Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2010

Tornado Warning 79, NWS Birmingham, AL

November 30, 2010Shelby County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Nov 30, 2010, 8:42 AM CST for Shelby County, Alabama. It was in force for 15 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: Nov 30, 2010, 8:42 AM CST (14:42 UTC)
Expired: Nov 30, 2010, 8:57 AM CST
In force: 15 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Shelby County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 29 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:45 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.

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
Nov 30, 3:49 AM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 30 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: 444 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 484 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 385 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 473 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.2
Supercell composite: 4.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

362 
WFUS54 KBMX 301442
TORBMX
ALC117-301515-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0079.101130T1442Z-101130T1515Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
842 AM CST TUE NOV 30 2010

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN SHELBY COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 915 AM CST

* AT 843 AM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM
  WAS LOCATED NEAR CALERA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  COLUMBIANA...WILSONVILLE...WESTOVER...HARPERSVILLE...VINCENT...
  BEESWAX AT LAY LAKE...GASTON STEAM PLANT AND STERRETT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. DO NOT WAIT TO SEE OR HEAR
THE TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3340 8638 3337 8635 3335 8637 3330 8636
      3328 8644 3326 8643 3324 8646 3321 8646
      3319 8650 3316 8648 3306 8660 3308 8662
      3308 8671 3315 8680 3351 8642 3351 8638
TIME...MOT...LOC 1443Z 224DEG 39KT 3316 8664

$$

75

1 follow-up statement

601 
WWUS54 KBMX 301457
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
857 AM CST TUE NOV 30 2010

ALC117-301507-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0079.000000T0000Z-101130T1515Z/
SHELBY AL-
857 AM CST TUE NOV 30 2010

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EASTERN SHELBY COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE 
TORNADIC POTENTIAL ANYMORE...BUT MAY STILL PRODUCE WIND GUSTS UP TO 
60 MPH.

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

LAT...LON 3340 8638 3337 8635 3335 8637 3330 8636
      3328 8644 3326 8643 3324 8646 3321 8646
      3319 8650 3316 8648 3306 8660 3308 8662
      3308 8671 3315 8680 3351 8642 3351 8638
TIME...MOT...LOC 1457Z 224DEG 39KT 3327 8651

$$

75

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 Nov 30, 6:33 AM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 6:33 AM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
633 AM CST TUE NOV 30 2010

.UPDATE...12Z AVIATION DISCUSSION.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

AS OF 830Z...THE SEVERE WEATHER SETUP REMAINS IN PLACE FOR MOST OF
CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS MORNING...AS WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE CYCLES
FROM QLCS LINES TO DISCRETE SUPERCELLS ACROSS WESTERN ALABAMA.
SURFACE ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT A SECONDARY WARM FRONT WITH
DEWPOINTS APPROACHING 70 DEGREES RUNS FROM MERIDIAN MS EASTWARD TO
DEMOPOLIS...SOUTH SOUTHEASTWARD TO THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THE WARM
FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY MOVE NORTHWARD THROUGH THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS...AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AREAS BEHIND THE
WARM FRONT FOR MORE INDIVIDUAL SUPERCELLS TO FORM. LOOKING AT THE
SPECIAL 6Z SOUNDING...CAPE VALUES ARE LOW...BUT SHEAR VALUES
REMAIN HIGH...WITH 0-3 KM SRH VALUES OVER 500...AND 0-6 KM BULK
SHEAR VALUES WELL OVER 50 KNOTS. THE LIFTING FROM THE FRONT ALONE
AND THE STRONG SHEAR WILL BE ENOUGH TO MAXIMIZE EVEN THE LOW CAPE
ENVIRONMENT THAT IS CURRENTLY OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA...AND THE
THREAT WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE STATE INTO THE MORNING
HOURS...CONTINUING TO THE EAST DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS. THE
MAIN THREATS AT THIS TIME CONTINUE TO BE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS UP
TO 70 MPH AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ACROSS THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE
STATE...WITH A HIGHER CHANCE OF TORNADOES ACROSS THE WEST AND
SOUTHWEST IN THE MOST UNSTABLE REGION BEHIND THE WARM FRONT. THE
THREAT WILL ALSO EXIST FOR TRAINING SUPERCELLS TO MOVE OVER THE
SAME GENERAL LOCATIONS MORE THAN ONCE ACROSS THOSE AREAS.

ONCE THE FRONT CLEARS THE AREA TODAY...WE WILL EXPECT COLDER
TEMPERATURES FOR WEDNESDAY...BUT NOTHING TOO UNSEASONABLE.
TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S FOR HIGHS
THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS COMING INTO THE
PICTURE FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITH AN APPROACHING SHORTWAVE.

56/GOGGINS

&&

.AVIATION...12Z TAF DISCUSSION.

SIGNIFICANT AVIATION CONCERNS RELATED TO FRONTAL PASSAGE...WITH
IFR/MVFR CEILINGS...STRONG AND GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS.

COLD FRONT CURRENTLY APPROACHING TCL...AND WILL PASS FROM WEST TO
EAST AFFECTING ALL TAF SITES TODAY. APPROXIMATE PASSAGE TIMES OF
15-16Z AT BHM...16-17Z EET...18-20Z MGM AND ANB...AND FINALLY 21-23Z
AT TOI. BEHIND THE FRONT...EXPECT WINDS BECOMING NORTHWEST AT 10 KTS
AFTER FROPA. MVFR AND PERHAPS IFR CIGS IN CAA EXPECTED POSTFRONTAL
AND OVERNIGHT...WITH WINDS GRADUALLY RELAXING A BIT

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.

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.

&&

56

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 30, 5:28 AM CST, 3 hours 14 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
528 AM CST TUE NOV 30 2010

ALZ011>015-017>050-011230-
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-
528 AM CST TUE NOV 30 2010

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE FOR MUCH OF
CENTRAL ALABAMA THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. A COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY
MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE AREA ENDING THE SEVERE WEATHER
THREAT.

LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...WITH RAIN
AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES EXPECTED AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH.
ISOLATED LOCATIONS MAY EXPERIENCE SOME MINOR FLOODING ESPECIALLY IN
POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

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

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NECESSARY
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.

75/LINHARES

In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 30, 6:11 AM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
611 AM CST TUE NOV 30 2010

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

0557 AM     TSTM WND DMG     YORK                    32.50N 88.30W
11/30/2010                   SUMTER             AL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            A FEW TREES AND POWER LINES WERE BLOWN DOWN IN YORK.

&&

LINHARES

Local storm report, Nov 30, 6:21 AM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
621 AM CST TUE NOV 30 2010

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

0608 AM     TSTM WND DMG     LAKE TUSCALOOSA HWY 69  33.35N 87.55W
11/30/2010                   TUSCALOOSA         AL   AMATEUR RADIO

            A FEW TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN ON LARY LAKE ROAD NEAR LAKE
            TUSCALOOSA.

&&

LINHARES

Local storm report, Nov 30, 6:23 AM CST, 2 hours 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
623 AM CST TUE NOV 30 2010

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

0555 AM     TSTM WND DMG     CURRY                   33.96N 87.21W
11/30/2010                   WALKER             AL   AMATEUR RADIO

            A FEW TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN AND BLOCKING SMITH LAKE DAM
            ROAD NEAR CURRY.

&&

LINHARES

Local storm report, Nov 30, 6:38 AM CST, 2 hours 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
638 AM CST TUE NOV 30 2010

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

0620 AM     TSTM WND GST     1 SSW CORDOVA           33.74N 87.20W
11/30/2010  E60 MPH          WALKER             AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            CAR BLOWN OFF THE ROAD AT THE CORDOVA EXIT ON CORRIDOR X.
            WINDS ESTIMATED FROM 60-70 MPH.

&&

GGOGGINS

Local storm report, Nov 30, 8:07 AM CST, 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
807 AM CST TUE NOV 30 2010

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

0650 AM     TSTM WND DMG     PINSON                  33.69N 86.68W
11/30/2010                   JEFFERSON          AL   AMATEUR RADIO

            TRAFFIC LIGHTS OUT AND TREE DOWN AT INTERSECTION OF HWY
            79 AND CLAYTON ST. POWER OUT AT PINSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

&&

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Nov 29, 11:44 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lamar, Pickens	26 min
Nov 30, 12:06 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion	39 min
Nov 30, 12:43 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston	47 min
Nov 30, 12:56 AM CST	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Lamar	3 hr
Nov 30, 1:24 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lamar, Pickens	36 min
Nov 30, 1:42 AM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Fayette, Marion	3 hr
Nov 30, 2:09 AM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Winston	111 min
Nov 30, 2:28 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens	32 min
Nov 30, 2:33 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens	42 min
Nov 30, 2:53 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	52 min
Nov 30, 3:06 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	39 min
Nov 30, 3:29 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	46 min
Nov 30, 3:38 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Tuscaloosa, Walker	52 min
Nov 30, 4:15 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Winston	13 min
Nov 30, 4:25 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Walker	8 min
Nov 30, 4:39 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter	51 min
Nov 30, 4:43 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter	32 min
Nov 30, 5:04 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Tuscaloosa, Walker	26 min
Nov 30, 5:32 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	43 min
Nov 30, 5:41 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Sumter	34 min
Nov 30, 5:44 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	46 min
Nov 30, 6:02 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Tuscaloosa, Walker	28 min
Nov 30, 6:18 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	42 min
Nov 30, 6:55 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, Tuscaloosa	50 min
Nov 30, 7:41 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	49 min
Nov 30, 7:59 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Perry, Shelby	46 min
Nov 30, 8:04 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Dallas	41 min
Nov 30, 8:24 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas	36 min
Nov 30, 8:27 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Etowah, St. Clair, Shelby and 1 more	48 min
Nov 30, 8:49 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Dallas	41 min
Nov 30, 8:54 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee, Etowah	51 min
Nov 30, 9:13 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton	20 min
Nov 30, 9:16 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Clay, Etowah, St. Clair, Talladega	44 min
Nov 30, 9:29 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Lowndes	46 min
Nov 30, 9:35 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee, Etowah	25 min
Nov 30, 9:45 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, Talladega	45 min
Nov 30, 9:45 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chilton, Coosa	30 min
Nov 30, 10:00 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee	30 min
Nov 30, 10:08 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Coosa, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery, Tallapoosa	52 min
Nov 30, 10:13 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Clay	32 min
Nov 30, 10:20 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Elmore	25 min
Nov 30, 10:27 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph	63 min
Nov 30, 10:42 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa	20 min
Nov 30, 10:54 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers, Elmore, Lee, Tallapoosa	51 min
Nov 30, 11:28 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cleburne, Randolph	32 min
Nov 30, 11:46 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers	29 min
Nov 30, 11:57 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bullock, Pike	48 min
Nov 30, 12:16 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bullock, Pike	44 min
Nov 30, 12:37 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lee, Russell	38 min
Nov 30, 1:16 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lee, Russell	14 min
Nov 30, 1:29 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Russell	46 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.