Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 161, NWS Birmingham, AL

November 16, 2011Calhoun County, Cherokee County, Cleburne County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Nov 16, 2011, 10:56 AM CST for Calhoun County, Cherokee County, Cleburne County, Alabama. It was in force for 34 min. 1 report 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
Nov 16, 2011, 10:56 AM CST (16:56 UTC)
Expired
Nov 16, 2011, 11:30 AM CST
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Calhoun County, AL, Cherokee County, AL, Cleburne County, AL

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:55 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Nov 16, 10:58 AM CSTFUNNEL CLOUDPiedmont, ALA FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED NEAR PIEDMONT

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Nov 16, 9:46 AM CSTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 4.9 hours before the alert went out and 114 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2011-11-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 627 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2011-11-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 108 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
627 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
484 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
61 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
108 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
101 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

335 
WFUS54 KBMX 161656
TORBMX
ALC015-019-029-161730-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0161.111116T1656Z-111116T1730Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1056 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN CALHOUN COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  SOUTHEASTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA...
  NORTH CENTRAL CLEBURNE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 1130 AM CST

* AT 1051 AM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM
  WAS LOCATED NEAR JACKSONVILLE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  PIEDMONT...LIBERTY HILL...OAK LEVEL...SPRING GARDEN AND BORDEN
  SPRINGS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3390 8538 3387 8538 3378 8580 3385 8586
      3414 8543 3414 8542
TIME...MOT...LOC 1656Z 239DEG 34KT 3386 8574

$$

14
1 follow-up statement
330 
WWUS54 KBMX 161706
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1106 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011

ALC015-019-029-161730-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0161.000000T0000Z-111116T1730Z/
CALHOUN AL-CHEROKEE AL-CLEBURNE AL-
1106 AM CST WED NOV 16 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL CLEBURNE...
SOUTHEASTERN CHEROKEE AND NORTHEASTERN CALHOUN COUNTIES UNTIL 1130 AM
CST...

AT 1105 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR PIEDMONT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  PIEDMONT...SPRING GARDEN AND BORDEN SPRINGS.

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

LAT...LON 3390 8538 3387 8538 3385 8567 3394 8573
      3414 8543 3414 8542
TIME...MOT...LOC 1706Z 239DEG 34KT 3391 8564

$$

14

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 16, 2:42 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementBMXPickens48 min
Nov 16, 2:59 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementBMXFayette46 min
Nov 16, 3:32 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementBMXWalker43 min
Nov 16, 5:44 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementBMXSumter46 min
Nov 16, 6:34 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXMarengo, Sumter56 min
Nov 16, 7:57 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXHale, Marengo, Perry48 min
Nov 16, 8:35 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXPerry40 min
Nov 16, 9:08 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXChilton, Dallas, Perry37 min
Nov 16, 9:31 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXJefferson, St. Clair, Shelby29 min
Nov 16, 9:46 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXChilton, Coosa44 min
Nov 16, 9:56 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXCalhoun, St. Clair, Talladega34 min
Nov 16, 10:20 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga, Dallas, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery40 min
Nov 16, 10:25 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXCalhoun35 min
Nov 16, 10:36 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXLowndes, Montgomery24 min
Nov 16, 10:58 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXLowndes, Montgomery32 min
Nov 16, 10:59 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXElmore, Montgomery31 min
Nov 16, 11:21 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXElmore, Macon, Montgomery, Tallapoosa39 min
Nov 16, 11:40 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXBullock, Macon, Montgomery23 min
Nov 16, 11:48 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXChambers, Lee, Macon42 min
Nov 16, 12:18 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXChambers, Lee27 min
Nov 16, 12:25 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXBullock, Macon, Russell25 min
Nov 16, 1:34 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementBMXBarbour41 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes 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.