Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Huntsville, AL

February 24, 2011Franklin County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at Feb 24, 2011, 10:15 PM CST for Franklin County, Alabama. It was in force for 30 min. 4 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
Feb 24, 2011, 10:15 PM CST (04:15 UTC)
Expired
Feb 24, 2011, 10:45 PM CST
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Franklin County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:16 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, 10:21 PM CSTTSTM WND DMG4 Wnw Phil Campbell, ALNUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES WERE KNOCKED DOWN ALONG PORTIONS OF HIGHWAY 43 BETWEEN RUSSELLVILLE AND THE COUNTY LINE NORTHEAST OF HACKLEBURG.
Feb 24, 10:26 PM CSTTSTM WND DMG5 Ene Phil Campbell, ALTREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN NEAR MILE MARKER 7 ON HIGHWAY 243.
Feb 24, 10:27 PM CSTTSTM WND GST 63Russellville, ALMEDIA REPORTS 63MPH WIND GUST MEASURED FROM ALFA CAM.
Feb 24, 10:52 PM CSTTSTM WND DMGPhil Campbell, ALPOWER OUTAGE IN PHIL CAMPBELL.

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

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 159 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 2011-02-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 52 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 2011-02-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 162 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
52 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1096 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
162 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
199 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.

374 
WFUS54 KHUN 250415
TORHUN
ALC059-250445-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0002.110225T0415Z-110225T0445Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1015 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  FRANKLIN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 1045 PM CST

* AT 1011 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR HODGES...OR
  ABOUT 11 MILES NORTH OF HAMILTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 70 MPH.

* LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO INCLUDE...
  DUKETON.
  SPRUCE PINE.
  PLEASANT RIDGE.
  THARPTOWN.

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 3431 8764 3432 8798 3448 8801 3456 8761
      3433 8753 3430 8763
TIME...MOT...LOC 0414Z 245DEG 59KT 3432 8793

$$
SL
2 follow-up statements
483 
WWUS54 KHUN 250427
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1027 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011

ALC059-250445-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-110225T0445Z/
FRANKLIN AL-
1027 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1045 PM CST FOR EASTERN
FRANKLIN COUNTY...

AT 1025 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR SPRUCE PINE 
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 75 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
PLEASANT RIDGE AND THARPTOWN.

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 3433 8773 3452 8784 3456 8761 3433 8753
      3430 8762
TIME...MOT...LOC 0427Z 246DEG 65KT 3441 8767

$$

SL
446 
WWUS54 KHUN 250441
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1041 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011

ALC059-250449-
/O.EXP.KHUN.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-110225T0445Z/
FRANKLIN AL-
1041 PM CST THU FEB 24 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY EXPIRES AT 1045 PM
CST...

WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THE THUNDERSTORM THAT 
PROMPTED THE TORNADO WARNING HAD WEAKENED. THEREFORE THE TORNADO 
WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

AN ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR DAMAGING WINDS IN 
EXCESS OF 70 MPH IS IN EFFECT FOR FRANKLIN COUNTY UNTIL 1045 PM CST.

STAY INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

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

LAT...LON 3433 8773 3452 8784 3456 8761 3433 8753
      3430 8762
TIME...MOT...LOC 0439Z 246DEG 65KT 3449 8742

$$

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, 9:55 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNColbert, Franklin35 min
Feb 24, 10:10 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone35 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.