Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 82, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 31, 2012Walker County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 31, 2012, 6:57 PM CDT for Walker County, Alabama. It was in force for 33 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, 6:57 PM CDT (23:57 UTC)
Expired
Mar 31, 2012, 7:30 PM CDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Walker County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:58 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, 6:59 PM CDTHAIL 1.75Parrish, ALGOLF BALL SIZE HAIL COVERED THE GROUND IN PARRISH.
Mar 31, 7:03 PM CDTHAIL 1Parrish, ALQUARTER SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND IN PARRISH...HAIL WAS STILL FALLING.

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, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 65 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.

646 
WUUS54 KBMX 312357
SVRBMX
ALC127-010030-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0082.120331T2357Z-120401T0030Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 730 PM CDT

* AT 653 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING
  WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR PARRISH...
  OR NEAR CORDOVA...AND MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GORGAS...GORGAS STEAM PLANT...BARNEY...GOODSPRINGS...THE WYE AND
  TUTWILER.

THIS INCLUDES...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 61 THROUGH 72...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE DESTRUCTIVE HAIL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3386 8719 3363 8709 3361 8718 3358 8721
      3355 8719 3354 8723 3351 8725 3353 8727
      3351 8727 3351 8730 3352 8732 3358 8732
      3359 8737 3380 8739
TIME...MOT...LOC 2357Z 340DEG 14KT 3375 8725

$$

56
1 follow-up statement
947 
WWUS54 KBMX 010020
SVSBMX

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

ALC127-010030-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0082.000000T0000Z-120401T0030Z/
WALKER AL-
720 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL
WALKER COUNTY UNTIL 730 PM CDT...

AT 716 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL IN PARRISH. THIS STORM 
WAS LOCATED NEAR GORGAS...OR 6 MILES SOUTH OF CORDOVA...MOVING SOUTH 
AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM CONTAINS VERY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE HAIL.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GORGAS STEAM PLANT AND TUTWILER.

THIS INCLUDES...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 70 THROUGH 72...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE DESTRUCTIVE HAIL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

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

LAT...LON 3363 8709 3363 8714 3360 8720 3358 8721
      3355 8719 3354 8723 3351 8725 3353 8727
      3351 8727 3351 8730 3352 8732 3358 8732
      3359 8737 3373 8737 3376 8715
TIME...MOT...LOC 0020Z 340DEG 14KT 3367 8721

$$

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, 6:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWinston41 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, 6:58 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.