Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 175, NWS Birmingham, AL

December 22, 2011Clay County, Coosa County, Tallapoosa County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Dec 22, 2011, 2:39 PM CST for Clay County, Coosa County, Tallapoosa County, Alabama. It was in force for 15 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
Dec 22, 2011, 2:39 PM CST (20:39 UTC)
Expired
Dec 22, 2011, 2:54 PM CST
In force
15 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Clay County, AL, Coosa County, AL, Tallapoosa County, AL

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Dec 22, 10:00 AM CSTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 89 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 12:00Z on 2011-12-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2011-12-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 102 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
699 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
60 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
102 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
129 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.

872 
WFUS54 KBMX 222039
TORBMX
ALC027-037-123-222115-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0175.111222T2039Z-111222T2115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
239 PM CST THU DEC 22 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN CLAY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  EAST CENTRAL COOSA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTHERN TALLAPOOSA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 315 PM CST

* AT 238 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM
  WAS LOCATED NEAR COTTAGE GROVE...OR NEAR ROCKFORD...AND MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  KELLYTON...ALEXANDER CITY...CREWSVILLE...BRADFORD...HILLABEE
  CREEK...NEW SITE...GOLDVILLE...FISHPOND...RAY AND HACKNEYVILLE.

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 3277 8617 3289 8625 3329 8573 3319 8565
      3311 8565 3310 8559 3299 8559
TIME...MOT...LOC 2039Z 232DEG 47KT 3288 8612

$$

17
2 follow-up statements
495 
WWUS54 KBMX 222045
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
245 PM CST THU DEC 22 2011

ALC027-037-123-222115-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0175.000000T0000Z-111222T2115Z/
CLAY AL-COOSA AL-TALLAPOOSA AL-
245 PM CST THU DEC 22 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN TALLAPOOSA...EAST
CENTRAL COOSA AND SOUTHEASTERN CLAY COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM CST...

AT 242 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO HEADED TOWARDS 
HWY 280 NEAR KELLYTON.  THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR 
HIGHWAY 9 AND HIGHWAY 22...OR 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KELLYTON...MOVING 
NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  KELLYTON...ALEXANDER CITY...BRADFORD...HILLABEE CREEK...NEW SITE...
  GOLDVILLE...HACKNEYVILLE...HORSESHOE BEND NATIONAL MILITARY PARK...
  HORSESHOE BEND AND DAVISTON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. DO NOT WAIT TO SEE OR HEAR
THE TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3285 8609 3296 8616 3329 8573 3319 8565
      3311 8565 3310 8559 3299 8559
TIME...MOT...LOC 2044Z 232DEG 44KT 3292 8608

$$

17
820 
WWUS54 KBMX 222054
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
254 PM CST THU DEC 22 2011

ALC027-037-123-222104-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0175.000000T0000Z-111222T2115Z/
CLAY AL-COOSA AL-TALLAPOOSA AL-
254 PM CST THU DEC 22 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHERN TALLAPOOSA...EAST CENTRAL COOSA
AND SOUTHEASTERN CLAY COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.

ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE...AND A TORNADO 
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM CST.

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

LAT...LON 3285 8609 3296 8616 3329 8573 3319 8565
      3311 8565 3310 8559 3299 8559
TIME...MOT...LOC 2054Z 232DEG 44KT 3299 8596

$$

27

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 22, 8:49 AM CSTFlash Flood WatchBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Walker, Winston7 hr
Dec 22, 9:52 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementBMXFayette23 min
Dec 22, 10:13 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLamar3 hr
Dec 22, 11:47 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Tuscaloosa25 min
Dec 22, 11:51 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Perry15 min
Dec 22, 12:53 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXBibb, Chilton, Shelby52 min
Dec 22, 12:59 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXBibb, Chilton, Perry, Shelby31 min
Dec 22, 1:08 PM CSTRiver Flood WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter19 hr
Dec 22, 1:42 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby, Talladega33 min
Dec 22, 1:54 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXSt. Clair, Shelby, Talladega39 min
Dec 22, 1:59 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXAutauga, Coosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa46 min
Dec 22, 3:09 PM CSTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXEtowah111 min
Dec 22, 3:34 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementBMXPike41 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.