Alert archive / Alabama / Special Weather Statements in 2012

Special Weather Statement, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 7, 2012Calhoun County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this special weather statement at May 7, 2012, 4:55 PM CDT for Calhoun County, Alabama. It was in force for 50 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, 4:55 PM CDT (21:55 UTC)
Expired: May 7, 2012, 5:45 PM CDT
In force: 50 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL

County Calhoun County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:59 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, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 91 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, 3:33 PM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 7, 3:33 PM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 7, 4:51 PM CDT, 4 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
451 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

ALZ011>015-017>050-081500-
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-
451 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH 8 PM THIS
EVENING...FOR AREAS SOUTH OF I-59. THE HAZARDOUS THREATS INCLUDE
LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING.

.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 TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...DUE TO THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
THREAT.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 7, 3:46 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 7, 3:54 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before

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Special weather statement, May 7, 3:56 PM CDT, 59 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 7, 4:07 PM CDT, 48 minutes before

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

ALZ017-026-072145-
BLOUNT AL-ST. CLAIR AL-
407 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN ST. CLAIR AND
SOUTHEASTERN BLOUNT COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM CDT...

AT 403 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM LOCUST FORK TO BARBER
MOTORSPORTS PARK...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE
STORMS.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
  ODENVILLE...
  COOSA ISLAND...
  PLEASANT GROVE...
  ST. CLAIR SPRINGS...
  MACEDONIA...

&&

LAT...LON 3398 8633 3394 8637 3394 8633 3398 8629
      3352 8627 3346 8631 3346 8638 3350 8638
      3350 8648 3355 8648 3356 8655 3372 8652
      3376 8655 3376 8665 3379 8668 3402 8668
      3403 8633
TIME...MOT...LOC 2107Z 272DEG 29KT 3393 8645 3354 8644

GRANTHAM

Special weather statement, May 7, 4:29 PM CDT, 26 minutes before

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

ALZ025-027-072215-
SHELBY AL-TALLADEGA AL-
429 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR TALLADEGA AND SHELBY COUNTIES
UNTIL 515 PM CDT...

AT 426 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BALD ROCK TO MONTEVALLO...
AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE
STORMS.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
  COLUMBIANA...
  WILSONVILLE...
  CHILDERSBURG...
  TALLADEGA SPRINGS...
  TALLADEGA...

&&

LAT...LON 3350 8590 3338 8598 3329 8598 3330 8612
      3320 8612 3319 8617 3310 8618 3310 8649
      3302 8655 3307 8662 3306 8691 3355 8650
      3350 8648 3350 8638 3339 8638 3352 8627
      3349 8626 3354 8619 3362 8620 3352 8582
TIME...MOT...LOC 2130Z 286DEG 26KT 3357 8635 3305 8678

GRANTHAM

Special weather statement, May 7, 4:55 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

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

ALZ019-026-072245-
CALHOUN AL-ST. CLAIR AL-
455 PM CDT MON MAY 7 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN ST. CLAIR AND CALHOUN
COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM CDT...

AT 454 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES EAST OF ASHVILLE TO
ALPINE BAY RESORT...AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE
STORMS.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
  WEST END-COBB TOWN...
  COBB TOWN...
  SAKS...
  OXFORD...
  ANNISTON...

&&

LAT...LON 3396 8565 3363 8568 3356 8575 3359 8580
      3359 8599 3367 8605 3370 8619 3363 8616
      3358 8622 3354 8619 3349 8626 3352 8627
      3345 8631 3345 8632 3394 8628 3395 8617
      3384 8605 3392 8597 3391 8590 3395 8588
TIME...MOT...LOC 2155Z 265DEG 25KT 3386 8617 3346 8621

GRANTHAM

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, 1:44 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Fayette, Pickens	46 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, 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.