB.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-090111T0000Z/
MONROE AL-CLARKE AL-BALDWIN AL-
549 PM CST SAT JAN 10 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL BALDWIN...
SOUTHERN CLARKE AND SOUTHWESTERN MONROE COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES THIS STORM HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE 
LIMITS...AND THE TORNADO THREAT HAS DIMINISHED.  ADDITIONAL 
THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE EVENING 
HOURS.  STAY TUNED FOR ADDITIONAL UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER 
SERVICE. 

LAT...LON 3127 8788 3133 8788 3157 8758 3132 8750
TIME...MOT...LOC 2349Z 249DEG 25KT 3139 8768

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 10, 10:25 AM CSTAreal Flood AdvisoryMOBMobile70 min
Jan 10, 2:15 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBWashington37 min
Jan 10, 4:17 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBWashington28 min
Jan 10, 4:45 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBClarke, Washington30 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2009Every tornado warning in 2009Tornadoes 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.