Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 68, NWS Huntsville, AL

March 31, 2012Lauderdale County, Limestone County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 31, 2012, 4:00 PM CDT for Lauderdale County, Limestone County, Alabama. It was in force for 45 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 31, 2012, 4:00 PM CDT (21:00 UTC)
Expired: Mar 31, 2012, 4:45 PM CDT
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS Huntsville, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Lauderdale County, AL, Limestone County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:59 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Mar 31, 4:15 PM CDT	HAIL 1	Lester, AL	QUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED.
Mar 31, 4:23 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	Sw Mt Rozell, AL	GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED ON HIGHWAY 99 JUST SOUTH OF LESTER.
Mar 31, 4:39 PM CDT	HAIL 1	1 Se Cartwright, AL	QUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED.
Mar 31, 4:45 PM CDT	HAIL 0.88	Coxey, AL	NICKEL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED
Mar 31, 4:50 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	Coxey, AL	GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED.
Mar 31, 4:51 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	5 N Rogersville, AL	GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED.
Mar 31, 4:52 PM CDT	HAIL 1	5 Nne Rogersville, AL	NICKEL TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED.
Mar 31, 4:52 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	2 N Ripley, AL	GOLFBALL SIZE REPORTED.
Mar 31, 4:53 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	1 W Coxey, AL	GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED.
Mar 31, 4:55 PM CDT	HAIL 2	3 E Coxey, AL	HAIL FROM QUARTER TO HEN EGG SIZE WAS REPORTED COVERING THE GROUND.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 4 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 15 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

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 31, 12:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 143 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: 1321 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 509 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 96 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 52 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

071 
WUUS54 KHUN 312100
SVRHUN
ALC077-083-312145-
/O.NEW.KHUN.SV.W.0068.120331T2100Z-120331T2145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
400 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  EASTERN LAUDERDALE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 445 PM CDT

* AT 355 PM CDT...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 8 MILES
  NORTH OF LESTER...AND  MOVING SOUTH AT 20 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LESTER...
  LEGGTOWN...
  GOOD SPRINGS...MT ROZELL...
  ANDERSON...
  CAIRO...COXEY...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE DAMAGING HAIL UP TO THE 
SIZE OF BASEBALLS.  SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND 
STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS!

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT
SATURDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE.

&&

LAT...LON 3500 8724 3500 8703 3476 8703 3480 8734
      3501 8729 3501 8724
TIME...MOT...LOC 2059Z 005DEG 17KT 3509 8715

$$

1 follow-up statement

356 
WWUS54 KHUN 312127
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
427 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

ALC077-083-312145-
/O.CON.KHUN.SV.W.0068.000000T0000Z-120331T2145Z/
LAUDERDALE AL-LIMESTONE AL-
427 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CDT
FOR NORTHWESTERN LIMESTONE AND EASTERN LAUDERDALE COUNTIES...

AT 423 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL NEAR LESTER. DAMAGING 
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 
NEAR MT ROZELL...MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
CARTWRIGHT...CAIRO...ROGERSVILLE...OLIVER AND COXEY

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 SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING VERY LARGE DAMAGING HAIL UP TO 
THE SIZE OF BASEBALLS. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE 
AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS!

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT
SATURDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE.

&&

LAT...LON 3500 8724 3500 8703 3476 8703 3480 8734
      3501 8729 3501 8724
TIME...MOT...LOC 2126Z 000DEG 23KT 3493 8716

$$

SL

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Mar 31, 1:06 PM CDT, 2 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 1:06 PM CDT, 2 hours 54 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
106 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

.UPDATE...
FOR 18Z AVIATION DISCUSSION AND TO HIGHLIGHT SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
ENVIRONMENT CONTINUES TO LOOK RIPE FOR SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THIS
AFTERNOON AS AREA OBSERVATIONS SHOW A GOOD AMOUNT OF LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE /MID 60S DEWPOINTS/ AND STORMS ARE NOW BEGINNING TO DEVELOP
IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND MOVE TOWARD THE AREA. EXPECT THE WARM AND
UNSTABLE AIRMASS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...WITH LARGE HAIL
AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREATS.

JLL

&&

.AVIATION...
FOR 18Z TAFS...

VFR CONDITIONS ARE LARGELY EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVENING...HOWEVER ANY
SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM THAT DEVELOPS OVER THE TERMINAL WILL BE
CAPABLE OF QUICKLY REDUCING CIGS/VIS. FOG IS AGAIN EXPECTED
TONIGHT...AND ITS MAGNITUDE WILL LARGELY BE DEPENDENT ON RAINFALL
THIS AFTERNOON. VFR CONDITIONS ARE THEN EXPECTED AGAIN SUNDAY MORNING.

JLL

&&

.HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...NONE.
TN...NONE.
&&

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE
AT WEATHER.GOV/HUNTSVILLE.

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 12:57 PM CDT, 3 hours 3 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1257 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-011000-
LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN-
MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN-
1257 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS
OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

A COLD FRONT WILL DRIFT SOUTH TOWARD THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS
AFTERNOON...TRIGGERING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE
AREA. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE...CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL
AND DAMAGING WINDS.

THE GREATEST SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE ACROSS SOUTHERN MIDDLE
TENNESSEE AND EXTREME NORTHWEST ALABAMA BETWEEN 1 PM AND 4 PM...AND
ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF NORTHERN ALABAMA BETWEEN 3 PM AND 7 PM.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL RAPIDLY DIMINISH IN COVERAGE AND STRENGTH THIS
EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...

ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY.
SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.

SEVERAL SYSTEMS MOVING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST WILL INCREASE
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES AGAIN EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY. LARGE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS WILL
BE THE MAIN THREATS ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRONGER STORMS.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS
REQUESTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. REPORTS OF HAIL AND WINDS WILL
BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

CCC/JLL

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 31, 2:04 PM CDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
204 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

TNZ076-096-097-311930-
FRANKLIN-LINCOLN-MOORE-
204 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FRANKLIN...LINCOLN AND MOORE
COUNTIES UNTIL 230 PM CDT...

AT 201 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A BROKEN LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN MAURY...MARSHALL...AND
BEDFORD COUNTIES IN TENNESSEE. THESE STORMS ARE TRACKING SOUTHEAST
AT 20 MPH.

THESE STORMS ARE PRODUCING HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS.

PEOPLE IN LINCOLN...MOORE AND NORTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES...
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF PETERSBURG...CHESTNUT RIDGE...MCBURG...
BOONSHILL...BELLEVILLE...HOWELL...DELLROSE...BOONEVILLE...MIMOSA AND
HARMS...SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR
POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD
SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT
SATURDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3535 8624 3534 8620 3537 8615 3534 8602
      3499 8674 3505 8684 3526 8683 3526 8675
      3531 8668 3533 8661 3537 8659 3536 8649
      3533 8645 3533 8642 3535 8641 3542 8626
TIME...MOT...LOC 1901Z 313DEG 19KT 3555 8619 3521 8690

Special weather statement, Mar 31, 3:28 PM CDT, 32 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
328 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

ALZ001-002-312115-
COLBERT-LAUDERDALE-
328 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR COLBERT AND LAUDERDALE COUNTIES
UNTIL 415 PM CDT...

AT 325 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR PICKWICK DAM...OR 10 MILES SOUTH OF
SAVANNAH...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

NICKEL SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH INCLUDE...
  WATERLOO...RIVERTON.

THIS THUNDERSTORM COULD INTENSIFY QUICKLY...SO BE READY TO ACT IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT
SATURDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN ALABAMA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
TELEVISION STATIONS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS
CONCERNING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3501 8820 3501 8796 3487 8781 3478 8811
      3480 8812 3489 8811 3491 8815 3499 8821
      3501 8821
TIME...MOT...LOC 2028Z 329DEG 14KT 3507 8820

Local storm report, Mar 31, 3:32 PM CDT, 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
332 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0245 PM     HAIL             2 ENE CHESTNUT RIDGE    35.35N 86.50W
03/31/2012  E1.00 INCH       MOORE              TN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN THE EASTERN PORTION OF
            THE CHESTNUT RIDGE COMMUNITY.

&&

KWEBER

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 31, 3:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Lauderdale	48 min
Mar 31, 4:19 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	Jackson	26 min
Mar 31, 4:42 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	Marshall	33 min
Mar 31, 4:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Lawrence, Limestone	48 min
Mar 31, 4:44 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	DeKalb	31 min
Mar 31, 4:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Lauderdale	27 min
Mar 31, 4:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Marshall	41 min
Mar 31, 4:52 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	Cullman	38 min
Mar 31, 4:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Lauderdale, Limestone	30 min
Mar 31, 5:05 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	Madison	40 min
Mar 31, 5:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Cullman	49 min
Mar 31, 5:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan	47 min
Mar 31, 5:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Franklin	39 min
Mar 31, 5:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	DeKalb, Marshall	42 min
Mar 31, 5:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence	44 min
Mar 31, 5:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Lauderdale	41 min
Mar 31, 5:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Cullman	24 min
Mar 31, 5:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Lawrence, Morgan	44 min
Mar 31, 5:55 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan	3 hr
Mar 31, 5:59 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	Lauderdale	3 hr
Mar 31, 6:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Lawrence	44 min
Mar 31, 6:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Cullman, Lawrence, Morgan	38 min
Mar 31, 6:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Lauderdale	49 min
Mar 31, 6:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Franklin	31 min
Mar 31, 6:29 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	HUN	Cullman, Lawrence, Morgan	3 hr
Mar 31, 6:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Lawrence	44 min
Mar 31, 6:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Cullman	50 min
Mar 31, 6:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Limestone, Madison	48 min
Mar 31, 6:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Lauderdale	31 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2012 Every 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.