Alert archive / Alabama / Special Weather Statements in 2012

Special Weather Statement, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 2, 2012Walker County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this special weather statement at May 2, 2012, 7:39 PM CDT for Walker County, Alabama. It was in force for 36 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 2, 2012, 7:39 PM CDT (00:39 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 2012, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL

County Walker County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:40 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 248 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2012-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1945 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2012-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 11 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1945 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1274 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
29 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

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What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at May 2, 6:56 PM CDT, 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 6:56 PM CDT, 43 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 2, 12:55 PM CDT, 6 hours 44 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1255 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

ALZ011>015-017>050-031800-
AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CALHOUN-CHAMBERS-CHEROKEE-
CHILTON-CLAY-CLEBURNE-COOSA-DALLAS-ELMORE-ETOWAH-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE-
JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LEE-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY-
PICKENS-PIKE-RANDOLPH-RUSSELL-SHELBY-ST CLAIR-SUMTER-TALLADEGA-
TALLAPOOSA-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON-
1255 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT
EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 2, 6:09 PM CDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
609 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

ALZ011-030000-
MARION AL-
609 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MARION COUNTY UNTIL 700 PM CDT...

AT 609 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF BRILLIANT...OR 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
HAMILTON...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
  HAMILTON...
  WESTON...
  PEARCES MILL...
  RANKIN FITE AIRPORT...
  BEXAR...

TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY.

&&

LAT...LON 3432 8813 3432 8789 3402 8774 3401 8789
      3403 8799 3405 8799 3405 8803 3423 8820
      3425 8819 3431 8818 3433 8814
TIME...MOT...LOC 2309Z 159DEG 17KT 3408 8789
Special weather statement, May 2, 6:14 PM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
614 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

ALZ022-023-030000-
PICKENS AL-TUSCALOOSA AL-
614 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN TUSCALOOSA AND
NORTHEASTERN PICKENS COUNTIES UNTIL 700 PM CDT...

AT 613 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM NEAR JENA...OR 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NORTHPORT...MOVING
NORTHWEST AT 20 MPH.

HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
  GORDO...
  REFORM...
  ROMULUS...
  PIONEER...
  BUHL...

THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS... FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY.

&&

LAT...LON 3353 8827 3352 8770 3309 8773 3307 8783
      3315 8784 3312 8791
TIME...MOT...LOC 2313Z 157DEG 17KT 3312 8780
Special weather statement, May 2, 6:57 PM CDT, 42 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 12:38 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXHale, Perry3 hr
May 3, 12:44 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXHale, Perry3 hr
May 3, 2:06 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXCleburne3 hr

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Alabama, 2012Every special weather statement 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.