Alert archive / Alabama / Special Weather Statements in 2013
Special Weather Statement, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this special weather statement at Mar 18, 2013, 1:06 PM CDT for Marion County, Alabama. It was in force for 39 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 18, 2013, 1:06 PM CDT (18:06 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 18, 2013, 1:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 39 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
County Marion County, AL
The radar
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 60 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:11 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 nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 6.1 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 196 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -139 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 520 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 298 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 281 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.8
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this special weather statement went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at Mar 18, 12:30 PM CDT, 36 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 18, 12:30 PM CDT, 36 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1230 PM CDT MON MAR 18 2013 .UPDATE... FOR 18Z AVIATION. && .DISCUSSION... TODAY LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BE THE STORY OF 2 OR 3 DIFFERENT TALES. WE START OUT THIS MORNING WITH AMPLE CLOUD COVER AND SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS A LARGE PORTION OF CENTRAL ALABAMA AS WELL AS THE MAIN ONGOING SITUATION...THE SQUALL LINE THAT HAS DEVELOPED IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. AS EXPECTED...THE MORNING CLOUD COVER IS HAMPERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SFC BASED INSTABILITY...BUT THE SQUALL LINE DOES HAVE THE ENERGY FROM THE PARENT SURFACE LOW IN SOUTHERN KENTUCKY WITH WHICH TO WORK. THE LINE SHOULD REMAIN ELEVATED BUT WILL CARRY A LOW-END HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND THREAT. THIS IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE HOWEVER AS WE MOVE INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. MODEL GUIDANCE SUPPORTED BY WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY ARE STILL SUGGESTING DRY AIR WILL WORK INTO CENTRAL ALABAMA ALOFT AND WE COULD STILL SEE SOME MIXING OUT OF THE CLOUDS CURRENTLY IN PLACE. IF THIS DOES OCCUR...A GOOD PORTION OF THE AREA COULD SEE SFC BASED CAPES IN THE 1000-1750 J/KG RANGE. WHEN COUPLED WITH INCREASING MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND VEERING SURFACE WINDS...THIS COMBINATION COULD SPELL SOME FAIRLY LARGE HAIL AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WINDS WITH ANY STORM THAT TAPS INTO THAT ENERGY. IF YOU DO SEE CLEARING IN YOUR AREA AND THE SUN COMES OUT...THEN THAT WILL INCREASE YOUR CHANCE FOR A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TO BE EXTENDED TO YOU AS THE ENVIRONMENT WILL RIPEN FOR SEVERE POTENTIAL THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. PROPER ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS FOR SEVERE WEATHER ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE AS WE MOVE TOWARDS THE MIDNIGHT HOUR TONIGHT. UPDATES ARE OUT. 27 && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF DISCUSSION. THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY IDEALIZED TAF FORECAST...ESPECIALLY FOR THE FIRST 6 TO 8 HOURS. WITH MVFR CIGS BECOMING THINNER AND THINNER...SUNSHINE IS STARTING TO SQUEEZE THROUGH THE CLOUD DECK. THIS WILL LIKELY HELP TO DESTABILIZE THINGS...ALLOWING FOR SCATTERED TS DEVELOPMENT ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. PREVAILING TAF LINES REALLY REVOLVE AROUND THE LINE OF TS OVER NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA...WHICH WILL CONTINUE PUSHING TO THE SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH 00Z. MAY HAVE TO ADJUST A BIT IF THESE SCATTERED STORMS BEGIN POPPING UP AHEAD OF THE LINE. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY VEER THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AS WELL...GIVING US SOUTHWESTERLY SURFACE FLOW AHEAD OF FROPA...WHICH WILL TRANSLATE THROUGH CENTRAL ALABAMA DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. CLEARING IS LIKELY A FEW HOURS AFTER DAYBREAK ON TUESDAY. && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 18, 5:43 AM CDT, 7 hours 23 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>In the hours before
Special weather statement, Mar 18, 1:06 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
106 PM CDT MON MAR 18 2013
ALZ011-181845-
MARION AL-
106 PM CDT MON MAR 18 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN MARION COUNTY UNTIL 145
PM CDT...
AT 104 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM NEAR TREMONT...OR 13 MILES SOUTH OF RED BAY...MOVING
EAST AT 45 MPH.
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...
ALONG WITH FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
HACKLEBURG...
SHOTTSVILLE...
PIGEYE...
TESSNER...
BEAR CREEK...
&&
LAT...LON 3432 8766 3431 8764 3421 8763 3418 8820
3430 8819 3433 8817
TIME...MOT...LOC 1806Z 261DEG 37KT 3426 8815The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18, 4:58 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Marion | 32 min |
| Mar 18, 1:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marion | 41 min |
| Mar 18, 1:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marion | 44 min |
| Mar 18, 1:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lamar, Marion | 54 min |
| Mar 18, 2:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Winston | 39 min |
| Mar 18, 2:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Pickens, Winston | 57 min |
| Mar 18, 2:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa, Walker | 62 min |
| Mar 18, 3:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 27 min |
| Mar 18, 3:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount, Jefferson | 39 min |
| Mar 18, 3:20 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Greene, Sumter | 55 min |
| Mar 18, 3:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 47 min |
| Mar 18, 3:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Etowah, St. Clair, Shelby | 56 min |
| Mar 18, 3:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Chilton, Coosa | 52 min |
| Mar 18, 3:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Talladega | 44 min |
| Mar 18, 3:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb, Chilton | 66 min |
| Mar 18, 4:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Cherokee, Talladega | 59 min |
| Mar 18, 4:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Chambers, Tallapoosa | 66 min |
| Mar 18, 4:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Clay, Cleburne, Randolph | 63 min |
| Mar 18, 4:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Coosa | 31 min |
| Mar 18, 4:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb, Chilton, Perry | 57 min |
| Mar 18, 4:24 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Russell | 36 min |
| Mar 18, 4:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tallapoosa | 55 min |
| Mar 18, 4:43 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Dallas, Marengo, Perry | 62 min |
| Mar 18, 4:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Dallas, Marengo, Perry, Sumter | 56 min |
| Mar 18, 4:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Autauga, Elmore | 62 min |
| Mar 18, 5:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tallapoosa | 40 min |
| Mar 18, 5:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Chambers, Lee | 57 min |
| Mar 18, 5:30 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Lowndes, Montgomery | 60 min |
| Mar 18, 5:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Macon | 58 min |
| Mar 18, 5:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Russell | 52 min |
| Mar 18, 6:11 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Lowndes, Montgomery | 49 min |
| Mar 18, 6:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lee | 15 min |
| Mar 18, 6:21 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Barbour, Bullock, Pike, Russell | 54 min |
| Mar 18, 6:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Barbour, Bullock, Pike | 53 min |
Nearby
Special Weather Statements in Alabama, 2013Every special weather statement in 2013
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.