Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 32, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 2, 2012Walker County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 2, 2012, 4:16 PM CST for Walker County, Alabama. It was in force for 44 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: Mar 2, 2012, 4:16 PM CST (22:16 UTC)
Expired: Mar 2, 2012, 5:00 PM CST
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Walker County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 81 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:17 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, 4:31 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	Jasper, AL	SR 269 AND 24TH ST - TREES DOWN
Mar 2, 4:31 PM CST	HAIL 1	Jasper, AL	1302 8TH AVE.
Mar 2, 4:37 PM CST	HAIL 1	Sipsey, AL
Mar 2, 4:45 PM CST	HAIL 1.75	3 Sw Arkadelphia, AL	REPORTED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF WALKER...BLOUNT...AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

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, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 80 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.

376 
WUUS54 KBMX 022216
SVRBMX
ALC127-022300-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0032.120302T2216Z-120302T2300Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 500 PM CST

* AT 413 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
  NORTH OF OAKMAN...OR 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JASPER...AND MOVING EAST
  AT 45 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  JASPER...CORDOVA...BELOIT...LYNNS PARK...ROCKY HOLLOW...SIPSEY...
  SMITH DAM AND EMPIRE.

THIS INCLUDES...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 61 THROUGH 70...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR YOUR PROTECTION...MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF
YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.

&&

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST FRIDAY EVENING FOR
NORTHWESTERN ALABAMA.

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

LAT...LON 3392 8708 3390 8708 3390 8701 3386 8698
      3386 8696 3384 8695 3381 8696 3377 8702
      3376 8703 3372 8746 3380 8747 3395 8710
TIME...MOT...LOC 2216Z 257DEG 40KT 3379 8738

$$

61

1 follow-up statement

945 
WWUS54 KBMX 022233
SVSBMX

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

ALC127-022300-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0032.000000T0000Z-120302T2300Z/
WALKER AL-
433 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL
WALKER COUNTY UNTIL 500 PM CST...

AT 430 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 NEAR
LYNNS PARK...OR NEAR JASPER...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  SIPSEY AND SMITH DAM.

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 3392 8708 3390 8708 3390 8701 3386 8698
      3386 8696 3382 8695 3376 8723 3387 8725
      3395 8710
TIME...MOT...LOC 2233Z 249DEG 40KT 3386 8715

$$

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, 3:26 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	49 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, 4:23 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.