Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 11, NWS Huntsville, AL

March 2, 2012Limestone County, Alabama; Lincoln County, Tennessee

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 2, 2012, 2:00 PM CST for Limestone County, Alabama; Lincoln County, Tennessee. It was in force for 30 min. 3 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, 2:00 PM CST (20:00 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 2012, 2:30 PM CST
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Limestone County, AL, Lincoln County, TN

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:01 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, 2:00 PM CSTHAIL 14 Sw Ardmore, ALQUARTER SIZED HAIL AND POSSIBLE WALL CLOUD REPORTED NEAR I-65 WELCOME CENTER.
Mar 2, 2:02 PM CSTTORNADO1 W Elkmont, ALAN EF-0 TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN IN FARM FIELDS NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF EASTER FARM ROAD AND CR 49/MORRIS ROAD. SEVERAL TREE LIMBS WERE SNAPPED IN THIS AREA ALONG WITH SPORADIC UPROOTING OF SOFTWOOD TREES. THE TORNADO THEN TRACKED EAST TOWARD THE ELKMONT CO
Mar 2, 2:35 PM CSTHAIL 1.75Taft, TNGOLF BALL SIZE HAIL 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, 9:25 AM CSTTornado WatchSPC5 hr
Mar 2, 1:20 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 123 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.

590 
WFUS54 KHUN 022000
TORHUN
ALC083-TNC103-022030-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0011.120302T2000Z-120302T2030Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN LINCOLN COUNTY IN TENNESSEE...
  NORTHEASTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 230 PM CST

* AT 200 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR ELKMONT...
  OR ABOUT 9 MILES NORTH OF ATHENS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO INCLUDE...
  HOLLAND GIN.
  ARDMORE.
  CASH POINT.
  BLANCHE.
  COLDWATER.
  CARMARGO.
  INTERSTATE 65 NEAR THE ALABAMA TENNESSEE STATE LINE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3525 8663 3506 8649 3499 8667 3499 8678
      3495 8679 3486 8701 3495 8707 3500 8700
      3500 8685 3511 8684
TIME...MOT...LOC 2000Z 238DEG 34KT 3495 8697

$$

BCC
1 follow-up statement
890 
WWUS54 KHUN 022018
SVSHUN

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

ALC083-022027-
/O.CAN.KHUN.TO.W.0011.000000T0000Z-120302T2030Z/
LIMESTONE AL-
218 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY IS
CANCELED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS EXITED THE COUNTY.

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

LAT...LON 3506 8649 3499 8667 3499 8681 3503 8684
      3504 8684 3525 8663
TIME...MOT...LOC 2017Z 242DEG 39KT 3503 8676

$$

TNC103-022030-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0011.000000T0000Z-120302T2030Z/
LINCOLN TN-
218 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 PM CST FOR WESTERN
LINCOLN COUNTY...

AT 216 PM CST...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A WALL CLOUD NEAR 
ARDMORE. THE THUNDERSTORM IS NOW LOCATED NEAR BLANCHE...OR ABOUT 15 
MILES SOUTHWEST OF FAYETTEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO TAFT...
COLDWATER...CARMARGO...BELLEVIEW...HARMS AND SKINEM.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3506 8649 3499 8667 3499 8681 3503 8684
      3504 8684 3525 8663
TIME...MOT...LOC 2017Z 242DEG 39KT 3503 8676

$$

BCC

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, 2:06 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale24 min
Mar 2, 2:29 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale31 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
Mar 2, 9:55 AM CSTTornado WarningHUNFranklin9 min
Mar 2, 2:28 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNFranklin, Lincoln, Moore32 min
Mar 2, 2:38 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNLincoln18 min
Mar 2, 2:58 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin, Lincoln, Moore47 min
Mar 2, 3:16 PM CSTTornado WarningHUNFranklin19 min

Nearby

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