Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 33, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 2, 2012Marion County, Winston County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 2, 2012, 4:23 PM CST for Marion County, Winston County, Alabama. It was in force for 31 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, 4:23 PM CST (22:23 UTC)
Expired: Mar 2, 2012, 4:54 PM CST
In force: 31 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Marion County, AL, Winston County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 83 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:25 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, 4:34 PM CST	HAIL 1	3 S Haleyville, AL

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, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 130 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.

958 
WUUS54 KBMX 022223
SVRBMX
ALC093-133-022315-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0033.120302T2223Z-120302T2315Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL MARION COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
  NORTHWESTERN WINSTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 515 PM CST

* AT 421 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 NEAR
  BRINN...OR 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HALEYVILLE...AND MOVING EAST AT 45
  MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  HALEYVILLE...LAKE BUTTAHATCHEE...NEEDMORE...ASHRIDGE...WINSTON FREE
  STATE BARN...DOUBLE SPRINGS...HOUSTON RECREATIONAL AREA AND DELMAR.

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 3412 8732 3410 8775 3419 8777 3431 8743
      3430 8738
TIME...MOT...LOC 2223Z 254DEG 38KT 3414 8774

$$

61

2 follow-up statements

080 
WWUS54 KBMX 022240
SVSBMX

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

ALC093-022251-
/O.CAN.KBMX.SV.W.0033.000000T0000Z-120302T2315Z/
MARION AL-
440 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL MARION 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 3415 8733 3415 8759 3423 8758 3431 8743
      3430 8738
TIME...MOT...LOC 2241Z 254DEG 38KT 3420 8752

$$

ALC133-022315-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0033.000000T0000Z-120302T2315Z/
WINSTON AL-
440 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL
WINSTON COUNTY UNTIL 515 PM CST...

AT 438 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
NEEDMORE...OR NEAR HALEYVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ASHRIDGE...WINSTON FREE STATE BARN...ROCK CREEK AND SIPSEY RIVER
  REC AREA.

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 3415 8733 3415 8759 3423 8758 3431 8743
      3430 8738
TIME...MOT...LOC 2241Z 254DEG 38KT 3420 8752

$$

61

118 
WWUS54 KBMX 022254
SVSBMX

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

ALC133-022304-
/O.CAN.KBMX.SV.W.0033.000000T0000Z-120302T2315Z/
WINSTON AL-
454 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CENTRAL WINSTON COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.

ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE...AND A TORNADO 
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM.

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

LAT...LON 3415 8733 3415 8759 3423 8758 3431 8743
      3430 8738
TIME...MOT...LOC 2254Z 254DEG 38KT 3422 8735

$$

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, 4:16 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker	44 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.