Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 86, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 31, 2012Winston County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 31, 2012, 7:39 PM CDT for Winston County, Alabama. It was in force for 51 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, 7:39 PM CDT (00:39 UTC)
Expired: Mar 31, 2012, 8:30 PM CDT
In force: 51 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Winston County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:39 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, 8:23 PM CDT	HAIL 1	Natural Bridge, AL	QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED AT THE NATURAL BRIDGE RESTAURANT. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
Mar 31, 8:29 PM CDT	HAIL 1	3 Nw Lynn, AL	QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED AT THE NATURAL BRIDGE RESTAURANT. CORRECTED FOR TIME AND LOCATION BASED ON 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.

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, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 127 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.

962 
WUUS54 KBMX 010039
SVRBMX
ALC133-010130-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0086.120401T0039Z-120401T0130Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
739 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 830 PM CDT

* AT 735 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 6 MILES
  NORTHEAST OF NEEDMORE...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF HALEYVILLE...AND
  MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  HALEYVILLE...LYNN...ARLEY...NEEDMORE...ASHRIDGE...MORELAND...
  WINSTON FREE STATE BARN AND DOUBLE SPRINGS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. 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 3430 8732 3400 8715 3400 8763 3431 8763
      3431 8734
TIME...MOT...LOC 0039Z 330DEG 15KT 3430 8752

$$

56

2 follow-up statements

806 
WWUS54 KBMX 010101
SVSBMX

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

ALC133-010130-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0086.000000T0000Z-120401T0130Z/
WINSTON AL-
801 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR WINSTON COUNTY
UNTIL 830 PM CDT...

AT 758 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
ASHRIDGE...OR 6 MILES EAST OF HALEYVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20
MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LYNN...ARLEY...ASHRIDGE...MORELAND...WINSTON FREE STATE BARN...
  DOUBLE SPRINGS...HOUSTON RECREATIONAL AREA...POPLAR SPRINGS...
  ASHBANK AND MCDOWELL CAMP GROUNDS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IF YOU ARE IN
THE PATH OF THIS STORM. 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 3430 8732 3400 8715 3400 8763 3431 8763
      3431 8734
TIME...MOT...LOC 0100Z 333DEG 18KT 3422 8751

$$

56

412 
WWUS54 KBMX 010117
SVSBMX

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

ALC133-010130-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0086.000000T0000Z-120401T0130Z/
WINSTON AL-
817 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWESTERN
WINSTON COUNTY UNTIL 830 PM CDT...

AT 812 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES
NORTH OF LYNN...MOVING SOUTH AT 30 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LYNN...ASHBANK...NATURAL BRIDGE AND CLEAR CREEK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IF YOU ARE IN
THE PATH OF THIS STORM. 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 3420 8744 3400 8739 3400 8745 3400 8763
      3401 8763 3419 8762
TIME...MOT...LOC 0117Z 358DEG 26KT 3410 8757

$$

GRANTHAM

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, 7:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker	52 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.