Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 101, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 5, 2012Walker County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 5, 2012, 5:38 PM CDT for Walker County, Alabama. It was in force for 52 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
Apr 5, 2012, 5:38 PM CDT (22:38 UTC)
Expired
Apr 5, 2012, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Walker County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 75 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:37 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
Apr 5, 5:46 PM CDTHAIL 1.75Cordova, ALGOLF BALL SIZE HAIL IN CORDOVA.
Apr 5, 5:49 PM CDTHAIL 1.51 E Cordova, ALPING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED JUST EAST OF CORDOVA.
Apr 5, 6:14 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 67Empire, AL
Apr 5, 6:14 PM CDTHAIL 1.75Empire, ALGOLFBALL HAIL AND ESTIMATED WIND GUSTS NEAR EMPIRE.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 74 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 2012-04-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 315 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 12:00Z on 2012-04-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -91 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
315 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-31 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
754 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-91 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-43 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

775 
WUUS54 KBMX 052238
SVRBMX
ALC127-052330-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0101.120405T2238Z-120405T2330Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
538 PM CDT THU APR 5 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL WALKER COUNTY IN ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 538 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING
  WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CORDOVA...
  AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CORDOVA...DORA...SUMITON...BELOIT...LYNNS PARK...BURNWELL...QUINTON
  AND ROCKY HOLLOW.

THIS INCLUDES...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 63 THROUGH 78...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3386 8698 3386 8696 3380 8696 3379 8697
      3379 8700 3377 8703 3369 8704 3367 8707
      3368 8732 3386 8730 3386 8710 3390 8709
      3390 8701
TIME...MOT...LOC 2238Z 250DEG 16KT 3376 8721

$$

75
1 follow-up statement
248 
WWUS54 KBMX 052251
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
551 PM CDT THU APR 5 2012

ALC127-052330-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0101.000000T0000Z-120405T2330Z/
WALKER AL-
551 PM CDT THU APR 5 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL
WALKER COUNTY UNTIL 630 PM CDT...

AT 552 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE
HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE
LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SIPSEY TO BELOIT TO GORGAS...
MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  DORA...SUMITON...ROCKY HOLLOW...BELOIT...BURNWELL...QUINTON...
  BARNEY AND EMPIRE.

THIS INCLUDES...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 70 THROUGH 78...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IF YOU ARE IN
THE PATH OF THIS STORM. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3386 8698 3386 8696 3380 8696 3377 8703
      3369 8704 3367 8707 3368 8732 3370 8732
      3380 8714 3386 8713 3386 8710 3390 8709
      3390 8701
TIME...MOT...LOC 2252Z 260DEG 19KT 3389 8704 3382 8703
          3377 8713 3368 8725

$$

75

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 5, 9:41 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Pickens, Sumter64 min
Apr 5, 10:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Tuscaloosa64 min
Apr 5, 11:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Perry53 min
Apr 5, 11:27 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMarengo48 min
Apr 5, 11:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDallas, Marengo46 min
Apr 5, 12:03 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXChilton, Shelby57 min
Apr 5, 12:21 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXAutauga, Lowndes54 min
Apr 5, 12:28 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXDallas32 min
Apr 5, 12:49 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCoosa, Elmore56 min
Apr 5, 12:56 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMontgomery64 min
Apr 5, 3:56 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMarion49 min
Apr 5, 4:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar28 min
Apr 5, 4:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion49 min
Apr 5, 4:52 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXPickens38 min
Apr 5, 5:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarion, Walker, Winston66 min
Apr 5, 5:24 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXHale51 min
Apr 5, 5:36 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXTuscaloosa39 min
Apr 5, 5:59 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXJefferson46 min
Apr 5, 6:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson39 min
Apr 5, 6:09 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXDallas51 min
Apr 5, 6:14 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXBlount46 min
Apr 5, 6:18 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXChilton42 min
Apr 5, 6:25 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXBibb65 min
Apr 5, 6:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga, Dallas, Lowndes48 min
Apr 5, 6:28 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXShelby47 min
Apr 5, 6:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Chilton, Shelby42 min
Apr 5, 6:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton, Dallas, Elmore, Perry53 min
Apr 5, 6:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson, St. Clair, Shelby47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2012Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2012

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.