Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 85, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 31, 2012Walker County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 31, 2012, 7:23 PM CDT for Walker County, Alabama. It was in force for 52 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 31, 2012, 7:23 PM CDT (00:23 UTC)
Expired: Mar 31, 2012, 8:15 PM CDT
In force: 52 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Walker County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:25 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 31, 7:37 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	6 N Jasper, AL	HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS WAS OBSERVED FOR A SECOND TIME NEAR CURRY OR 6 MILES NORTH OF JASPER ON CURRY HIGHWAY. THIS REPORT WAS FROM THE SECOND STORM THAT MOVED THROUGH THE AREA.

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 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 70 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: 927 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1532 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 71 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

149 
WUUS54 KBMX 010023
SVRBMX
ALC127-010115-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0085.120401T0023Z-120401T0115Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 815 PM CDT

* AT 721 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL.  THIS STORM
  WAS LOCATED NEAR LAKE SHORE...OR 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ARLEY...AND
  MOVING SOUTH AT 20 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  JASPER...CORDOVA...SUMITON...DORA...CURRY...SIPSEY...LYNNS PARK AND
  ROCKY HOLLOW.

THIS INCLUDES...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 57 THROUGH 78...

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 3399 8714 3392 8708 3390 8708 3389 8701
      3384 8695 3380 8695 3376 8703 3366 8706
      3365 8709 3363 8710 3360 8720 3355 8719
      3351 8726 3353 8727 3351 8727 3352 8732
      3359 8733 3399 8736
TIME...MOT...LOC 0023Z 354DEG 19KT 3400 8715

$$

56

1 follow-up statement

660 
WWUS54 KBMX 010052
SVSBMX

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

ALC127-010115-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0085.000000T0000Z-120401T0115Z/
WALKER AL-
752 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN WALKER
COUNTY UNTIL 815 PM CDT...

AT 748 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED THIS STORM 
PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 
MPH ARE POSSIBLE AS WELL.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR 
JASPER...MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CORDOVA...SUMITON...DORA...SIPSEY...LYNNS PARK...ROCKY HOLLOW...
  BELOIT...PARRISH...BURNWELL AND GORGAS.

THIS INCLUDES...
US 78 EXIT NUMBERS 57 THROUGH 78...

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 3397 8715 3392 8708 3390 8708 3389 8701
      3384 8695 3380 8695 3376 8703 3366 8706
      3360 8720 3355 8719 3351 8726 3353 8727
      3351 8727 3352 8732 3397 8736 3397 8735
TIME...MOT...LOC 0051Z 358DEG 24KT 3386 8722

$$

56

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 31, 7:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson	47 min
Mar 31, 7:15 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Clay, Randolph, Talladega	45 min
Mar 31, 7:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	51 min
Mar 31, 7:55 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Chambers, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Tallapoosa	50 min
Mar 31, 7:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa	47 min
Mar 31, 8:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	46 min
Mar 31, 8:21 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Shelby	24 min
Mar 31, 8:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker, Winston	47 min
Mar 31, 8:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Shelby	39 min
Mar 31, 8:44 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Jefferson, Shelby	106 min
Mar 31, 8:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa	46 min
Mar 31, 9:10 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Chilton	50 min
Mar 31, 9:12 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Walker	48 min
Mar 31, 9:39 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Bibb	51 min
Mar 31, 9:56 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Autauga	49 min
Mar 31, 9:57 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marion	48 min
Mar 31, 10:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion	42 min
Mar 31, 10:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	51 min
Mar 31, 11:29 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Lamar	46 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.