Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 76, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 31, 2012Jefferson County, Walker County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 31, 2012, 5:52 PM CDT for Jefferson County, Walker County, Alabama. It was in force for 38 min. 3 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, 5:52 PM CDT (22:52 UTC)
Expired: Mar 31, 2012, 6:30 PM CDT
In force: 38 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Jefferson County, AL, Walker County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:53 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, 5:58 PM CDT	HAIL 2	Sipsey, AL
Mar 31, 6:10 PM CDT	TSTM WND GST 60	2 W Sipsey, AL	ESTIMATED 60 TO 70 MPH WINDS JUST WEST OF SISPEY NEAR U.S. HIGHWAY 78.
Mar 31, 6:10 PM CDT	HAIL 2	2 W Sipsey, AL	HAIL SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN GOLFBALLS JUST WEST OF SIPSEY NEAR U.S. HIGHWAY 78.

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, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 75 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.

975 
WUUS54 KBMX 312252
SVRBMX
ALC073-127-312330-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0076.120331T2252Z-120331T2330Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 548 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
  SIPSEY...OR 9 MILES NORTH OF SUMITON...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15
  MPH.

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

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 65 EXIT NUMBER 271...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 72 THROUGH 87...

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 3391 8709 3390 8708 3389 8701 3387 8699
      3386 8697 3382 8695 3382 8693 3362 8680
      3355 8716 3390 8721
TIME...MOT...LOC 2251Z 335DEG 13KT 3387 8710

$$

56

1 follow-up statement

384 
WWUS54 KBMX 312306
SVSBMX

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

ALC073-127-312330-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0076.000000T0000Z-120331T2330Z/
JEFFERSON AL-WALKER AL-
606 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

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

AT 602 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING TWO INCH DIAMETER HAIL IN SIPSEY. THIS STORM 
WAS LOCATED NEAR SIPSEY...OR 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF SUMITON...MOVING 
SOUTH AT 15 MPH.

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

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 65 EXIT NUMBER 271...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 72 THROUGH 87...

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 3387 8699 3386 8697 3381 8695 3382 8693
      3362 8680 3355 8716 3374 8719 3377 8719
      3378 8720 3384 8720 3389 8701
TIME...MOT...LOC 2305Z 344DEG 15KT 3381 8708

$$

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, 5:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker, Winston	52 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, 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.