Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Huntsville, AL

February 24, 2011Colbert County, Franklin County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at Feb 24, 2011, 9:55 PM CST for Colbert County, Franklin County, Alabama. It was in force for 35 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
Feb 24, 2011, 9:55 PM CST (03:55 UTC)
Expired
Feb 24, 2011, 10:30 PM CST
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Colbert County, AL, Franklin County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 91 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Feb 24, 10:17 PM CSTTSTM WND DMGTuscumbia, ALROOF DAMAGE TO JJS RESTAURAUNT AND PEOPLES DRUG STORE ON HWY 72 IN CHEROKEE. MULTIPLE POWER OUTAGES IN BARTON, CROOKED OAK, LOCUST SHORES, NEW BETHEL AND TUSCUMBIA.

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
Feb 24, 8:30 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 189 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2011-02-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 165 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2011-02-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -230 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
165 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-30 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
579 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-230 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-371 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.2
Supercell composite
-0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

357 
WFUS54 KHUN 250355
TORHUN
ALC033-059-250430-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0001.110225T0355Z-110225T0430Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
955 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN COLBERT COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
  NORTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 1030 PM CST

* AT 953 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR POGO...OR
  ABOUT 6 MILES NORTH OF RED BAY...MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.

* LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO INCLUDE...
  PLEASANT SITE.
  MYNOT.
  SRYGLEY CHURCH.
  NEW BETHEL.
  COLBERT HEIGHTS.
  TUSCUMBIA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. THIS
STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG TO VIOLENT TORNADOES. IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY!

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CST FRIDAY MORNING FOR
NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE.

&&

LAT...LON 3463 8813 3474 8779 3474 8776 3476 8772
      3454 8761 3442 8816
TIME...MOT...LOC 0355Z 250DEG 53KT 3453 8815

$$
SL
1 follow-up statement
827 
WWUS54 KHUN 250411
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1011 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011

ALC033-059-250430-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-110225T0430Z/
FRANKLIN AL-COLBERT AL-
1011 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 PM CST FOR CENTRAL
COLBERT AND NORTH CENTRAL FRANKLIN COUNTIES...

AT 1007 PM CST...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A WALL CLOUD 
SOUTH OF CHEROKEE.  THIS WALL CLOUD WAS LOCATED NEAR SRYGLEY 
CHURCH...OR ABOUT 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF RUSSELLVILLE...MOVING EAST 
AT 60 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO RED
ROCK...POSEY LOOP...CROOKED OAK...NEW BETHEL...PRIDE LANDING...
LITTLEVILLE...COLBERT HEIGHTS AND TUSCUMBIA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORNADOES AT NIGHT ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU
SEE OR HEAR THE TORNADO...IT MAY BE TOO LATE. TAKE COVER NOW.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CST FRIDAY MORNING FOR
NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE.

&&

LAT...LON 3447 8799 3467 8799 3474 8779 3474 8776
      3476 8772 3454 8761
TIME...MOT...LOC 0410Z 250DEG 52KT 3460 8790

$$

SL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 24, 9:09 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHUNColbert51 min
Feb 24, 9:29 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Franklin, Lauderdale46 min
Feb 24, 10:10 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone35 min
Feb 24, 10:15 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNFranklin30 min
Feb 24, 10:21 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence24 min
Feb 24, 10:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan50 min
Feb 24, 10:44 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNLauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone31 min
Feb 24, 11:04 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNCullman41 min
Feb 24, 11:20 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNCullman25 min
Feb 24, 11:21 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNJackson, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan24 min
Feb 24, 11:23 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNMarshall, Morgan37 min
Feb 24, 11:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNCullman, Jackson, Madison, Marshall, Morgan35 min
Feb 24, 11:47 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNJackson, Madison, Marshall28 min
Feb 24, 11:56 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNJackson22 min
Feb 25, 12:09 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNDeKalb, Jackson, Marshall36 min
Feb 25, 12:09 AM CSTTornado WarningHUNDeKalb, Jackson, Marshall36 min
Feb 25, 12:14 AM CSTTornado WarningHUNDeKalb, Jackson20 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.