Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 143, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 11, 2011Autauga County, Dallas County, Lowndes County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 11, 2011, 8:20 PM CDT for Autauga County, Dallas County, Lowndes County, Alabama. It was in force for 40 min. 3 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: Apr 11, 2011, 8:20 PM CDT (01:20 UTC)
Expired: Apr 11, 2011, 9:00 PM CDT
In force: 40 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Autauga County, AL, Dallas County, AL, Lowndes County, AL

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 11, 8:21 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Sse Selma, AL	TREES DOWN ON OLD MONTGOMERY ROAD.
Apr 11, 8:50 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Autaugaville, AL	TREES DOWN ON COUNTY ROAD 21 SOUTH NEAR SWIFT CREEK.
Apr 11, 9:05 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 Nnw Prattville, AL	LARGE TREE DOWN ON UPPER KINGSTON ROAD.

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 2 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 1 minutes after it went out.

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
Apr 11, 4:05 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr
Apr 11, 7:08 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 95 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: 557 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -23 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1487 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 69 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 271 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 323 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.6
Supercell composite: 9.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

364 
WUUS54 KBMX 120120
SVRBMX
ALC001-047-085-120200-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0143.110412T0120Z-110412T0200Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
820 PM CDT MON APR 11 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN AUTAUGA COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  CENTRAL DALLAS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTHERN LOWNDES COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 900 PM CDT

* AT 817 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING
  WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF POTTER STATION...OR 9 MILES WEST OF SELMA...AND MOVING
  EAST AT 65 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  SELMA...SELMONT-WEST SELMONT...MOSSES...HAYNEVILLE...PRATTVILLE...
  POTTER STATION...DALLAS COUNTY HORSE ARENA AND DALLAS LAKE.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 65 EXIT NUMBER 158...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR YOUR PROTECTION...MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF
YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.

&&

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT MONDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA. A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 200 AM CDT TUESDAY MORNING FOR EASTERN ALABAMA.

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

LAT...LON 3216 8729 3249 8717 3249 8711 3251 8709
      3251 8642 3241 8641 3241 8645 3235 8650
      3233 8648 3228 8648 3227 8644 3224 8640
      3211 8641 3211 8723
TIME...MOT...LOC 0120Z 260DEG 58KT 3239 8713

$$

17/KLAWS

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 Apr 11, 6:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 11, 6:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
647 PM CDT MON APR 11 2011

.UPDATE...AVIATION DISCUSSION.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

ENVIRONMENT WILL SLOWLY DESTABILIZE ACROSS THE AREA THRU THE
REMAINDER OF THE AFTN AS THE CAPE THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE ALL DAY
FINALLY ERODES. SQUALL LINE HAS HAD A HARD TIME PROGRESSING EWD THUS
FAR BUT IS EXPECTED TO PICK UP FORWARD SPEED AS THE DAY PROGRESSES
AND THE SFC RIDGE BREAKS DOWN. PREVIOUS TIMING FOR THE WRN HALF OF
THE CWA HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS SLOWER TREND.
HOWEVER TIMING IN THE EAST IS STILL REPRESENTATIVE. STRONG SWRLY
WINDS AND DRY AIR ALOFT WILL KEEP THE DAMAGING WIND THREAT HIGH.
SOME LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE BUT TO A SMALLER DEGREE THAN THE
WINDS. ISOLATED TORNADOES AND FLOODING WILL PRESENT THE LOWEST
THREAT WITH THIS SYSTEM. THE LINE SHOULD MOVE QUICKLY ENOUGH THRU
THE AREA TO PREVENT ANY WIDESPREAD FLOODING CONCERNS...BUT TRAINING
CELLS COULD LEAD TO SOME BRIEF LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING ISSUES. EVEN
THOUGH THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES IS RATHER LOW...THERE IS THE
POSSIBILITY OF A BRIEF SPIN-UP WITHIN THE LINE...ESPECIALLY W OF
I-65.

MORE PLEASANT WEATHER IS IN STORE ON TUE AS A SLIGHTLY DRIER AND
COOLER AIR MASS FILTERS INTO THE REGION. TEMPS WILL NOT DROP
SIGNIFICANTLY BUT THEY SHOULD AT LEAST FALL BACK TO NORMAL FOR THIS
TIME OF YEAR...WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 60S NORTH TO MID 70S SOUTH.
SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL STICK AROUND THRU WED AND THEN BEGIN TO PUSH
OFF TO THE E AS THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM TAKES SHAPE TO OUR W. THE SFC
LOW ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SECOND SYSTEM WILL TRACK EWD DRAGGING
ANOTHER COLD FRONT THRU THE AREA LATE IN THE WEEK. MODEL DIFFERENCES
ARE STILL TOO GREAT FOR DETERMINING ANY DETAILS...BUT IT DOES APPEAR
THAT THE FRONT AND ASSOCIATED SHOWERS/STORMS WILL MOST LIKELY MOVE
THRU LATE FRI. THIS SCENARIO WOULD PAVE THE WAY FOR A FAIRLY NICE
AND QUIET WEEKEND ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA. THIS IS UNLESS MODELS
BEGIN TO SLOW THE SYSTEM DOWN...WHICH THEY TEND TO DO.

19

&&

.AVIATION...
00Z TAF DISCUSSION.

LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO PLOW ACROSS CENTRAL
ALABAMA THIS EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING
WINDS. THIS LINE IS EXPECTED TO AFFECT ALL TAF SITES THIS EVENING.
BY 06Z...COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH AND WINDS WILL SHIFT MORE
TO THE NORTHWEST.

ONCE THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH...EXPECT A BRIEF PERIOD OF MVFR
CEILINGS...BUT FELT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO CLEAR SKIES FROM WEST TO
EAST AFTER 06Z ACROSS ALL SITES.

WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY TOMORROW BUT NOT NEARLY AS STRONG AS THEY
WERE TODAY.

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

10/ARM

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA.

&&

19/10

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 11, 7:35 PM CDT, 45 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
735 PM CDT MON APR 11 2011

ALZ011>015-017>050-130000-
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-
735 PM CDT MON APR 11 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF
CENTRAL ALABAMA THROUGH THE EVENING. MAIN THREAT AREAS ARE ALONG AND
EAST OF A BLOUNTSVILLE TO DEMOPOLIS LINE. THE HAZARDOUS THREATS WITH
THESE STORMS INCLUDE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. ISOLATED
TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS. THESE STORMS WILL FORM ALONG AND AHEAD OF A COLD
FRONT THAT WILL MOVE WEST TO EAST THROUGH TONIGHT.

WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF
15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 30 TO 35 MPH ARE ANTICIPATED AHEAD OF THE
COLD FRONT. THESE WINDS ARE EXPECTED OUTSIDE THE THUNDERSTORM AREAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

WINDY CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT ON SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL WILL
CONTINUE TO BE NECESSARY TONIGHT DUE TO THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

08/MNK

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 11, 7:02 PM CDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
702 PM CDT MON APR 11 2011

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

0624 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 SSE POPLAR SPRINGS    34.02N 87.39W
04/11/2011                   WINSTON            AL   PUBLIC

            TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN IN THE COMMUNITY OF BATCH ON
            HWY 195.

&&

JT

Local storm report, Apr 11, 7:11 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
711 PM CDT MON APR 11 2011

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

0615 PM     TSTM WND DMG     HALEYVILLE              34.24N 87.62W
04/11/2011                   WINSTON            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREE DOWN ON CR 28 AND ON DIME RD.

&&

JT

Local storm report, Apr 11, 7:13 PM CDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
713 PM CDT MON APR 11 2011

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

0520 PM     TSTM WND DMG     HAMILTON                34.14N 87.98W
04/11/2011                   MARION             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREE DOWN ON HOUSE ON MILLICAN ST AND TREE DOWN ON
            VEHICLE ON MILTARY ST.

&&

JT

Local storm report, Apr 11, 7:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
715 PM CDT MON APR 11 2011

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

0630 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ARLEY                   34.08N 87.21W
04/11/2011                   WINSTON            AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            POWERLINES DOWN BLOCKING CR 41 AND CR 275

&&

JT

Local storm report, Apr 11, 7:17 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
717 PM CDT MON APR 11 2011

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

0655 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WARRIOR                 33.81N 86.81W
04/11/2011                   JEFFERSON          AL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREES DOWN ON JASPER ROAD AND MORRIS DRIVE

&&

JT

Local storm report, Apr 11, 7:19 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
719 PM CDT MON APR 11 2011

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

0615 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 NW JASPER             33.86N 87.28W
04/11/2011                   WALKER             AL   PUBLIC

            TREES DOWN AND SOME METAL PEELED BACK ON ROOF OF AT LEAST
            ONE STRUCTURE.

&&

JT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 11, 7:19 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Shelby	21 min
Apr 11, 7:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Calhoun, Etowah, Jefferson, St. Clair, Talladega	62 min
Apr 11, 7:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Dallas, Hale, Marengo, Perry	60 min
Apr 11, 7:34 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Marengo	26 min
Apr 11, 7:34 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby	19 min
Apr 11, 7:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Bibb, Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Dallas and 4 more	64 min
Apr 11, 8:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Etowah, Randolph and 2 more	57 min
Apr 11, 8:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chambers, Clay, Coosa, Elmore, Montgomery and 3 more	66 min
Apr 11, 8:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph	38 min
Apr 11, 8:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Dallas, Lowndes, Montgomery, Pike	67 min
Apr 11, 8:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cleburne	33 min
Apr 11, 9:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers, Clay, Elmore, Lee, Macon, Montgomery and 2 more	49 min
Apr 11, 10:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bullock, Lee, Macon, Montgomery, Russell	44 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2011 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2011

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.