Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 408, NWS Birmingham, AL

September 14, 2011Marion County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 14, 2011, 6:31 PM CDT for Marion County, Alabama. It was in force for 44 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: Sep 14, 2011, 6:31 PM CDT (23:31 UTC)
Expired: Sep 14, 2011, 7:15 PM CDT
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Marion County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 45 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:35 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
Sep 14, 6:47 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	7 Ne Hamilton, AL	TREE DOWN ON A POWER LINE AS WELL AS LARGE TREE LIMBS REPORTED DOWN.
Sep 14, 6:52 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	7 Ne Hamilton, AL	SEVERAL TREES REPORTED DOWN IN THE SHILOH COMMUNITY...ALONG HIGHWAY 20.

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 16 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 nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 144 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1566 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 37 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -6 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

555 
WUUS54 KBMX 142331
SVRBMX
ALC093-150015-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0408.110914T2331Z-110915T0015Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
631 PM CDT WED SEP 14 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  MARION COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 715 PM CDT

* AT 631 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60
  MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR HAMILTON...AND MOVING EAST AT 35
  MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  WINFIELD...BRINN...BRILLIANT...LAKE BUTTAHATCHEE...TESSNER...PEA
  RIDGE...PEARCES MILL AND PINEY GROVE.

THIS INCLUDES...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 7 THROUGH 34...

WINDS OF 60 TO 70 MPH WILL BREAK LARGE TREE LIMBS AND CAUSE SOME
DAMAGE...ESPECIALLY TO SMALLER STRUCTURES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

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

LAT...LON 3422 8763 3391 8764 3392 8779 3401 8795
      3402 8795 3404 8799 3405 8799 3405 8802
      3413 8815 3432 8807
TIME...MOT...LOC 2331Z 289DEG 30KT 3419 8789

$$

27

2 follow-up statements

533 
WWUS54 KBMX 142350
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
650 PM CDT WED SEP 14 2011

ALC093-150015-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0408.000000T0000Z-110915T0015Z/
MARION AL-
650 PM CDT WED SEP 14 2011

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MARION COUNTY
UNTIL 715 PM CDT...

AT 648 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF
60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LAKE BUTTAHATCHEE...OR 9 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF HALEYVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LAKE BUTTAHATCHEE.

THIS INCLUDES...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 14 THROUGH 34...

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

LAT...LON 3422 8763 3391 8764 3392 8779 3401 8795
      3402 8795 3404 8799 3405 8799 3405 8803
      3406 8804 3429 8797
TIME...MOT...LOC 2350Z 289DEG 30KT 3414 8771

$$

27

649 
WWUS54 KBMX 150000
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
700 PM CDT WED SEP 14 2011

ALC093-150015-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0408.000000T0000Z-110915T0015Z/
MARION AL-
700 PM CDT WED SEP 14 2011

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN MARION
COUNTY UNTIL 715 PM CDT...

AT 658 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF
60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LAKE BUTTAHATCHEE...OR 8 MILES
WEST OF LYNN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF EXTREME EASTERN MARION COUNTY.

THIS INCLUDES...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 16 THROUGH 34...

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

LAT...LON 3422 8763 3391 8764 3391 8767 3392 8779
      3401 8795 3402 8795 3404 8799 3405 8799
      3428 8790
TIME...MOT...LOC 0000Z 303DEG 31KT 3407 8766

$$

27

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 Sep 14, 3:13 PM CDT, 3 hours 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 14, 3:13 PM CDT, 3 hours 18 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
313 PM CDT WED SEP 14 2011

.DISCUSSION...

A COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO APPROACH CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON.
ALTHOUGH A GOOD AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS
WESTERN MISSISSIPPI...IT HAS STRUGGLED TO MOVE MUCH FARTHER EAST.
HOWEVER...AS WE APPROACH PEAK HEATING...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE
BEGINNING TO DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI. EXPECT FOR THAT
ACTIVITY TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AS WE HEAD INTO THE EVENING
HOURS.

FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA ON THURSDAY. WE COULD
STILL SEE A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS OR STORMS AHEAD OF THE
FRONT...ESPECIALLY IF THE FRONT IS STILL IN THE AREA AS WE REACH
PEAK TIME HEATING. DRIER AIR WILL BEGIN TO MOVE IN THURSDAY
EVENING.

CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN DRY THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND POSSIBLY
THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A WEDGE BRINGS IN ADDITIONAL DRIER AIR
IN THE LOW LEVELS. RAIN COULD RETURN TO THE AREA TOWARDS THE
LATTER HALF OF NEXT WEEK.

TEMPERATURE WISE...WE WILL BE HEADING INTO A BIT OF A COOL DOWN FOR
THIS WEEKEND ONCE THE COOLER AIR IS IN PLACE. TEMPERATURES COULD
REMAIN IN THE COOL SIDE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK ESPECIALLY IF THE
WEDGE DOES IN FACT MOVE IN.

10/ARM

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAF DISCUSSION.

A WEAK FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. EXPECT
SCT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE INTO WESTERN CENTRAL ALABAMA
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...AND SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA
OVERNIGHT. A WIND SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST IS EXPECTED BEGINNING AT
THE NORTHWESTERN TERMINALS THURSDAY MORNING AS THE FRONT MOVES
THROUGH THE AREA. A PERIOD OF MVFR CEILINGS AND LIGHT RAIN WILL
LINGER BEHIND THE FRONT.

14

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     63  81  55  74  55 /  30  20  10  10  10
ANNISTON    65  85  58  75  56 /  20  30  10  10  10
BIRMINGHAM  67  82  58  74  58 /  30  20  10  10  10
TUSCALOOSA  68  79  57  79  58 /  40  20  10  10  10
CALERA      67  80  58  75  59 /  30  20  10  10  10
AUBURN      69  85  62  77  59 /  10  30  10  10  10
MONTGOMERY  68  88  60  82  62 /  20  30  10  10  10
TROY        65  89  61  81  63 /  10  30  10  10  10

&&

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

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 14, 4:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 51 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
440 PM CDT WED SEP 14 2011

ALZ011>015-017>050-152143-
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-
440 PM CDT WED SEP 14 2011

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR AREAS WEST OF
INTERSTATE 65 AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20 59 THROUGH 10 PM.  THE
MAIN THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT
EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

27

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 14, 5:54 PM CDT, 37 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
554 PM CDT WED SEP 14 2011

ALZ011-150000-
MARION AL-
554 PM CDT WED SEP 14 2011

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MARION COUNTY UNTIL 700 PM CDT...

AT 554 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES EAST OF FAIRVIEW...OR 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF RED
BAY...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
  HAMILTON...
  WESTON...
  HACKLEBURG...
  BRINN...
  SHOTSVILLE...

&&

LAT...LON 3431 8764 3430 8764 3402 8779 3411 8821
      3430 8819 3433 8817
TIME...MOT...LOC 2254Z 292DEG 16KT 3433 8818

27

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 14, 5:54 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marion	66 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.