Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 72, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 31, 2012Walker County, Winston County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 31, 2012, 5:08 PM CDT for Walker County, Winston County, Alabama. It was in force for 52 min. 2 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 31, 2012, 5:08 PM CDT (22:08 UTC)
Expired: Mar 31, 2012, 6:00 PM CDT
In force: 52 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Walker County, AL, Winston County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:11 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 31, 5:11 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	Corinth Rec Area, AL	GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED AT THE CORINTH RECREATION AREA CAUSING DAMAGE TO VEHICLES.
Mar 31, 5:13 PM CDT	HAIL 1.25	Curry, AL	HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN CURRY.

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 31, 5:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	3 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 97 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: 1095 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -10 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 580 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 36 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

540 
WUUS54 KBMX 312208
SVRBMX
ALC127-133-312300-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0072.120331T2208Z-120331T2300Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
508 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN WALKER COUNTY IN ALABAMA...
  EASTERN WINSTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 507 PM CDT...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
  LAKE SHORE...OR 7 MILES SOUTH OF ARLEY...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15
  MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  POWELLVILLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

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

LAT...LON 3414 8710 3400 8711 3398 8714 3392 8708
      3390 8709 3389 8701 3386 8699 3382 8716
      3420 8743 3424 8715
TIME...MOT...LOC 2208Z 320DEG 14KT 3398 8717

$$

56

2 follow-up statements

558 
WWUS54 KBMX 312224
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
524 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

ALC127-133-312300-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0072.000000T0000Z-120331T2300Z/
WALKER AL-WINSTON AL-
524 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN
WINSTON AND NORTHEASTERN WALKER COUNTIES UNTIL 600 PM CDT...

AT 521 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL IN THE CITY OF CURRY.  
THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SMITH DAM...OR 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF 
JASPER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  POWELLVILLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL. SEEK SHELTER NOW
INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3422 8714 3414 8710 3400 8711 3398 8714
      3392 8708 3390 8709 3389 8701 3386 8699
      3382 8716 3416 8740
TIME...MOT...LOC 2224Z 320DEG 14KT 3393 8712

$$

56

261 
WWUS54 KBMX 312242
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
542 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

ALC127-133-312300-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0072.000000T0000Z-120331T2300Z/
WALKER AL-WINSTON AL-
542 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN
WINSTON AND NORTHEASTERN WALKER COUNTIES UNTIL 600 PM CDT...

AT 539 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL IN THE TOWN OF CURRY.  
THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SMITH DAM...OR 10 MILES EAST OF 
JASPER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF EASTERN WALKER COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL. SEEK SHELTER NOW
INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3408 8734 3412 8711 3408 8711 3400 8711
      3398 8714 3392 8708 3390 8709 3389 8701
      3386 8699 3382 8716
TIME...MOT...LOC 2242Z 322DEG 13KT 3389 8710

$$

56

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 31, 4:27 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Lowndes	48 min
Mar 31, 5:18 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Montgomery	42 min
Mar 31, 5:27 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Lowndes, Montgomery	3 hr
Mar 31, 5:33 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Russell	42 min
Mar 31, 5:56 AM CDT	Dense Fog Advisory	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston	3 hr
Mar 31, 6:11 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Bullock, Macon, Russell	49 min
Mar 31, 6:48 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Macon, Pike, Russell	117 min
Mar 31, 7:32 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Lowndes, Montgomery	3 hr
Mar 31, 4:23 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Winston	37 min
Mar 31, 4:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	36 min
Mar 31, 4:48 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Walker	27 min
Mar 31, 5:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	43 min
Mar 31, 5:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah	37 min
Mar 31, 5:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount	44 min
Mar 31, 5:49 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Cherokee	26 min
Mar 31, 5:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Walker	38 min
Mar 31, 6:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Calhoun, Etowah, St. Clair	52 min
Mar 31, 6:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker	49 min
Mar 31, 6:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	41 min
Mar 31, 6:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Walker	40 min
Mar 31, 6:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, St. Clair, Talladega	38 min
Mar 31, 6:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker	33 min
Mar 31, 6:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	32 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.