Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2013

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Huntsville, AL

May 17, 2013Limestone County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2013, 2:09 PM CDT for Limestone 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
May 17, 2013, 2:09 PM CDT (19:09 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 2013, 2:45 PM CDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Limestone County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:10 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
May 17, 2:17 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD3 Ne Athens, ALFUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED AT I-65 AND HWY 31
May 17, 2:38 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG3 Ssw Ardmore, ALSTRUCTURE AND TREE DAMAGE ON HARDIMAN ROAD NEAR ARDMORE. TORNADO POSSIBLE.
May 17, 2:45 PM CDTTORNADO3 Sw Ardmore, ALTHIS VERY SHORT-LIVED TORNADO WAS PART OF THE SAME STORM THAT PRODUCED THE SOUTH ATHENS TORNADO. DAMAGE WAS SEEN IN A LESS THAN 1/4 MILE SWATH BETWEEN RESIDENCES ALONG EITHER SIDE OF HARDIMAN LANE. SEVERAL RESIDENCES SUSTAINED MINOR ROOF DAMAGE WITH SHINGLES B
May 17, 2:46 PM CDTTORNADO4 Sw Ardmore, ALTORNADO REPORTED AT FORT HAMPTON RD AND CLEM RD. RELAYED BY 911/EMA.
May 17, 2:50 PM CDTTORNADO2 Sw Ardmore, ALSIGHTING OF TORNADO ON BOYDS CHAPEL ROAD NEAR INTERSTATE 65.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 7.2 hours before the alert went out and 137 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 2013-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 2013-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 24 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1257 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
69 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

114 
WFUS54 KHUN 171909
TORHUN
ALC083-171945-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0013.130517T1909Z-130517T1945Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
209 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 245 PM CDT
    
* AT 204 PM CDT...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO ON THE 
  GROUND JUST SOUTH OF ATHENS. DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS TORNADO 
  MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ATHENS...ARDMORE AND ELKMONT. 

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 3499 8692 3499 8678 3489 8678 3475 8692
      3479 8707 3500 8701 3500 8693
TIME...MOT...LOC 1904Z 201DEG 15KT 3480 8697 

$$

SL.77
2 follow-up statements
102 
WWUS54 KHUN 171920
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
220 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013

ALC083-171945-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-130517T1945Z/
LIMESTONE AL-
220 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 245 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY...

AT 215 PM CDT...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD CLOSE 
TO THE INTERSTATE 65 AND HIGHWAY 31 INTERSECTION. THIS TORNADIC 
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ATHENS...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ARDMORE AND ELKMONT. 

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 3499 8679 3490 8683 3481 8692 3482 8700
      3499 8701
TIME...MOT...LOC 1915Z 194DEG 18KT 3486 8694 

$$

SL.77
826 
WWUS54 KHUN 171933
SVSHUN

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
233 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013

ALC083-171945-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-130517T1945Z/
LIMESTONE AL-
233 PM CDT FRI MAY 17 2013

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 245 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY...
    
AT 227 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM 
WAS LOCATED NEAR ARDMORE...OR 9 MILES NORTH OF ATHENS...MOVING NORTH 
AT 15 MPH.

AT 215 PM CDT...LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD 
NEAR INTERSTATE 65 AND HIGHWAY 31.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ARDMORE AND ELKMONT. 

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 3496 8680 3490 8684 3486 8688 3487 8698
      3499 8700 3499 8679
TIME...MOT...LOC 1927Z 201DEG 15KT 3492 8691 

$$

SL.77

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 10:12 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNFranklin33 min
May 17, 10:43 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNLawrence32 min
May 17, 2:36 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNFranklin24 min
May 17, 2:42 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNLimestone18 min
May 17, 2:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale28 min
May 17, 3:08 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale37 min
May 17, 3:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNCullman, Morgan27 min
May 17, 3:48 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNFranklin27 min
May 17, 4:15 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNFranklin45 min
May 17, 4:59 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNLawrence46 min
May 17, 5:36 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNCullman39 min
May 17, 6:16 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNCullman44 min
May 17, 6:55 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNCullman50 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2013Every tornado warning in 2013Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.