Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2015

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 105, NWS Birmingham, AL

July 14, 2015Blount County, Jefferson County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 14, 2015, 7:31 PM CDT for Blount County, Jefferson County, Alabama. It was in force for 59 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 14, 2015, 7:31 PM CDT (00:31 UTC)
Expired
Jul 14, 2015, 8:30 PM CDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
70.0 mph

Counties Blount County, AL, Jefferson County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:34 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
Jul 14, 3:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 65 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 00:00Z on 2015-07-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1212 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 2015-07-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 94 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
1212 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-30 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1503 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
94 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
112 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
4.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 14, 6:39 PM CDT, 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 14, 6:39 PM CDT, 52 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
639 PM CDT TUE JUL 14 2015

.UPDATE...
AVIATION DISCUSSION.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

DECENTLY ORGANIZED LINE OF STORMS HEADED SOUTHEASTWARD OUT OF
TENNESSEE AND ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON.  HAVE BEEN LOOKING CLOSELY AT
SOME MESOSCALE NUMBERS TO TRY TO GET A BETTER HANDLE ON THE
UNCERTAINTY THAT NORTHWEST FLOW OFTEN BRINGS.  BEST INSTABILITY IS
COINCIDED WITH THE CURRENT SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH...WHICH LOOKS
GOOD AT THIS POINT.  IT WILL BE A WAIT AND SEE IF IT CAN MAINTAIN
SIMILAR INTENSITY AS THE SUN GETS LOWER...BUT 4500 JOULES WILL TAKE
A WHILE TO SUBSIDE EVEN AS EVENING COOLING BEGINS.  THE HIGHER BULK
SHEAR VALUES...WHICH HELPED ORGANIZE THIS LINE ARE EXPECTED TO
REMAIN TO OUR NORTH...AND ARE OFTEN TIMES CONFUSING.  IN THIS
INSTANCE...ONCE A COLD POOL DOMINATED LINE GETS GOING THE MECHANICS
CAN OFTEN TIMES SUSTAIN MORE ROBUST FEATURES.  IN OTHER WORDS...THE
HIGHER BULK SHEAR IS NOT NECESSARY TO KEEP THE LINE GOING ONCE IT IS
ALREADY ESTABLISHED.  ADD TO THAT THE SOUTHWARD-TURNING SECTION OF
THE LINE ENTERING NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI TRYING TO ORGANIZE INTO AN
MCV...AND THERE IS PLENTY TO SUGGEST THAT AREAS NORTH OF I-20 WILL
NEED TO BE WATCHED VERY CLOSELY.  MOST MESOSCALE NUMERICAL GUIDANCE
IS KILLING THE LINE HERE SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET...HOWEVER...ALL HAVE
INITIALIZED THE INSTABILITY INCORRECTLY. SO BE A BIT CAREFUL WITH
ANY SIMULATED REFLECTIVITY AS IT IS LIKELY UNDERDONE.  THE BIG
BUBBLE OF 4000 JOULES IS LAYING IN WAIT ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTHERN-
THIRD OF THE STATE...AND WILL BE A PROBLEM FOR US AT LEAST OVER THE
NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

17/KLAWS

&&

.AVIATION...
00Z TAF DISCUSSION.

LINE OF SEVERE STORMS WILL PUSH ACROSS NORTHERN TERMINALS THIS
EVENING. HAVE INCLUDED TEMPOS FOR INCREASED WIND SPEEDS AND REDUCED
VIS. HOWEVER...EXPECT GUSTS WITHIN STRONGER STORMS TO APPROACH
50KTS...WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING.

CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE BEHIND THE LINE...WITH VFR CONDITIONS
EXPECTED WITH WINDS SHIFTING BACK TO THE SOUTHWEST AT 5 KTS. WINDS
WEDNESDAY WILL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST ACROSS THE NORTH AT 10-12KTS.
AT MGM AND TOI...HAVE INCLUDED VCTS DURING THE AFTERNOON AS THE
BOUNDARY LEFT FROM TONIGHTS CONVECTION SHOULD BE ACROSS THE
SOUTH...AND DEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE DURING AFTERNOON HEATING.

14

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR AUTAUGA-BARBOUR-
BIBB-BLOUNT-BULLOCK-CHILTON-DALLAS-ELMORE-FAYETTE-GREENE-HALE-
JEFFERSON-LAMAR-LOWNDES-MACON-MARENGO-MARION-MONTGOMERY-PERRY-
PICKENS-PIKE-RUSSELL-SHELBY-SUMTER-TUSCALOOSA-WALKER-WINSTON.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 14, 7:21 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
721 PM CDT TUE JUL 14 2015

ALZ011>015-017>050-160330-
MARION-LAMAR-FAYETTE-WINSTON-WALKER-BLOUNT-ETOWAH-CALHOUN-CHEROKEE-
CLEBURNE-PICKENS-TUSCALOOSA-JEFFERSON-SHELBY-ST. CLAIR-TALLADEGA-
CLAY-RANDOLPH-SUMTER-GREENE-HALE-PERRY-BIBB-CHILTON-COOSA-TALLAPOOSA-
CHAMBERS-MARENGO-DALLAS-AUTAUGA-LOWNDES-ELMORE-MONTGOMERY-MACON-
BULLOCK-LEE-RUSSELL-PIKE-BARBOUR-
721 PM CDT TUE JUL 14 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COUNTIES SERVED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN BIRMINGHAM.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

A COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL CREATE HEAT INDEX
VALUES OVER 105 DEGREES FOR A LARGE MAJORITY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
THIS AFTERNOON. TAKE PROPER PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID HEAT RELATED
ILLNESSES.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS MOST OF CENTRAL
ALABAMA TONIGHT THROUGH MIDNIGHT. DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS
ARE THE GREATEST THREAT WITH A LESSER THREAT OF LARGE HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

HIGH TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH RELATIVELY HIGH HUMIDITY LEVELS
WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE HEAT INDICES NEAR OR ABOVE 105 DEGREES
DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE
NEEDED TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 14, 6:35 PM CDT, 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
635 PM CDT TUE JUL 14 2015

ALZ011-150000-
MARION AL-
635 PM CDT TUE JUL 14 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL MARION COUNTY UNTIL 700
PM CDT...

AT 634 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
WESTON...OR NEAR HAMILTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

HALF INCH HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
HAMILTON...WINFIELD...GUIN...BRILLIANT...GLEN ALLEN...GU-WIN...
BRINN...LAKE BUTTAHATCHEE...WESTON...TWIN...PINEY GROVE...TEXAS...
MARION COUNTY PUBLIC LAKE...TUCKER...PIKEVILLE...PEARCES MILL AND
RANKIN FITE AIRPORT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.

FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.

THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

&&

LAT...LON 3431 8797 3431 8796 3409 8763 3393 8764
      3391 8766 3392 8785 3419 8813 3432 8798
TIME...MOT...LOC 2334Z 314DEG 36KT 3421 8799

05/MA
Special weather statement, Jul 14, 7:15 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 14, 7:22 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
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</head>
<body>
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    <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>
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        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
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        Please try again in a few minutes.
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        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
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Local storm report, Jul 14, 7:29 PM CDT, 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
729 PM CDT TUE JUL 14 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0705 PM     TSTM WND DMG     DOUBLE SPRINGS          34.15N 87.40W
07/14/2015                   WINSTON            AL   911 CALL CENTER

            TREES REPORTED DOWN COUNTYWIDE

&&

DAVIS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 14, 7:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Lamar, Walker65 min
Jul 14, 7:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTuscaloosa62 min
Jul 14, 8:07 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCalhoun, Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair23 min
Jul 14, 8:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby59 min
Jul 14, 8:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson25 min
Jul 14, 8:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Chilton, Coosa, Talladega50 min
Jul 14, 8:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Cleburne44 min
Jul 14, 9:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXClay22 min
Jul 14, 9:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga, Elmore45 min
Jul 14, 9:17 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXTallapoosa58 min
Jul 14, 9:31 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXChambers, Randolph59 min
Jul 14, 9:32 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXDallas, Perry28 min
Jul 14, 9:38 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXLowndes, Montgomery67 min
Jul 15, 4:23 AM CDTHeat AdvisoryBMXAutauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more8 days
Jul 15, 3:16 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXWalker29 min
Jul 15, 3:55 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCoosa35 min
Jul 15, 4:03 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXShelby27 min
Jul 15, 4:08 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXChilton37 min
Jul 15, 4:11 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXRussell34 min
Jul 15, 4:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXRussell31 min
Jul 15, 4:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Chilton, Shelby41 min
Jul 15, 4:24 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXElmore51 min
Jul 15, 4:30 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXBibb, Tuscaloosa45 min
Jul 15, 4:41 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMacon49 min
Jul 15, 4:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Chilton, Perry44 min
Jul 15, 5:05 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXAutauga, Elmore, Montgomery40 min
Jul 15, 5:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga61 min
Jul 15, 5:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBullock63 min
Jul 15, 5:51 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXShelby24 min
Jul 15, 5:53 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXAutauga, Dallas, Hale, Lowndes, Montgomery, Perry37 min
Jul 15, 5:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale46 min
Jul 15, 6:16 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXPickens29 min
Jul 15, 6:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Pickens, Sumter36 min
Jul 15, 6:36 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXRussell24 min
Jul 15, 6:39 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXBarbour, Bullock, Dallas, Hale, Lowndes, Perry and 1 more66 min
Jul 15, 6:58 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXGreene, Sumter47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2015Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2015

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.