Alert archive / Alabama / Special Weather Statements in 2011

Special Weather Statement, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 25, 2011Marion County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this special weather statement at May 25, 2011, 10:56 PM CDT for Marion County, Alabama. It was in force for 49 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
May 25, 2011, 10:56 PM CDT (03:56 UTC)
Expired
May 25, 2011, 11:45 PM CDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL

County Marion County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 57 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:58 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 00:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 156 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2011-05-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 785 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2011-05-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 50 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
785 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-138 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2035 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
50 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
156 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.1

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 May 25, 9:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 25, 9:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 7:03 PM CDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
703 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

ALZ011>015-017>050-270015-
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-
703 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OFF
TO THE WEST WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST CENTRAL ALABAMA BETWEEN
MIDNIGHT AND 3 AM CDT. THE SEVERE THREAT WILL BE NORTH OF A LINE FROM
ALICEVILLE...TO TUSCALOOSA...TO JASPER. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING. THERE DOES APPEAR TO BE A CHANCE OF AN ISOLATED TORNADO
GENERALLY AND NORTH OF A SULLIGENT TO DOUBLE SPRINGS LINE...BUT
THE CONFIDENCE IN THIS TORNADO THREAT STILL REMAINS LOW AT THIS
TIME.

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

SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA ON THURSDAY
AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES CLOSER TO THE REGION. TWO WAVES OF SEVERE
WEATHER ARE EXPECTED...AND EXACT TIMING WILL DEPEND HEAVILY ON
DEVELOPMENT TO OUR WEST AND ON THE SPEED AND EVOLUTION OF THE COLD
FRONT. THE FIRST WAVE WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAKENING SQUALL
LINE AS IT APPROACHES THE I-59 CORRIDOR THURSDAY MORNING.  THE SECOND
WAVE WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH REDEVELOPMENT ALONG THE FRONT THURSDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE SECOND WAVE WILL PRIMARILY AFFECT THOSE
AREAS BETWEEN I-20 AND I-85...LASTING AT LEAST THROUGH 10 PM. THE
MAIN THREATS LEAST WILL BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS...LARGE HAIL
AND CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE NEEDED
TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 25, 10:56 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1056 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

ALZ011-260445-
MARION AL-
1056 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MARION COUNTY UNTIL 1145 PM
CDT...

AT 1056 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTH OF WESTON...OR 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF
HAMILTON...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
  HAMILTON...
  HACKLEBURG...
  BRINN...
  LAKE BUTTAHATCHEE...
  RANKIN FITE AIRPORT...

THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY....AND A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS
AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS
LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS....FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

&&

LAT...LON 3432 8766 3431 8764 3404 8764 3407 8819
      3431 8818 3433 8817
TIME...MOT...LOC 0356Z 264DEG 49KT 3427 8803

10/ARM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 25, 11:25 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXLamar50 min
May 25, 11:35 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXWinston40 min
May 26, 12:18 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXFayette, Walker, Winston42 min
May 26, 12:32 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWinston28 min
May 26, 12:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWalker14 min
May 26, 1:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar, Pickens38 min
May 26, 2:10 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXFayette, Walker, Winston50 min
May 26, 2:40 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXFayette50 min
May 26, 2:49 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXJefferson, Tuscaloosa41 min
May 26, 3:20 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXWalker40 min
May 26, 7:43 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCoosa47 min
May 26, 7:48 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMarion27 min
May 26, 8:41 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCalhoun, Cherokee49 min
May 26, 12:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarengo24 min
May 26, 1:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDallas38 min
May 26, 1:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLowndes, Montgomery46 min
May 26, 1:20 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXEtowah, St. Clair40 min
May 26, 1:27 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCherokee48 min
May 26, 1:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChilton43 min
May 26, 1:35 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXJefferson40 min
May 26, 1:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCherokee23 min
May 26, 1:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXElmore, Lowndes, Montgomery38 min
May 26, 1:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Cherokee, Etowah49 min
May 26, 2:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBullock, Pike33 min
May 26, 2:16 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXAutauga, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery119 min
May 26, 2:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore40 min
May 26, 2:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBullock, Macon, Russell32 min
May 26, 2:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah44 min
May 26, 2:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMacon, Montgomery13 min
May 26, 2:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXClay, Coosa, Talladega, Tallapoosa24 min
May 26, 2:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Talladega23 min
May 26, 2:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMacon18 min
May 26, 3:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson, St. Clair, Shelby40 min
May 26, 3:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah45 min
May 26, 3:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXClay, Tallapoosa24 min
May 26, 3:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChambers25 min
May 26, 3:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, St. Clair39 min
May 26, 3:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXRussell35 min
May 26, 3:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount, Jefferson, Walker45 min
May 26, 3:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Pickens, Sumter24 min
May 26, 3:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Pickens26 min
May 26, 3:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChambers, Randolph36 min
May 26, 4:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Etowah, St. Clair52 min
May 26, 4:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCherokee52 min
May 26, 4:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount24 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Alabama, 2011Every 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.