Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 20, NWS Huntsville, AL

March 2, 2012Colbert County, Lauderdale County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 2, 2012, 2:29 PM CST for Colbert County, Lauderdale County, Alabama. It was in force for 31 min. 10 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, 2:29 PM CST (20:29 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 2012, 3:00 PM CST
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Colbert County, AL, Lauderdale County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 129 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:29 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 2, 2:35 PM CSTTSTM WND DMG5 N Florence, ALSMALL TREE LIMBS DOWN NORTH OF FLORENCE
Mar 2, 2:35 PM CSTHAIL 0.755 N Florence, ALPENNY SIZED HAIL REPORTED JUST NORTH OF FLORENCE
Mar 2, 2:35 PM CSTHAIL 1Florence, ALQUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED.
Mar 2, 2:35 PM CSTHAIL 1.252 Nnw Florence, ALHALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN FLORENCE
Mar 2, 2:35 PM CSTHAIL 4.25Florence, ALSOFTBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED.
Mar 2, 2:40 PM CSTHAIL 0.251 Nnw Florence, ALPEA TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED.
Mar 2, 2:45 PM CSTHAIL 13 Wsw Florence, ALDIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED COVERING THE GROUND.
Mar 2, 2:46 PM CSTTSTM WND DMG5 S Florence, ALROOF WAS BLOWN OFF OF A BUILDING AT 2ND STREET AND WOODWARD. POSSIBLE TORNADO DAMAGE.
Mar 2, 3:00 PM CSTHAIL 1.755 Wnw Rogersville, ALQUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED.
Mar 2, 3:05 PM CSTHAIL 1Florence, AL2 INCHES OF HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS WAS REPORTED.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 2, 1:20 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 161 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2012-03-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1667 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2012-03-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 175 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
1667 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-25 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
523 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
68 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
175 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
169 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
6.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

329 
WUUS54 KHUN 022029
SVRHUN
ALC033-077-022100-
/O.NEW.KHUN.SV.W.0020.120302T2029Z-120302T2100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
229 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL COLBERT COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
  LAUDERDALE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 300 PM CST

* AT 224 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  PRIDE LANDING...OR ABOUT 8 MILES WEST OF SHEFFIELD...AND MOVING    
  EAST AT 60 MPH. THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DAMAGING     
  GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  FLORENCE...SAINT FLORIAN...
  KILLEN...FORD CITY...
  CENTER STAR...GREEN HILL...
  KINGTOWN...WHITEHEAD...
  ANDERSON...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

DOPPLER RADAR HAS INDICATED SOME WEAK ROTATION WITHIN THIS STORM.
WHILE NOT IMMEDIATELY LIKELY...A TORNADO MAY STILL DEVELOP. IF A
TORNADO IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A
STURDY STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR INTERIOR ROOM.

&&

LAT...LON 3500 8723 3483 8722 3477 8758 3468 8783
      3485 8790 3500 8750
TIME...MOT...LOC 2029Z 251DEG 56KT 3480 8775

$$
1 follow-up statement
613 
WWUS54 KHUN 022035
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
235 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

ALC033-022044-
/O.CAN.KHUN.SV.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120302T2100Z/
COLBERT AL-
235 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CENTRAL COLBERT COUNTY IS
CANCELED...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST FRIDAY EVENING FOR
NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE.

LAT...LON 3483 8723 3481 8746 3483 8752 3482 8759
      3480 8762 3474 8780 3485 8789 3500 8750
      3500 8723
TIME...MOT...LOC 2034Z 254DEG 48KT 3481 8770

$$

ALC077-022100-
/O.CON.KHUN.SV.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120302T2100Z/
LAUDERDALE AL-
235 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 PM CST
FOR LAUDERDALE COUNTY...

AT 232 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BASEBALL SIZE
HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR OAKLAND...OR ABOUT NEAR SHEFFIELD...MOVING EAST AT 55 
MPH. DESTRUCTIVE BASEBALL SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED IN BARTON WITH 
THIS STORM EARLIER.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
FLORENCE...UNDERWOOD-PETERSVILLE...SAINT FLORIAN...KILLEN...GREEN
HILL...CENTER STAR...ELGIN...KINGTOWN...LEXINGTON...WHITEHEAD...
ROGERSVILLE AND ANDERSON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. IF A TORNADO
IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A STURDY
STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.

&&

LAT...LON 3483 8723 3481 8746 3483 8752 3482 8759
      3480 8762 3474 8780 3485 8789 3500 8750
      3500 8723
TIME...MOT...LOC 2034Z 254DEG 48KT 3481 8770

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 2, 4:44 AM CSTWind AdvisoryHUNColbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale and 5 more11 hr
Mar 2, 7:21 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHUNLawrence39 min
Mar 2, 8:09 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHUNLawrence, Limestone51 min
Mar 2, 8:51 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison24 min
Mar 2, 9:12 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLimestone, Madison33 min
Mar 2, 9:15 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHUNLawrence30 min
Mar 2, 9:18 AM CSTTornado WarningHUNLimestone, Madison27 min
Mar 2, 9:35 AM CSTTornado WarningHUNLimestone, Madison25 min
Mar 2, 9:41 AM CSTTornado WarningHUNJackson, Madison34 min
Mar 2, 9:59 AM CSTTornado Warning EmergencyHUNJackson, Madison31 min
Mar 2, 10:10 AM CSTTornado WarningHUNJackson35 min
Mar 2, 10:24 AM CSTTornado WarningHUNJackson, Madison36 min
Mar 2, 1:01 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHUNLawrence, Limestone44 min
Mar 2, 1:26 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHUNFranklin34 min
Mar 2, 1:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone30 min
Mar 2, 1:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin, Lawrence29 min
Mar 2, 1:55 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLimestone, Madison50 min
Mar 2, 2:00 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNLimestone30 min
Mar 2, 2:06 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale24 min
Mar 2, 2:41 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence34 min
Mar 2, 3:07 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNLimestone23 min
Mar 2, 3:16 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Lawrence29 min
Mar 2, 3:26 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNLimestone, Madison34 min
Mar 2, 3:27 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNLawrence33 min
Mar 2, 3:44 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLimestone31 min
Mar 2, 3:58 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNJackson, Madison14 min
Mar 2, 4:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLawrence, Morgan30 min
Mar 2, 4:10 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNJackson, Madison50 min
Mar 2, 4:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNCullman, Morgan30 min
Mar 2, 4:21 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNMadison24 min
Mar 2, 4:33 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNCullman, Morgan27 min
Mar 2, 4:51 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNJackson, Madison24 min
Mar 2, 4:55 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNMorgan15 min
Mar 2, 5:14 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNJackson46 min
Mar 2, 5:49 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNCullman26 min
Mar 2, 5:57 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNJackson18 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2012Every 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.