Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 22, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 26, 2011Chilton County, Shelby County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 26, 2011, 4:07 PM CDT for Chilton County, Shelby County, Alabama. It was in force for 38 min. 8 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: Mar 26, 2011, 4:07 PM CDT (21:07 UTC)
Expired: Mar 26, 2011, 4:45 PM CDT
In force: 38 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Chilton County, AL, Shelby County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 6 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:07 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
Mar 26, 4:07 PM CDT	TORNADO 1	1 Nw Montevallo, AL	DAMAGE IN THE ALDRICH COMMUNITY ATTRIBUTED TO A BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN WITH WINDS OF 90MPH.
Mar 26, 4:10 PM CDT	HAIL 1	Calera, AL	NWS EMPLOYEE REPORTS QUARTER SIZE HAIL.
Mar 26, 4:10 PM CDT	TORNADO 1	1 Nw Montevallo, AL	DAMAGE IN THE ALDRICH COMMUNITY ATTRIBUTED TO A BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN WITH WINDS OF 90MPH.
Mar 26, 4:14 PM CDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	1 S Shelby County Airpo, AL	FUNNEL CLOUD.
Mar 26, 4:14 PM CDT	HAIL 0.88	Calera, AL	NICKEL SIZE HAIL.
Mar 26, 4:15 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 Nw Montevallo, AL	TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN THE COMMUNITY OF PEA RIDGE.
Mar 26, 4:20 PM CDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	1 S Calera, AL	PUBLIC REPORT OF FUNNEL CLOUD.
Mar 26, 4:24 PM CDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	4 S Shelby County Airpo, AL	FUNNEL CLOUD AND SIGNIFICANT ROTATION OBSERVED AT COUNTY ROAD 25 AND INTERSTATE 65.

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Mar 26, 12:15 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 7 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: 54 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -256 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 809 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 147 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 185 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

090 
WFUS54 KBMX 262107
TORBMX
ALC021-117-262145-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0022.110326T2107Z-110326T2145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
407 PM CDT SAT MAR 26 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL CHILTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  SOUTHERN SHELBY COUNTY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 445 PM CDT

* AT 403 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM
  WAS LOCATED 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF WILTON...OR 7 MILES WEST OF
  MONTEVALLO...AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MONTEVALLO...CALERA...COLUMBIANA...WILTON...UNIVERSITY OF
  MONTEVALLO...MAYLENE...AMERICAN VILLAGE...SHELBY COUNTY AIRPORT...
  MINOOKA PARK AND CAMP BRANCH.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 65 EXIT NUMBERS 228 THROUGH 234...

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 3325 8651 3302 8652 3302 8653 3298 8652
      3308 8694 3309 8695 3311 8695 3311 8697
      3316 8697 3316 8698 3319 8698
TIME...MOT...LOC 2107Z 270DEG 26KT 3312 8694

$$

61

2 follow-up statements

533 
WWUS54 KBMX 262121
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
421 PM CDT SAT MAR 26 2011

ALC021-117-262145-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0022.000000T0000Z-110326T2145Z/
CHILTON AL-SHELBY AL-
421 PM CDT SAT MAR 26 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN SHELBY AND NORTH
CENTRAL CHILTON COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM CDT...

AT 419 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CALERA...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CALERA...COLUMBIANA...SHELBY...WAXAHATCHEE AT LAY LAKE...AL 145 AND
  CR 46...SPRING CREEK AT LAY LAKE AND BEESWAX AT LAY LAKE.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 65 EXIT NUMBERS 228 THROUGH 234...

THIS STORM PRODUCED DAMAGE IN THE PEA RIDGE AREA NEAR MONTEVALLO.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. AS A LAST
RESORT... EITHER PARK YOUR VEHICLE AND STAY PUT...OR ABANDON YOUR
VEHICLE AND LIE DOWN IN A LOW LYING AREA.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3317 8687 3322 8651 3320 8651 3302 8652
      3302 8653 3298 8652 3310 8689
TIME...MOT...LOC 2121Z 279DEG 26KT 3310 8678

$$

61

165 
WWUS54 KBMX 262128
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
428 PM CDT SAT MAR 26 2011

ALC021-117-262145-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0022.000000T0000Z-110326T2145Z/
CHILTON AL-SHELBY AL-
428 PM CDT SAT MAR 26 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL SHELBY AND
NORTH CENTRAL CHILTON COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM CDT...

AT 424 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CALERA...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

AT 425 PM...A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED NEAR I-65 AND AL-25...IN 
CALERA. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  COLUMBIANA...SHELBY...WAXAHATCHEE AT LAY LAKE...AL 145 AND CR 46...
  SPRING CREEK AT LAY LAKE AND BEESWAX AT LAY LAKE.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 65 EXIT NUMBERS 228 THROUGH 231...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. AS A LAST
RESORT... EITHER PARK YOUR VEHICLE AND STAY PUT...OR ABANDON YOUR
VEHICLE AND LIE DOWN IN A LOW LYING AREA.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3321 8651 3298 8652 3309 8679 3315 8677
TIME...MOT...LOC 2128Z 273DEG 27KT 3310 8671

$$

61

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 26, 3:49 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marion	41 min
Mar 26, 4:09 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion	51 min
Mar 26, 4:48 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Marion, Winston	117 min
Mar 26, 4:57 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion, Winston	48 min
Mar 26, 6:22 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marshall	23 min
Mar 26, 7:43 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marion	47 min
Mar 26, 12:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Marengo, Sumter	52 min
Mar 26, 1:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Perry	55 min
Mar 26, 1:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	25 min
Mar 26, 1:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas, Perry	39 min
Mar 26, 1:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Coosa	59 min
Mar 26, 2:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay, Coosa, Tallapoosa	58 min
Mar 26, 2:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Coosa, Tallapoosa	44 min
Mar 26, 2:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Dallas, Elmore, Perry	41 min
Mar 26, 2:51 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	St. Clair	24 min
Mar 26, 2:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Etowah, St. Clair	31 min
Mar 26, 3:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers, Clay, Randolph, Tallapoosa	43 min
Mar 26, 3:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chambers, Tallapoosa	53 min
Mar 26, 3:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Elmore	49 min
Mar 26, 3:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Etowah	30 min
Mar 26, 3:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Lee, Macon, Russell	43 min
Mar 26, 3:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Shelby	39 min
Mar 26, 3:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne	37 min
Mar 26, 3:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chambers	35 min
Mar 26, 3:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore, Macon, Montgomery, Tallapoosa	45 min
Mar 26, 4:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Macon	40 min
Mar 26, 4:39 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Coosa, Shelby, Talladega	16 min
Mar 26, 4:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Russell	39 min
Mar 26, 4:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bullock, Lee, Macon, Russell	51 min
Mar 26, 5:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour	33 min
Mar 26, 5:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bullock, Macon, Russell	63 min
Mar 26, 5:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah	51 min
Mar 26, 6:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Russell	24 min
Mar 26, 6:23 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Etowah	35 min
Mar 26, 6:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	61 min
Mar 26, 6:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion	25 min
Mar 26, 6:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee, Etowah	45 min

Nearby

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