Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 26, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 2, 2012Autauga County, Chilton County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 2, 2012, 9:45 PM CST for Autauga County, Chilton County, Alabama. It was in force for 29 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 2, 2012, 9:45 PM CST (03:45 UTC)
Expired: Mar 2, 2012, 10:14 PM CST
In force: 29 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Autauga County, AL, Chilton County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:45 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 2, 10:01 PM CST	TORNADO 2	3 Wnw Mountain Creek, AL	TORNADO IN SOUTHERN CHILTON AND SOUTHERN COOSA COUNTIES. AT LEAST A DOZEN HOMES WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. PATH WAS 28 MILES LONG AND TORNADO WAS 700 YARDS WIDE.
Mar 2, 10:03 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	2 S Verbena, AL	DAMAGE TO HOMES ALONG HWY 31 JUST SOUTH OF VERBENA. POSSIBLE TORNADO.

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 2, 4:37 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 55 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: 754 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1391 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 231 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 315 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.9
Supercell composite: 7.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

204 
WFUS54 KBMX 030345
TORBMX
ALC001-021-030430-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0026.120303T0345Z-120303T0430Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
945 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN AUTAUGA COUNTY IN ALABAMA...
  SOUTHERN CHILTON COUNTY IN ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 1030 PM CST

* AT 940 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM
  WAS LOCATED NEAR PLECHER...OR 13 MILES NORTHEAST OF VALLEY
  GRANDE...AND MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BILLINGSLEY...POOLES CROSSROADS...VERBENA...MARBURY...ENTERPRISE...
  NEW PROSPECT...COOPER AND MITCHELL DAM.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 65 EXIT NUMBERS 193 THROUGH 205...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORNADOES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE AND CONFIRM AT NIGHT. TAKE COVER NOW.

&&

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3274 8679 3285 8645 3282 8646 3276 8638
      3274 8642 3271 8641 3261 8641 3260 8673
TIME...MOT...LOC 0345Z 250DEG 44KT 3267 8676

$$

17

2 follow-up statements

692 
WWUS54 KBMX 030357
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
957 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

ALC001-021-030430-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0026.000000T0000Z-120303T0430Z/
CHILTON AL-AUTAUGA AL-
957 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN AUTAUGA AND
SOUTHEASTERN CHILTON COUNTIES UNTIL 1030 PM CST...

AT 954 PM CST...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 
WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHEAST 
OF BILLINGSLEY...OR 9 MILES SOUTH OF CLANTON...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  VERBENA...MARBURY...NEW PROSPECT AND COOPER.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 65 EXIT NUMBER 200...

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3265 8665 3274 8667 3282 8646 3276 8639
      3275 8639 3274 8642 3271 8641 3268 8641
TIME...MOT...LOC 0356Z 252DEG 46KT 3271 8660

$$

17

204 
WWUS54 KBMX 030414
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1014 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

ALC001-021-030425-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0026.000000T0000Z-120303T0430Z/
CHILTON AL-AUTAUGA AL-
1014 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN AUTAUGA AND SOUTHEASTERN
CHILTON COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED
AREA.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3265 8665 3274 8667 3282 8646 3276 8639
      3275 8639 3274 8642 3271 8641 3268 8641
TIME...MOT...LOC 0415Z 252DEG 46KT 3277 8632

$$

17

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 2, 6:01 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Winston	44 min
Mar 2, 6:01 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Coosa, Elmore	44 min
Mar 2, 6:05 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Walker	43 min
Mar 2, 6:11 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne	49 min
Mar 2, 6:19 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne	41 min
Mar 2, 6:22 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lowndes, Montgomery	15 min
Mar 2, 6:33 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, Etowah	42 min
Mar 2, 6:44 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Jefferson, Shelby, Tuscaloosa	46 min
Mar 2, 6:44 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Sumter	46 min
Mar 2, 6:46 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	29 min
Mar 2, 7:06 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter	39 min
Mar 2, 7:11 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee, Etowah	49 min
Mar 2, 7:15 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, St. Clair	45 min
Mar 2, 7:21 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter	39 min
Mar 2, 7:36 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Pickens	39 min
Mar 2, 7:49 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker	41 min
Mar 2, 7:51 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion, Walker, Winston	39 min
Mar 2, 7:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Tuscaloosa, Walker	46 min
Mar 2, 8:13 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	34 min
Mar 2, 8:17 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar	28 min
Mar 2, 8:38 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter	112 min
Mar 2, 8:38 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Dallas, Hale, Marengo, Perry	52 min
Mar 2, 8:56 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion	49 min
Mar 2, 9:13 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Autauga, Chilton, Dallas, Perry	47 min
Mar 2, 9:16 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Walker, Winston	119 min
Mar 2, 9:47 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Blount	3 hr
Mar 2, 10:00 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, Talladega	45 min
Mar 2, 10:08 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, Talladega	24 min
Mar 2, 10:11 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Coosa	31 min
Mar 2, 10:22 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson	38 min
Mar 2, 10:32 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Talladega	118 min
Mar 2, 10:34 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Tallapoosa	41 min
Mar 2, 10:37 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Jefferson	3 hr
Mar 2, 10:45 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee, Etowah	45 min
Mar 2, 10:46 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Blount, Etowah, St. Clair	3 hr
Mar 2, 10:52 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby	23 min
Mar 2, 11:00 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Chambers	45 min
Mar 2, 11:05 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Dallas, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter	3 hr
Mar 2, 11:15 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Bibb, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	3 hr
Mar 2, 11:47 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne	15 min
Mar 3, 12:25 AM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Perry, Talladega, Tallapoosa	3 hr
Mar 3, 4:12 AM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Marengo and 2 more	3 hr
Mar 3, 4:27 AM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Clay, Coosa, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega, Tallapoosa	3 hr
Mar 3, 4:33 AM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Calhoun, Chambers, Cleburne, Randolph, St. Clair	3 hr
Mar 3, 5:15 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Russell	45 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2012 Every tornado warning in 2012 Tornadoes 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.