Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Huntsville, AL

March 2, 2012Cullman County, Morgan County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 2, 2012, 4:33 PM CST for Cullman County, Morgan County, Alabama. It was in force for 27 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
Mar 2, 2012, 4:33 PM CST (22:33 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 2012, 5:00 PM CST
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Cullman County, AL, Morgan County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 100 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:35 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 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

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 124 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, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2012-03-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 544 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, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2012-03-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 180 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
544 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
530 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
180 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
204 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
2.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

796 
WFUS54 KHUN 022233
TORHUN
ALC043-103-022300-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0020.120302T2233Z-120302T2300Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN CULLMAN COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  SOUTHERN MORGAN COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 500 PM CST

* AT 430 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR JONES
  CHAPEL...OR ABOUT 14 MILES WEST OF CULLMAN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40
  MPH.

* LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO INCLUDE...
  BATTLEGROUND.
  LACON.
  FALKVILLE.
  COLE SPRINGS.
  EVA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3419 8709 3433 8711 3448 8668 3438 8663
      3431 8661 3430 8661 3419 8706
TIME...MOT...LOC 2233Z 247DEG 35KT 3425 8704

$$
2 follow-up statements
867 
WWUS54 KHUN 022239
SVSHUN

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

ALC043-103-022300-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120302T2300Z/
CULLMAN AL-MORGAN AL-
439 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CST FOR SOUTHERN
MORGAN AND NORTH CENTRAL CULLMAN COUNTIES...

AT 435 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BATTLEGROUND...OR
ABOUT 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF CULLMAN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

AT 435 PM...SPOTTERS REPORTED A WALL CLOUD NEAR HIGHWAY 31 IN THE 
NORTHWEST PART OF CULLMAN COUNTY.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WEST
POINT...LACON...FALKVILLE...LEESDALE...COLE SPRINGS...EVA AND
FLORETTE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3420 8702 3424 8704 3433 8709 3448 8668
      3438 8663 3431 8661 3430 8661
TIME...MOT...LOC 2238Z 247DEG 35KT 3427 8699

$$
410 
WWUS54 KHUN 022247
SVSHUN

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

ALC043-103-022300-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120302T2300Z/
CULLMAN AL-MORGAN AL-
447 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CST FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL MORGAN AND NORTH CENTRAL CULLMAN COUNTIES...

AT 444 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR LACON...OR ABOUT 9
MILES NORTHWEST OF CULLMAN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO COLE
SPRINGS...EVA AND FLORETTE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3423 8690 3429 8696 3436 8700 3448 8668
      3438 8663 3431 8661 3430 8661
TIME...MOT...LOC 2248Z 247DEG 35KT 3431 8688

$$

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, 2:29 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, 4:51 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

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.