Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 87, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 31, 2012Bibb County, Jefferson County, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 31, 2012, 7:58 PM CDT for Bibb County, Jefferson County, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. It was in force for 47 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, 7:58 PM CDT (00:58 UTC)
Expired: Mar 31, 2012, 8:45 PM CDT
In force: 47 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Bibb County, AL, Jefferson County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 42 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:00 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, 8:03 PM CDT	HAIL 1	1 S Oak Grove, AL	QUARTER SIZE HAIL NEAR OAK GROVE.
Mar 31, 8:03 PM CDT	HAIL 1.25	Oak Grove, AL	HALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL COVERING THE GROUND IN OAK GROVE.
Mar 31, 8:46 PM CDT	HAIL 1.25	1 Ne Little Shoal, AL	HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL NEAR BANKHEAD LAKE ON SMITH CAMP RD.

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, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 40 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.

011 
WUUS54 KBMX 010058
SVRBMX
ALC007-073-125-010145-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0087.120401T0058Z-120401T0145Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN BIBB COUNTY IN ALABAMA...
  SOUTHWESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTY IN ALABAMA...
  EASTERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 845 PM CDT

* AT 753 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN
  EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR OAK GROVE...OR 10
  MILES WEST OF HUEYTOWN...AND MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  FAIRFIELD...HUEYTOWN...BESSEMER...OAK GROVE...MIDFIELD...MADISON...
  BON AIR AND BRIGHTON.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 459 EXIT NUMBERS 1 THROUGH 6...
INTERSTATE 20 EXIT NUMBERS 86 THROUGH 120...

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 3356 8733 3356 8732 3352 8732 3351 8727
      3353 8727 3351 8725 3355 8719 3356 8720
      3358 8686 3333 8685 3333 8688 3324 8699
      3325 8703 3316 8702 3316 8698 3310 8696
      3308 8733
TIME...MOT...LOC 0058Z 356DEG 14KT 3347 8716

$$

56

2 follow-up statements

687 
WWUS54 KBMX 010113
SVSBMX

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

ALC007-073-125-010145-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0087.000000T0000Z-120401T0145Z/
BIBB AL-JEFFERSON AL-TUSCALOOSA AL-
813 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL
TUSCALOOSA...SOUTHWESTERN JEFFERSON AND NORTHERN BIBB COUNTIES UNTIL
845 PM CDT...

AT 809 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN OAK GROVE. THIS STORM IS 
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN 
EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR OAK GROVE...OR 8 MILES 
WEST OF HUEYTOWN...MOVING SOUTH AT 20 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BESSEMER...ALABAMA ADVENTURE...NORTH JOHNS...ABERNANT...LAKE
  VIEW...TANNEHILL IRONWORKS STATE PARK...WOODSTOCK JUNCTION...WEST
  BLOCTON...VANCE AND BEVILLE LOCK AND DAM.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 459 EXIT NUMBERS 1 THROUGH 6...
INTERSTATE 20 EXIT NUMBERS 86 THROUGH 115...

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 3347 8722 3349 8717 3347 8693 3333 8685
      3333 8688 3325 8699 3325 8703 3316 8702
      3316 8698 3310 8697 3308 8733
TIME...MOT...LOC 0113Z 356DEG 17KT 3340 8713

$$

GRANTHAM

723 
WWUS54 KBMX 010131
SVSBMX

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

ALC007-073-125-010145-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0087.000000T0000Z-120401T0145Z/
BIBB AL-JEFFERSON AL-TUSCALOOSA AL-
831 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME EAST
CENTRAL TUSCALOOSA...SOUTH CENTRAL JEFFERSON AND NORTH CENTRAL BIBB
COUNTIES UNTIL 845 PM CDT...

AT 826 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN
EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR NORTH JOHNS...OR 6
MILES SOUTHWEST OF BESSEMER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  TANNEHILL IRONWORKS STATE PARK AND BESSEMER AIRPORT.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 459 EXIT NUMBERS 1 THROUGH 6...
INTERSTATE 20 EXIT NUMBERS 97 THROUGH 110...

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 3333 8714 3339 8709 3339 8694 3333 8685
      3333 8688 3325 8699 3325 8703 3321 8702
      3318 8704 3319 8714
TIME...MOT...LOC 0132Z 322DEG 22KT 3330 8702

$$

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, 7:39 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, 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.