Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 31, NWS Huntsville, AL

September 2, 2012Limestone County, Madison County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at Sep 2, 2012, 5:24 PM CDT for Limestone County, Madison County, Alabama. It was in force for 36 min. 5 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
Sep 2, 2012, 5:24 PM CDT (22:24 UTC)
Expired
Sep 2, 2012, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Limestone County, AL, Madison County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:27 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
Sep 2, 5:36 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG4 Sse Huntsville, ALLIGHTNING STRUCK A HOUSE CATCHING IT ON FIRE.
Sep 2, 5:37 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG1 Ssw Huntsville, ALPOWER LINES REPORTED DOWN.
Sep 2, 5:38 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG3 Wsw Huntsville, ALPOWER POLES REPORTED DOWN
Sep 2, 5:43 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG4 Nw Owens Crossroads, ALA TREE WAS WAS BLOWN.
Sep 2, 5:55 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG1 Ssw Huntsville, ALPOWER LINES REPORTED DOWN.

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
Sep 2, 2:49 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 159 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 2012-09-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 257 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 2012-09-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 48 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
257 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
627 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
48 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
87 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

923 
WFUS54 KHUN 022224
TORHUN
ALC083-089-022300-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0031.120902T2224Z-120902T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
524 PM CDT SUN SEP 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  SOUTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 522 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED
  NEAR MADISON...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  HUNTSVILLE...MADISON...MOORES MILL AND REDSTONE ARSENAL. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3461 8643 3461 8686 3481 8688 3487 8645
TIME...MOT...LOC 2222Z 264DEG 29KT 3472 8681 

$$

SL
2 follow-up statements
656 
WWUS54 KHUN 022236
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
536 PM CDT SUN SEP 2 2012

ALC083-022310-
/O.CAN.KHUN.TO.W.0031.000000T0000Z-120902T2300Z/
LIMESTONE AL-
536 PM CDT SUN SEP 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT 
OF LIMESTONE COUNTY. THEREFORE THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR 
SOUTHEASTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY.

LAT...LON 3461 8643 3461 8674 3482 8677 3484 8668
      3487 8645
TIME...MOT...LOC 2234Z 264DEG 29KT 3473 8672 

$$

ALC089-022300-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0031.000000T0000Z-120902T2300Z/
MADISON AL-
536 PM CDT SUN SEP 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT FOR
CENTRAL MADISON COUNTY...

AT 532 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED
NEAR MADISON...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
HUNTSVILLE...MADISON...MOORES MILL AND REDSTONE ARSENAL. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3461 8643 3461 8674 3482 8677 3484 8668
      3487 8645
TIME...MOT...LOC 2232Z 264DEG 29KT 3473 8672 

$$

SL
153 
WWUS54 KHUN 022301
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
601 PM CDT SUN SEP 2 2012

ALC089-022309-
/O.EXP.KHUN.TO.W.0031.000000T0000Z-120902T2300Z/
MADISON AL-
601 PM CDT SUN SEP 2 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL MADISON COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
600 PM CDT...

THE TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HASMOVED OUT OF 
CENTRAL MADISON COUNTY. THEREFORE THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO 
EXPIRE AT CENTRAL MADISON COUNTY.

AN ADDITIONAL TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN MADISON 
COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM CDT.

LAT...LON 3461 8643 3461 8674 3482 8677 3484 8668
      3487 8645
TIME...MOT...LOC 2259Z 264DEG 29KT 3473 8672 

$$

SL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 2, 12:34 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNJackson26 min
Sep 2, 2:54 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNLimestone36 min
Sep 2, 3:56 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNColbert34 min
Sep 2, 4:05 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNColbert, Lawrence25 min
Sep 2, 4:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLimestone, Madison36 min
Sep 2, 4:14 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNLimestone, Madison31 min
Sep 2, 4:27 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNLawrence, Limestone, Morgan33 min
Sep 2, 4:40 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNJackson, Madison35 min
Sep 2, 4:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin30 min
Sep 2, 5:04 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNJackson26 min
Sep 2, 5:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLimestone, Madison25 min
Sep 2, 5:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLawrence, Morgan31 min
Sep 2, 5:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin, Lawrence27 min
Sep 2, 5:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin28 min
Sep 2, 5:33 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningHUNMadison3 hr
Sep 2, 5:40 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNJackson, Madison35 min
Sep 2, 5:44 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningHUNMadison3 hr
Sep 2, 5:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin, Lawrence30 min
Sep 2, 5:50 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNFranklin, Lawrence25 min
Sep 2, 5:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin20 min
Sep 2, 5:58 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNMarshall47 min
Sep 2, 6:02 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNJackson28 min
Sep 2, 6:07 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningHUNFranklin, Lawrence3 hr
Sep 2, 6:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin36 min
Sep 2, 6:30 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNLauderdale45 min
Sep 2, 6:37 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNDeKalb53 min
Sep 2, 6:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin15 min
Sep 2, 6:52 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNMarshall53 min
Sep 2, 6:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNCullman, Marshall, Morgan34 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.