Alert archive / Alabama / Special Weather Statements in 2012

Special Weather Statement, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 7, 2012Fayette County, Pickens County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this special weather statement at May 7, 2012, 1:44 PM CDT for Fayette County, Pickens County, Alabama. It was in force for 46 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 7, 2012, 1:44 PM CDT (18:44 UTC)
Expired: May 7, 2012, 2:30 PM CDT
In force: 46 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL

Counties Fayette County, AL, Pickens County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 82 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:46 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

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 114 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: 215 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -91 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 950 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -17 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -2 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

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 7, 12:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 7, 12:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1235 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

.UPDATE...
FOR 18Z AVIATION.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

VERY MESSY PATTERN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH A SUMMERISH SETUP THIS MORNING BASED ON RADAR AND
SATELLITE IMAGERY. SEVERAL MESOSCALE BOUNDARIES LEFTOVER FROM
YESTERDAY'S THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...AS WELL AS NEW BOUNDARIES
MOVING INTO THE STATE FROM THE EAST...SOUTH...AND NORTHWEST WILL
HELP TO TRIGGER ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE
AFTERNOON TODAY. THE PREDOMINANT FEATURE OF INTEREST IS THE MCS
MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI MOVING TOWARDS THE EAST-
SOUTHEAST. THIS IS ACTUALLY A LEFTOVER COLD POOL FROM A LARGER MCS
THAT DEVELOPED DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OVER WESTERN
TENNESSEE AND SOUTHERN MISSOURI. WITH SUFFICIENT INSTABILITIES IN
PLACE DURING THE AFTERNOON DUE TO HEATING OF 1500-2000 J/KG AND LI'S
OF -5 TO -7 ACROSS WESTERN ALABAMA...THE LARGE COLD POOL BOUNDARY
WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL (-10
TO -12C AT 500MB) THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THE
MORNING KBMX SOUNDING ALSO INDICATES THIS POSSIBILITY WITH STEEP
LAPSE RATES UP TO 700MB...AND FAIRLY STEEP LAPSE RATES THROUGHOUT
THE HAIL GROWTH ZONE AS WELL. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH THIS COLD
POOL ADVANCE EASTWARD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND SHOULD REACH THE
STATE LINE THROUGH 1PM.

ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE STATE...SCATTERED CONVECTION WILL BE POSSIBLE
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS WITH OUTFLOW BOUNDARY COLLISIONS AND
INTERSECTIONS EXPECTED TO TRIGGER ADDITIONAL STORMS THROUGH THE
EVENING HOURS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE OBSERVED YESTERDAY. ANY
STORM THAT DEVELOPS WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...THE POSSIBILITY OF
HAIL...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL.

IN REGARDS TO THE FORECAST...POPS WERE RAISED TO CATEGORICAL TO
CAPTURE THE MCS MOVING INTO NORTHWEST AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE
STATE...AND RAISED POPS TO LIKELY ALL THE WAY EAST TO NEAR THE
INTERSTATE 65 CORRIDOR. HIGHS WERE ALSO DROPPED IN THE AREAS THAT
WILL OBSERVE THE MCS MOVING THROUGH...BUT HIGHS WERE INCREASED FOR
SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF OUR CWA THAT ARE REALLY BEGINNING TO HEAT UP
LATE THIS MORNING. UPDATES ARE OUT.

56/GDG

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAF DISCUSSION.

A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED BACK OVER CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI THIS MORNING AND WILL BE THE FOCUS OF THIS TAF CYCLE.
THIS LINE WILL BEGIN TO WORK ITS WAY INTO THE WESTERN REACHES OF THE
STATE BY 18Z...AND BEGIN AFFECTING KTCL BY 20Z...SPREADING OVER THE
REMAINDER OF OUR SITES OVER THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON.  THIS LINE
COULD CARRY WIND GUSTS OF 40 MPH AND SMALL HAIL.  HAVE ISSUED
INITIAL TAFS AS VCTS...AND WILL UPDATE AS WE ARE ABLE TO TIME OUT
ARRIVAL AT EACH TERMINAL.

AFTER TS...SOME LIGHT RAIN WILL PERSIST...BUT SHOULD DRY UP PRETTY
QUICK...LEAVING THE POTENTIAL FOR FOG DEVELOP AFTER MIDNIGHT.  HAVE
PREVAILED EVERYONE AT MVFR FOR NOW...BUT LOWER VISIBILITIES ARE
PROBABLY GOING TO BE POSSIBLE...DEPENDENT ON HOW MUCH RAIN EACH SITE
RECEIVES.  WINDS SHOULD BE OTHERWISE LIGHT.

27

NOTE***THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS ISSUING SEASONAL TERMINAL
FORECASTS FOR THE TALLADEGA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KASN) IN
TALLADEGA...ALABAMA. THE FORECASTS WILL LAST THROUGH THE 9TH OF MAY.
DUE TO THE LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF OBSERVATIONS...KASN TAF WILL HAVE
AMD NOT SKED APPENDED TO THE END OF THE FORECAST.

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 7, 11:59 AM CDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1159 AM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

ALZ011>015-017>050-081700-
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-
1159 AM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THERE IS A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING ACROSS
CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE HAZARDOUS THREATS INCLUDE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS. THE AREA WITH THE GREATEST CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS IS NORTH
AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 59. THE STORMS SHOULD REACH THEIR PEAK
STRENGTH AND COVERAGE BETWEEN 4PM AND 7 PM...ALTHOUGH STORMS COULD
OCCUR AT JUST ABOUT ANY TIME THROUGH 10 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

THERE IS A THREAT OF ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH DAMAGING
WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...AS A COLD FRONT
APPROACHES AND SLOWLY MOVES THROUGH THE STATE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE NEEDED
AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY...DUE TO THE SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM THREAT.

75

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 7, 10:41 AM CDT, 3 hours 3 minutes before

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Local storm report, May 7, 10:56 AM CDT, 2 hours 48 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 7, 12:54 PM CDT, 50 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1254 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

ALZ011>013-071845-
FAYETTE AL-LAMAR AL-MARION AL-
1254 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN MARION...LAMAR AND
FAYETTE COUNTIES UNTIL 145 PM CDT...

AT 1251 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BRINN TO SULLIGENT TO
COLUMBUS AFB IN MISSISSIPPI...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
  VERNON...
  WINFIELD...
  MILLPORT...
  FAYETTE...
  BEDFORD...

THESE STORMS 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 3413 8820 3413 8764 3391 8763 3353 8766
      3356 8827
TIME...MOT...LOC 1754Z 272DEG 47KT 3410 8778 3392 8809
          3364 8844

56

Special weather statement, May 7, 1:20 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
120 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

ALZ022-071900-
PICKENS AL-
120 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR PICKENS COUNTY UNTIL 200 PM
CDT...

AT 119 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM GLEN ALLEN TO 14 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF COLUMBUS...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH
HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
  PICKENSVILLE...
  REFORM...
  CARROLLTON...
  GORDO...
  ALICEVILLE...

THESE STORMS 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 8828 3352 8784 3323 8783 3315 8785
      3311 8794 3308 8797 3306 8803 3304 8805
      3305 8807 3304 8808 3304 8814 3299 8818
      3299 8834
TIME...MOT...LOC 1820Z 322DEG 26KT 3390 8772 3334 8856

56

Special weather statement, May 7, 1:42 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
142 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

ALZ011-013-071930-
FAYETTE AL-MARION AL-
142 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN MARION AND
NORTHWESTERN FAYETTE COUNTIES UNTIL 230 PM CDT...

AT 137 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM NEAR GUIN...OR 6 MILES WEST OF WINFIELD...MOVING EAST AT
10 MPH.

PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
  WINFIELD...
  GU-WIN...
  GLEN ALLEN...
  BRILLIANT...
  TWIN...

&&

LAT...LON 3392 8763 3389 8764 3385 8795 3389 8796
      3389 8795 3402 8795 3414 8764
TIME...MOT...LOC 1843Z 253DEG 9KT 3395 8789

56

Special weather statement, May 7, 1:44 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
144 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

ALZ012-013-022-023-071930-
FAYETTE AL-LAMAR AL-PICKENS AL-TUSCALOOSA AL-
144 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN TUSCALOOSA...
PICKENS...SOUTHEASTERN LAMAR AND FAYETTE COUNTIES UNTIL 230 PM CDT...

AT 142 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM FAYETTE TO PICKENSVILLE...
AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

ONE HALF INCH HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
  PICKENSVILLE...
  REFORM...
  CARROLLTON...
  ALICEVILLE...
  GORDO...

THESE STORMS 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 3338 8830 3386 8780 3355 8732 3307 8783
      3315 8784 3311 8794 3308 8797 3306 8803
      3304 8805 3305 8808 3303 8815 3302 8815
      3314 8833
TIME...MOT...LOC 1844Z 307DEG 23KT 3373 8779 3324 8830

56

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 6, 7:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	41 min
May 6, 7:20 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Jefferson	40 min
May 6, 7:44 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa	46 min
May 6, 7:54 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Randolph	51 min
May 6, 8:19 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Pickens	41 min
May 6, 8:30 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Shelby	45 min
May 6, 9:29 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Chambers	46 min
May 6, 9:56 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Walker	49 min
May 6, 10:13 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Lee	47 min
May 6, 10:27 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Calhoun	48 min
May 6, 10:41 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Macon	49 min
May 6, 11:26 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Elmore	49 min
May 7, 12:54 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Fayette, Lamar	51 min
May 7, 1:20 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Pickens	40 min
May 7, 1:42 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marion	48 min
May 7, 2:15 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Greene, Sumter	45 min
May 7, 2:29 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Tuscaloosa, Walker	46 min
May 7, 2:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker	45 min
May 7, 3:05 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Greene, Hale, Sumter	40 min
May 7, 3:15 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Bibb, Blount, Jefferson, Shelby	45 min
May 7, 3:54 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Jefferson	51 min
May 7, 3:56 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	BMX	Blount	3 hr
May 7, 3:56 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Jefferson	49 min
May 7, 4:07 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Blount, St. Clair	38 min
May 7, 4:29 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Shelby, Talladega	46 min
May 7, 4:55 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Calhoun	50 min
May 7, 5:16 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Clay, Coosa, Talladega	44 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Alabama, 2012 Every 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.