Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 28, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 2, 2012Fayette County, Pickens County, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 2, 2012, 3:26 PM CST for Fayette County, Pickens County, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. It was in force for 49 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: Mar 2, 2012, 3:26 PM CST (21:26 UTC)
Expired: Mar 2, 2012, 4:15 PM CST
In force: 49 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Fayette County, AL, Pickens County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:25 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 2, 3:58 PM CST	HAIL 1	1 S New Lexington, AL	HAIL OF JUST OVER ONE INCH REPORTED JUST SOUTH OF NEW LEXINGTON.

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 2, 1:20 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 90 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: 544 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 530 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 180 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 204 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.6
Supercell composite: 2.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

270 
WUUS54 KBMX 022126
SVRBMX
ALC057-107-125-022215-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0028.120302T2126Z-120302T2215Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
326 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN FAYETTE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTHEASTERN PICKENS COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTHWESTERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 415 PM CST

* AT 321 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES
  SOUTH OF MILLPORT...AND MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ASHCRAFT CORNER...BOLEY SPRINGS...MOORES BRIDGE...NEW LEXINGTON...
  NORTHSIDE...WINDHAM SPRINGS AND WILEY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. TORNADOES CAN
DEVELOP QUICKLY FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. ALTHOUGH NOT IMMEDIATELY
LIKELY...IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF
SAFETY INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL
INTERIOR ROOM.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3360 8795 3369 8744 3369 8743 3361 8742
      3360 8742 3344 8741 3345 8795
TIME...MOT...LOC 2126Z 258DEG 45KT 3350 8799

$$

61

2 follow-up statements

829 
WWUS54 KBMX 022149
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
349 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

ALC107-022159-
/O.CAN.KBMX.SV.W.0028.000000T0000Z-120302T2215Z/
PICKENS AL-
349 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN PICKENS COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED 
AREA.

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

LAT...LON 3356 8789 3369 8743 3347 8741 3348 8784
      3352 8784 3353 8787
TIME...MOT...LOC 2149Z 258DEG 45KT 3353 8765

$$

ALC057-125-022215-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0028.000000T0000Z-120302T2215Z/
FAYETTE AL-TUSCALOOSA AL-
349 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN
TUSCALOOSA AND SOUTHEASTERN FAYETTE COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM CST...

AT 344 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES
NORTHWEST OF SAMANTHA...OR 14 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FAYETTE...MOVING
EAST AT 50 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BOLEY SPRINGS...WINDHAM SPRINGS AND WILEY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. TORNADOES CAN
DEVELOP QUICKLY FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. ALTHOUGH NOT IMMEDIATELY
LIKELY...IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF
SAFETY INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL
INTERIOR ROOM.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3356 8789 3369 8743 3347 8741 3348 8784
      3352 8784 3353 8787
TIME...MOT...LOC 2149Z 258DEG 45KT 3353 8765

$$

61

363 
WWUS54 KBMX 022157
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
357 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

ALC057-125-022215-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0028.000000T0000Z-120302T2215Z/
FAYETTE AL-TUSCALOOSA AL-
357 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN
TUSCALOOSA AND SOUTHEASTERN FAYETTE COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM CST...

AT 353 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 9 MILES
SOUTH OF BANKSTON...OR 12 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FAYETTE...MOVING EAST AT
45 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BOLEY SPRINGS...NEW LEXINGTON...WINDHAM SPRINGS AND WILEY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. TORNADOES CAN
DEVELOP QUICKLY FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. ALTHOUGH NOT IMMEDIATELY
LIKELY...IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF
SAFETY INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL
INTERIOR ROOM.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3356 8789 3369 8743 3347 8741 3348 8784
      3352 8784 3353 8787
TIME...MOT...LOC 2157Z 258DEG 38KT 3356 8767

$$

61

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 2, 4:53 AM CST	Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	13 hr
Mar 2, 2:46 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion	44 min
Mar 2, 2:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Pickens	46 min
Mar 2, 3:38 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	52 min
Mar 2, 3:47 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	43 min
Mar 2, 4:05 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	40 min
Mar 2, 4:16 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker	44 min
Mar 2, 4:23 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion, Winston	31 min
Mar 2, 4:39 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Walker	53 min
Mar 2, 4:46 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount	48 min
Mar 2, 4:53 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marengo	52 min
Mar 2, 5:16 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair	44 min
Mar 2, 5:43 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lowndes	47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2012 Every 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.