Alert archive / Alabama / Special Weather Statements in 2011

Special Weather Statement, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 4, 2011Marion County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this special weather statement at Apr 4, 2011, 2:48 PM CDT for Marion County, Alabama. It was in force for 42 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: Apr 4, 2011, 2:48 PM CDT (19:48 UTC)
Expired: Apr 4, 2011, 3:30 PM CDT
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL

County Marion County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 58 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:47 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 153 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: 45 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -348 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 509 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 150 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 332 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.

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What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement 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 special weather statement went out at Apr 4, 1:06 PM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 4, 1:06 PM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 4, 1:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
115 PM CDT MON APR 4 2011

ALZ011>015-017>050-051800-
MARION-LAMAR-FAYETTE-WINSTON-WALKER-BLOUNT-ETOWAH-CALHOUN-
CHEROKEE-CLEBURNE-PICKENS-TUSCALOOSA-JEFFERSON-SHELBY-ST. CLAIR-
TALLADEGA-CLAY-RANDOLPH-SUMTER-GREENE-HALE-PERRY-BIBB-CHILTON-
COOSA-TALLAPOOSA-CHAMBERS-MARENGO-DALLAS-AUTAUGA-LOWNDES-ELMORE-
MONTGOMERY-MACON-BULLOCK-LEE-RUSSELL-PIKE-BARBOUR-
115 PM CDT MON APR 4 2011

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BRING A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER THREAT
TO ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ALL SEVERE
WEATHER THREATS ARE LIKELY...INCLUDING THE THREAT FOR DAMAGING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...LARGE HAIL...ISOLATED TORNADOES...AND BRIEF
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

SUPERCELLS WITH A GREATER THREAT OF TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE
POSSIBLE AHEAD OF THE MAIN CONVECTIVE LINE BY THE AFTERNOON...
ESPECIALLY IN THE WESTERN COUNTIES OR ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM
JASPER. AS THE EVENT CONTINUES...FROM AROUND 2 PM THROUGH
MIDNIGHT...THE CONVECTIVE SQUALL LINE IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN
INTENSITY AND FORWARD SPEED. THE GREATEST THREAT WILL TRANSITION TO
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...ALTHOUGH HAIL AND A BRIEF ISOLATED
TORNADO CAN NOT BE RULED OUT ALONG THE LINE. THE LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO EXIT CENTRAL ALABAMA AROUND OR JUST
BEFORE MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.

STRONG GRADIENT WINDS ARE POSSIBLE IN ADVANCE OF THE STORM SYSTEM
TODAY...WITH GUSTS OF UP TO 40 MPH.

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

A COLD AIR MASS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO DROP
DOWN INTO THE 30S ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. A FEW LOCATIONS COULD DROP
DOWN TO NEAR THE FREEZING MARK IN THE COLDER VALLEY LOCATIONS. A
LIGHT FROST IS POSSIBLE ACROSS MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
WHICH COULD POSE A THREAT TO TENDER VEGETATION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL BE
NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING FOR SEVERE WEATHER.

08/MNK

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 4, 1:57 PM CDT, 51 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
157 PM CDT MON APR 4 2011

ALZ011-041945-
MARION AL-
157 PM CDT MON APR 4 2011

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN MARION COUNTY UNTIL
245 PM CDT...

AT 154 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES EAST OF NEW SALEM...OR 13 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
FULTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 70 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3432 8770 3428 8769 3406 8815 3406 8821
      3431 8818 3433 8816
TIME...MOT...LOC 1857Z 234DEG 59KT 3415 8821

08

Special weather statement, Apr 4, 2:48 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
248 PM CDT MON APR 4 2011

ALZ011-042030-
MARION AL-
248 PM CDT MON APR 4 2011

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MARION COUNTY UNTIL 330 PM CDT...

AT 248 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM HACKLEBURG TO 7 MILES NORTH
OF DETROIT...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE
STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
  HAMILTON...
  WESTON...
  BRINN...
  HACKLEBURG...
  LAKE BUTTAHATCHEE...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3431 8765 3407 8768 3406 8821 3431 8816
      3431 8773
TIME...MOT...LOC 1948Z 244DEG 47KT 3432 8774 3415 8814

75

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 4, 4:21 AM CDT	Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	24 hr
Apr 4, 1:57 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marion	48 min
Apr 4, 3:05 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Marion	115 min
Apr 4, 3:27 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marion	48 min
Apr 4, 3:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Pickens	51 min
Apr 4, 3:55 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Lamar	3 hr
Apr 4, 4:27 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marion	48 min
Apr 4, 4:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Marion, Walker, Winston	40 min
Apr 4, 4:37 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Lamar	3 hr
Apr 4, 4:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Pickens	47 min
Apr 4, 4:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion, Winston	23 min
Apr 4, 4:53 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Winston	112 min
Apr 4, 5:19 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Fayette	116 min
Apr 4, 5:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Pickens	50 min
Apr 4, 5:27 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Winston	48 min
Apr 4, 5:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	45 min
Apr 4, 5:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	53 min
Apr 4, 5:56 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Pickens	3 hr
Apr 4, 6:04 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Walker	3 hr
Apr 4, 6:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Walker	38 min
Apr 4, 6:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Walker, Winston	44 min
Apr 4, 6:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	57 min
Apr 4, 6:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	40 min
Apr 4, 6:21 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Tuscaloosa	3 hr
Apr 4, 6:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson, Walker	41 min
Apr 4, 6:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	50 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Alabama, 2011 Every special weather statement 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.