Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 23, NWS Huntsville, AL

March 31, 2012Colbert County, Franklin County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 31, 2012, 7:41 PM CDT for Colbert County, Franklin County, Alabama. It was in force for 34 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 31, 2012, 7:41 PM CDT (00:41 UTC)
Expired
Mar 31, 2012, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Colbert County, AL, Franklin County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 80 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:44 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 31, 12:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 169 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2012-04-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1659 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2012-04-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 11 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1659 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-38 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1711 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
89 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
2.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

557 
WFUS54 KHUN 010041
TORHUN
ALC033-059-010115-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0023.120401T0041Z-120401T0115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
741 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN COLBERT COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
  NORTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 815 PM CDT

* AT 739 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR ALLSBORO...
  OR ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF IUKA...MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO INCLUDE...
  POGO.

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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3451 8815 3455 8815 3458 8814 3472 8813
      3474 8812 3475 8811 3474 8803 3447 8807
      3448 8816 3451 8816
TIME...MOT...LOC 0041Z 003DEG 22KT 3467 8812

$$
SL
2 follow-up statements
171 
WWUS54 KHUN 010107
SVSHUN

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

ALC033-010115-
/O.CAN.KHUN.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-120401T0115Z/
COLBERT AL-
807 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN COLBERT COUNTY IS CANCELED...

THE TORNADO SIGNATURE THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUTSIDE OF 
COLBERT COUNTY INTO FRANKLIN COUNTY. THUS...THE TORNADO WARNING HAS 
BEEN CANCELED FOR COLBERT COUNTY. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR SOUTHWESTERN COLBERT COUNTY 
FOR LARGE HAIL. 

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

LAT...LON 3451 8816 3451 8815 3455 8815 3459 8814
      3458 8813 3458 8806 3456 8805 3447 8807
      3448 8816
TIME...MOT...LOC 0105Z 003DEG 22KT 3452 8813

$$

ALC059-010115-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-120401T0115Z/
FRANKLIN AL-
807 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY...

AT 802 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR POGO...OR ABOUT 7
MILES NORTH OF RED BAY...MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY NEAR POGO AND PLEASANT 
HILL.

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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3451 8816 3451 8815 3455 8815 3459 8814
      3458 8813 3458 8806 3456 8805 3447 8807
      3448 8816
TIME...MOT...LOC 0105Z 003DEG 22KT 3452 8813

$$

SL
584 
WWUS54 KHUN 010115
SVSHUN

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

ALC059-010123-
/O.EXP.KHUN.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-120401T0115Z/
FRANKLIN AL-
815 PM CDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY EXPIRES AT
815 PM CDT...

WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES THE TORNADO SIGNATURE 
ASSOCIATED WITH THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE TORNADO 
WARNING HAS WEAKENED AND IS NO LONGER TORNADIC. THEREFORE THE 
TORNADO WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN FRANKLIN 
COUNTY UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. 

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM CDT SUNDAY
MORNING FOR NORTHWEST ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3451 8816 3451 8815 3455 8815 3459 8814
      3458 8813 3458 8806 3456 8805 3447 8807
      3448 8816
TIME...MOT...LOC 0113Z 003DEG 22KT 3447 8813

$$

SL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 31, 7:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale45 min
Mar 31, 7:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNCullman24 min
Mar 31, 7:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin, Lawrence14 min
Mar 31, 7:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Franklin38 min
Mar 31, 8:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin48 min
Mar 31, 9:16 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNFranklin44 min
Mar 31, 9:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin43 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.