Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2010

Tornado Warning 18, NWS Mobile, AL

May 21, 2010Clarke County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at May 21, 2010, 5:04 PM CDT for Clarke County, Alabama. It was in force for 41 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 21, 2010, 5:04 PM CDT (22:04 UTC)
Expired: May 21, 2010, 5:45 PM CDT
In force: 41 min
Issued by: NWS Mobile, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Clarke County, AL

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 123 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:04 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 21, 5:05 PM CDT	HAIL 1	3 E Coffeeville, AL
May 21, 5:20 PM CDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	7 E Coffeeville, AL

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 21, 11:50 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 192 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: 611 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -84 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 515 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 111 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 189 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

277 
WFUS54 KMOB 212204
TORMOB
ALC025-212245-
/O.NEW.KMOB.TO.W.0018.100521T2204Z-100521T2245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
504 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2010

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL CLARKE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 545 PM CDT

* AT 500 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF
  COFFEEVILLE...OR ABOUT 17 MILES WEST OF GROVE HILL...MOVING        
  SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. A FUNNEL CLOUD IS CURRENTLY BEING REPORTED    
  BY THE COFFEEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT. ALSO...GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL FELL
  IN WESTBEND ALABAMA.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  RURAL WESTERN CLARKE COUNTY AT 520 PM CDT
  RURAL CENTRAL CLARKE COUNTY AT 530 PM CDT

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.

TO REPORT ANY TORNADOES...FUNNEL CLOUDS...OR OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER
OBSERVATIONS TO YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...CALL TOLL FREE AT 1 8
7 7 6 3 3 6 7 7 2.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3177 8777 3161 8790 3173 8809 3182 8810
      3187 8806
TIME...MOT...LOC 2202Z 302DEG 16KT 3178 8805

$$

3 follow-up statements

820 
WWUS54 KMOB 212217
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
517 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2010

ALC025-212245-
/O.CON.KMOB.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-100521T2245Z/
CLARKE AL-
517 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2010

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
CLARKE COUNTY...

AT 513 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS
TORNADO WAS 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF WINN...OR ABOUT 13 MILES WEST OF
GROVE HILL...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL PASS JUST NORTH OF A COFFEEVILLE TO WINN LINE.

TO REPORT ANY TORNADOES...FUNNEL CLOUDS...OR OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER
OBSERVATIONS TO YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...CALL TOLL FREE AT 1 8
7 7 6 3 3 6 7 7 2.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3172 8781 3161 8790 3171 8805 3178 8806
      3181 8800
TIME...MOT...LOC 2215Z 295DEG 23KT 3175 8798

$$

342 
WWUS54 KMOB 212225
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
525 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2010

ALC025-212245-
/O.CON.KMOB.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-100521T2245Z/
CLARKE AL-
525 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2010

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
CLARKE COUNTY...

AT 517 PM CDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD IN 
VICINITY OF THE US HIGHWAY 84 AND COUNTY ROAD 21 INTERSECTION... OR 
8 MILES NORTHWEST OF WINN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

THE FUNNEL CLOUD AND A POSSIBLE DEVELOPING TORNADO WILL CONTINUE 
MOVING SOUTHEAST PASSING JUST NORTH OF A COFFEEVILLE TO WINN LINE.

TO REPORT ANY TORNADOES...FUNNEL CLOUDS...OR OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER
OBSERVATIONS TO YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...CALL TOLL FREE AT 1 8
7 7 6 3 3 6 7 7 2.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3169 8801 3177 8801 3179 8798 3172 8781
      3161 8790
TIME...MOT...LOC 2222Z 301DEG 14KT 3175 8796

$$

704 
WWUS54 KMOB 212241
SVSMOB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
541 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2010

ALC025-212245-
/O.CON.KMOB.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-100521T2245Z/
CLARKE AL-
541 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2010

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
CLARKE COUNTY...

AT 538 PM CDT...THE MOST INTENSE RADAR CIRCULATION WITH THIS 
THUNDERSTORM WAS 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF WINN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 
MPH.

THE RADAR CIRCULATION HAS WEAKENED AND NO ADDITIONAL REPORTS OF 
FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. IF THIS TREND CONTINUES THE 
TORNADO WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

TO REPORT ANY TORNADOES...FUNNEL CLOUDS...OR OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER
OBSERVATIONS TO YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...CALL TOLL FREE AT 1 8
7 7 6 3 3 6 7 7 2.

REPORT ANY TORNADOES OR FUNNEL CLOUDS TO YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN MOBILE AT AREA CODE 2 5 1...AND THEN 6 3 3 6 4 4 3. OR...
YOU MAY CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT...AND THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT FRIDAY
EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3169 8801 3177 8801 3179 8798 3172 8781
      3161 8790
TIME...MOT...LOC 2239Z 302DEG 13KT 3172 8791

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 21, 1:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Mobile, Washington	23 min
May 21, 3:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Choctaw	30 min
May 21, 4:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Choctaw, Clarke	57 min
May 21, 4:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MOB	Choctaw, Clarke	44 min
May 21, 4:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Clarke	36 min
May 21, 5:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Washington	60 min
May 21, 5:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Clarke	59 min
May 21, 5:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MOB	Clarke	24 min
May 21, 6:17 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MOB	Clarke, Washington	43 min
May 21, 6:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Washington	59 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.