Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 79, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 31, 2012Winston County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 31, 2012, 6:19 PM CDT for Winston County, Alabama. It was in force for 41 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 31, 2012, 6:19 PM CDT (23:19 UTC)
Expired
Mar 31, 2012, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Winston County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 105 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:21 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 31, 6:45 PM CDTHAIL 1.75Nesmith, ALGOLF BALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN THE NESMITH COMMUNITY IN EASTERN WINSTON COUNTY.
Mar 31, 6:51 PM CDTHAIL 1Nesmith, ALREPORTED BY FIREFIGHTER
Mar 31, 7:00 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG1 S Nesmith, ALMINOR SHINGLE DAMAGE TO A HOME ON COUNTY ROAD 146. LARGE ANTENNA ATTACHED TO ROOF WAS ALSO BLOWN OVER.
Mar 31, 7:02 PM CDTHAIL 1.751 E Helicon, ALGOLF BALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN THE COMMUNITY OF HELICON. THE LARGE HAIL DAMAGED SEVERAL VEHICLES IN THE AREA. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 31, 5:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC3 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 112 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2012-03-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1095 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2012-03-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 24 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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.

287 
WUUS54 KBMX 312319
SVRBMX
ALC133-010000-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0079.120331T2319Z-120401T0000Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WINSTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 700 PM CDT

* AT 616 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 5 MILES
  NORTHEAST OF BRUSHY LAKE...OR 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MOULTON...AND
  MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ARLEY...BRUSHY LAKE...ASHRIDGE...MORELAND...INMANFIELD...ADDISON...
  WINSTON FREE STATE BARN AND DOUBLE SPRINGS.

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 3430 8711 3430 8710 3399 8711 3399 8715
      3400 8717 3399 8720 3400 8724 3400 8751
      3431 8751
TIME...MOT...LOC 2319Z 352DEG 20KT 3432 8719

$$

56
1 follow-up statement
256 
WWUS54 KBMX 312345
SVSBMX

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

ALC133-010000-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0079.000000T0000Z-120401T0000Z/
WINSTON AL-
645 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WINSTON COUNTY
UNTIL 700 PM CDT...

AT 639 PM CDT...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 
ADDISON...OR 9 MILES NORTH OF ARLEY...MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH. 
ANOTHER STORM IN SOUTHERN LAWRENCE COUNTY WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN 
PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF MORELAND. GOLF BALL 
SIZE HAIL CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ARLEY...DOUBLE SPRINGS...HOUSTON RECREATIONAL AREA...NESMITH...
  HELICON...CORINTH REC AREA...FALLS CITY...LAKE SHORE...MCDOWELL
  CAMP GROUNDS AND POPLAR SPRINGS.

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 3430 8711 3430 8710 3399 8711 3399 8715
      3400 8717 3399 8720 3400 8724 3400 8751
      3431 8751
TIME...MOT...LOC 2344Z 352DEG 20KT 3418 8717

$$

56

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 31, 4:27 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXLowndes48 min
Mar 31, 5:18 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMontgomery42 min
Mar 31, 5:27 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXLowndes, Montgomery3 hr
Mar 31, 5:33 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXRussell42 min
Mar 31, 5:56 AM CDTDense Fog AdvisoryBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston3 hr
Mar 31, 6:11 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXBullock, Macon, Russell49 min
Mar 31, 6:48 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXBarbour, Bullock, Macon, Pike, Russell117 min
Mar 31, 7:32 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXLowndes, Montgomery3 hr
Mar 31, 4:23 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXWinston37 min
Mar 31, 4:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWinston36 min
Mar 31, 4:48 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXWalker27 min
Mar 31, 5:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWalker, Winston52 min
Mar 31, 5:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWalker, Winston43 min
Mar 31, 5:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount, Etowah37 min
Mar 31, 5:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount44 min
Mar 31, 5:49 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCherokee26 min
Mar 31, 5:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson, Walker38 min
Mar 31, 6:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount, Calhoun, Etowah, St. Clair52 min
Mar 31, 6:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWalker49 min
Mar 31, 6:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson, Walker40 min
Mar 31, 6:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, St. Clair, Talladega38 min
Mar 31, 6:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWalker33 min
Mar 31, 6:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWinston32 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2012Every 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.