Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2010

Tornado Warning 46, NWS Birmingham, AL

October 26, 2010Walker County, Winston County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Oct 26, 2010, 5:54 PM CDT for Walker County, Winston County, Alabama. It was in force for 13 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: Oct 26, 2010, 5:54 PM CDT (22:54 UTC)
Expired: Oct 26, 2010, 6:07 PM CDT
In force: 13 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Walker County, AL, Winston County, AL

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado 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
Oct 26, 9:27 AM CDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	11 hr
Oct 26, 2:59 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 100 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: 695 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -27 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 625 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 271 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 330 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.3
Supercell composite: 6.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

111 
WFUS54 KBMX 262254
TORBMX
ALC127-133-262345-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0046.101026T2254Z-101026T2345Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
554 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN WALKER COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  SOUTHEASTERN WINSTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 645 PM CDT

* AT 552 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM
  WAS LOCATED NEAR NAUVOO...OR 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF CARBON HILL...AND
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ARLEY...POPLAR SPRINGS...MCDOWELL CAMP GROUNDS...CURRY...LAKE
  SHORE...FALLS CITY...HELICON...NESMITH...WALKER COUNTY AIRPORT AND
  BLACK POND.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3394 8711 3385 8748 3402 8752 3419 8711
TIME...MOT...LOC 2255Z 245DEG 52KT 3396 8741

$$

19

1 follow-up statement

499 
WWUS54 KBMX 262307
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
607 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

ALC127-133-262317-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0046.000000T0000Z-101026T2345Z/
WALKER AL-WINSTON AL-
607 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN WINSTON AND NORTH CENTRAL
WALKER COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.

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

LAT...LON 3394 8711 3385 8748 3402 8752 3419 8711
TIME...MOT...LOC 2307Z 245DEG 52KT 3390 8715

$$

19

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Oct 26, 3:17 PM CDT, 2 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 26, 3:17 PM CDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
317 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

.DISCUSSION...

TAKING A LOOK AT THE OVERALL SCHEME OF THE STORM SYSTEM. UPPER LOW
CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS IN TURN
IN HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT INCREASE INSTABILITY ACROSS THE NORTH.
AS OF 230 PM...HERE ARE SOME MORE SPECIFIC NUMBERS IN THIS
AREA...GENERALLY NORTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR. THE STORM RELATIVE
HELICITY FROM 0-1KM IS BETWEEN 250 AND 300. THE STORM RELATIVE
HELICITY FOR THE 0-3KM IS BETWEEN 300 AND 350. BULK SHEAR NUMBERS
FOR THE 0-1KM ARE BETWEEN 30-35. LAPSE RATES ARE ALSO AROUND 7 TO
7.5 BETWEEN THE 0-3KM RANGE. STORMS ARE ROTATING AND WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING. LOOK FOR THE OVERALL DYNAMICS TO BEGIN
TO WEAKEN AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSES...ALTHOUGH SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE NIGHT. A NEW TORNADO
WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED AS WELL. FOR SPECIFICS ON THE THREAT OF THE
MOMENT CONTINUE TO CHECK OUT THE HOMEPAGE AS WELL AS THE HWO.

THE SYSTEM WILL CLEAR OUT BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THE MAIN COLD
FRONT CLEARS THE AREA. THE COLD EST AIR WILL COME IN DURING THE
DAY THURSDAY WITH COLD MORNINGS IN STORE FOR FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNINGS. AT THIS POINT IT APPEARS THAT THE COLDEST MORNING WILL
BE SATURDAY MORNING. MAY EVEN SEE A FAIRLY WIDESPREAD FREEZE/FROST
AREAWIDE.

&&

.AVIATION...18Z TAF DISCUSSION.

THE MORNING STRATUS HAS LIFTED INTO A VFR SUPPORTIVE STRATO-CUMULUS
DECK ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA...AND I THINK THE PREDOMINANT CLOUD
CONDITION WILL REMAIN LIKE THIS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.  TIMING OF
SHOWERS AND STORMS INTO INDIVIDUAL TAF SITES IS A BIT MORE
PROBLEMATIC THAN TYPICAL FOR THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM...DUE TO
UNCERTAINTIES INVOLVED WITH THE SPEED OF THE ONGOING ADVANCING
CONVECTION. I AM MORE CERTAIN THAT TCL...BHM...AND EET WILL SEE SOME
SIGNIFICANT STORMINESS BEFORE 27/0000Z...BUT LESS CERTAIN ABOUT
ANB.  WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF IT TOOK 18-24 HOURS BEFORE THE RAIN
ACTUALLY GETS TO MGM AND TOI.

/61/

NOTICE...KEET TAF WILL HAVE (AMD LTD TO VIS WIND AND WX) AMENDED TO
THE END OF THE FORECAST THROUGH THE END OF 2010. THE CEILOMETER DATA
WILL BE GOING THROUGH NUMEROUS TESTS AND MONITORED FOR ACCURACY.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     64  79  49  74  38 /  80  50  20  10   0
ANNISTON    66  82  52  72  38 /  70  50  30  10   0
BIRMINGHAM  63  80  49  74  39 /  80  50  20  10   0
TUSCALOOSA  64  82  51  73  38 /  70  40  20  10   0
CALERA      65  83  53  73  40 /  70  50  30  10   0
AUBURN      71  84  63  75  43 /  30  50  40  20   0
MONTGOMERY  71  86  62  78  42 /  30  50  40  10   0
TROY        72  86  65  78  39 /  30  40  40  20   0

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CDT FOR ENTIRE AREA.

&&

16/61

Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 26, 1:55 PM CDT, 3 hours 59 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
155 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

ALZ011>015-017>050-271830-
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-
155 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...INCLUDING THE THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS
AND ISOLATED TORNADOES...ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA
THROUGH TONIGHT.  SEVERE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS
AFTERNOON AND LAST AS LATE AS MIDNIGHT.  THE GREATEST RISK FOR
SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES APPEARS TO BE ALONG AND NORTH OF A
CARROLLTON...TUSCALOOSA...COLUMBIANA...TALLADEGA...AND HEFLIN. A
STRONG TORNADO MAY BE POSSIBLE.

A FEW SEVERE STORMS...WITH WIND AND HAIL THREATS...WILL BE POSSIBLE
FARTHER SOUTH THROUGH THE EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...BUT
SHEAR VALUES WILL LIMIT POTENTIAL TORNADO FORMATION FOR NOW.

WINDS WILL BE QUITE STRONG THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...EVEN OUTSIDE OF
THUNDERSTORM AREAS. SUSTAINED WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE FROM 15 TO 25
MPH...WITH GUSTS 40 TO 45 MPH...ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHER RIDGES.

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

A FEW STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY AS A COLD FRONT SLOWLY
MOVES SOUTHWARD ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. WIND GUSTS WILL BE THE
PRIMARY THREAT.

TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLD ON FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING...BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. WITH CALM WINDS AND CLEAR
SKIES...THE POTENTIAL FOR FROST WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTH ON
FRIDAY AND SUNDAY MORNING...WITH ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA SEEING A
FROST ON SATURDAY MORNING. A FEW LOCATIONS ACROSS THE NORTH...MAY
EVEN SEE A BRIEF FREEZE ON SATURDAY MORNING. THERE STILL COULD BE
SOME CHANGES SO STAY TUNED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL BE NEEDED
DUE TO A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO THREAT THIS THROUGH THIS
EVENING.

16

In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 26, 3:49 PM CDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
349 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

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

0320 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WNW WESTOVER            33.35N 86.54W
10/26/2010                   SHELBY             AL   PUBLIC

            TREE DOWN BLOCKING THE ROAD AT WESTOVER RD AND HWY 280.

&&

GOLDEN

Local storm report, Oct 26, 3:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
355 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

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

0225 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CALERA                  33.10N 86.75W
10/26/2010                   SHELBY             AL   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREES DOWN 13199 SR25

&&

MBAER

Local storm report, Oct 26, 4:34 PM CDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
434 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

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

0325 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NAUVOO                  33.99N 87.49W
10/26/2010                   WALKER             AL   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREES DOWN SLICK LIZARD ROD

&&

MBAER

Local storm report, Oct 26, 4:39 PM CDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
439 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

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

0415 PM     HAIL             IRONATON                33.43N 85.97W
10/26/2010  E1.00 INCH       TALLADEGA          AL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

&&

MBAER

Special weather statement, Oct 26, 4:57 PM CDT, 57 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
457 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

ALZ014-262245-
WINSTON AL-
457 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL WINSTON COUNTY UNTIL 545
PM CDT...

AT 453 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES WEST OF WINSTON FREE STATE BARN...OR 7 MILES
NORTH OF LYNN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH
HEAVY RAIN.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
  ARLEY...
  ASHRIDGE...
  WINSTON FREE STATE BARN...
  DOUBLE SPRINGS...
  HOUSTON RECREATIONAL AREA...

TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY.

GOGGINS

Local storm report, Oct 26, 4:59 PM CDT, 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
459 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010

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

0315 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 NW JASPER             33.88N 87.31W
10/26/2010                   WALKER             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            SARAGOSSA AND HOLLY GROVE ROAD, ROOF BLOWN OFF HOUSE,
            HORSES TRAPPED.

&&

MBAER

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Oct 25, 8:01 PM CDT	Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	22 hr
Oct 26, 12:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion, Winston	25 min
Oct 26, 12:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Marion	15 min
Oct 26, 2:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion	23 min
Oct 26, 2:28 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	32 min
Oct 26, 2:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Walker	51 min
Oct 26, 2:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	29 min
Oct 26, 2:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Etowah, St. Clair	42 min
Oct 26, 3:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Shelby	49 min
Oct 26, 3:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	38 min
Oct 26, 3:19 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair	41 min
Oct 26, 3:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount	38 min
Oct 26, 3:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	51 min
Oct 26, 4:00 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	26 min
Oct 26, 4:08 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Clay, Cleburne, Talladega	52 min
Oct 26, 5:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, Talladega	40 min
Oct 26, 5:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount	30 min
Oct 26, 5:20 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Winston	11 min
Oct 26, 5:37 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount	20 min
Oct 26, 6:01 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	44 min
Oct 26, 6:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	39 min
Oct 26, 6:49 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson	41 min
Oct 26, 6:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	26 min
Oct 26, 6:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah	50 min
Oct 26, 6:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cherokee	17 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2010 Every tornado warning in 2010 Tornadoes in 2010

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.