Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2015

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 17, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 31, 2015Clay County, Talladega County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 31, 2015, 4:25 PM CDT for Clay County, Talladega County, Alabama. It was in force for 50 min. 2 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: Mar 31, 2015, 4:25 PM CDT (21:25 UTC)
Expired: Mar 31, 2015, 5:15 PM CDT
In force: 50 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Clay County, AL, Talladega County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:28 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Mar 31, 4:55 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	Ashland, AL	NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HWY 77 AND HWY 9 IN ASHLAND
Mar 31, 4:55 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	Ashland, AL

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 2 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 30 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Mar 31, 1:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 85 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 13 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -343 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1173 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 173 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 141 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

289 
WUUS54 KBMX 312125
SVRBMX
ALC027-121-312215-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0017.150331T2125Z-150331T2215Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
425 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL TALLADEGA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  NORTHERN CLAY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 515 PM CDT

* AT 425 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR WALDO...OR
  NEAR TALLADEGA...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

  HAZARD...60 MPH WIND GUSTS AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. 

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED. 

  IMPACT...HAIL DAMAGE TO VEHICLES IS EXPECTED. EXPECT WIND DAMAGE 
           TO ROOFS...SIDING AND TREES. 

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  TALLADEGA...LINEVILLE...ASHLAND...WALDO...BARFIELD...DELTA...
  IRONATON...GUNTHERTOWN...CRAGFORD...LAKE CHINNABEE AND CHANDLER
  SPRINGS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
BUILDING.

THIS STORM IS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY
STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 3326 8616 3344 8615 3347 8583 3347 8578
      3348 8578 3349 8565 3322 8565
TIME...MOT...LOC 2125Z 269DEG 32KT 3335 8608 

HAIL...1.00IN
WIND...60MPH
 
$$

1 follow-up statement

692 
WWUS54 KBMX 312145
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
445 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

ALC121-312154-
/O.CAN.KBMX.SV.W.0017.000000T0000Z-150331T2215Z/
TALLADEGA AL-
445 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CENTRAL TALLADEGA COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
    
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF 
THE WARNED AREA. THEREFORE THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT FOR
EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3325 8598 3329 8602 3330 8598 3338 8598
      3338 8595 3340 8594 3340 8592 3346 8592
      3347 8578 3348 8578 3349 8565 3322 8565
TIME...MOT...LOC 2144Z 269DEG 32KT 3331 8592 

$$

ALC027-312215-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0017.000000T0000Z-150331T2215Z/
CLAY AL-
445 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM CDT
FOR NORTHERN CLAY COUNTY...

AT 444 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR ASHLAND...
MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

HAZARD...60 MPH WIND GUSTS AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. 

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED. 

IMPACT...HAIL DAMAGE TO VEHICLES IS EXPECTED. EXPECT WIND DAMAGE TO 
         ROOFS...SIDING AND TREES. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LINEVILLE...ASHLAND...BARFIELD...DELTA...GUNTHERTOWN...CRAGFORD AND
LAKE CHINNABEE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
BUILDING.

THIS STORM IS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY
STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 3325 8598 3329 8602 3330 8598 3338 8598
      3338 8595 3340 8594 3340 8592 3346 8592
      3347 8578 3348 8578 3349 8565 3322 8565
TIME...MOT...LOC 2144Z 269DEG 32KT 3331 8592 

HAIL...1.00IN
WIND...60MPH
 
$$

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 Mar 31, 12:46 PM CDT, 3 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 12:46 PM CDT, 3 hours 39 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1246 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

.UPDATE...
FOR 18Z AVIATION.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

THE AIR MASS WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE TODAY AS SURFACE
TEMPERATURES WARM INTO THE 70S AND A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTHWARD.
A SURFACE WARM FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR TUSCALOOSA TO AUBURN.
SURFACE DEWPOINTS ARE NEAR 60 DEGREES SOUTH OF THE FRONT. SOUTHWEST
LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL PUSH THE MORE MARITIME AIR NORTHWARD ACROSS
ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON. MORNING UPPER AIR SOUNDINGS
SHOW A WARM NOSE AROUND 800MB WITH VERY COLD AIR FROM 700MB AND
ABOVE. 700-500MB LAPSE RATES ARE IN THE 8-8.5 CELSIUS
RANGE...WHICH WILL PROMOTE THE PRODUCTION OF LARGE HAIL. THE WARM
NOSE WILL KEEP A LID ON CONVECTION THIS MORNING...BUT FORECAST
SOUNDINGS INDICATE THE WARM NOSE ERODING BY 17Z...WITH FORECAST
CAPE VALUES NEAR 1500-1800 J/KG THIS AFTERNOON. AN UPPER LEVEL
SHORT WAVE TROF OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WILL TRACK SOUTHEAST
TODAY AND PROVIDE LIFT FOR MORE ORGANIZED STORMS. THE IMPULSE MAY
TRIGGER AN UPSTREAM MCS THAT TRACKS SOUTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL
ALABAMA LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS
ALREADY RAISED THE CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK TO SLIGHT RISK...WHICH SEEMS
REASONABLE GIVEN THE EXPECTED CONDITIONS.

58/ROSE

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAF DISCUSSION.

WARM FRONT CURRENTLY LIFTING NORTH OF BHM AND EET...APCHG ASN AND
ANB. BNDRY WILL ACT AS TRIGGER/FOCUS FOR AFTERNOON CONVECTION WITH
MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR TO THE SOUTH AND COLD AIR ALOFT. TIMING OF
CONVECTION IS PROBLEMATIC AT THIS TIME...AND CONTINUED PREVIOUS
TIMING AND WILL ADJUST AS THE SITUATION EVOLVES. MGM/TOI MAY SEE A
FEW VCSH...HOWEVER MAIN ACTIVITY WILL REMAIN NORTH. CIGS OUTSIDE
OF TSTMS SHOULD REMAIN VFR...WITH TYPICAL REDUCTIONS DURING ANY
TSTM ACTIVITY AT/NEAR TAF SITES. EXPECT ACTIVITY TO DIMINISH
THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. GOOD CHANCE OF FOG/LOW CLOUDS WILL
RETURN AT MGM LATE TONIGHT...UNTIL AFTER SUNRISE.

JD/02

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     50  75  56  77  60 /  40  30  30  40  30
ANNISTON    51  76  57  78  60 /  40  30  30  40  20
BIRMINGHAM  54  78  59  80  62 /  40  40  30  40  20
TUSCALOOSA  58  79  60  82  63 /  30  40  30  40  10
CALERA      57  78  59  80  62 /  30  40  30  40  10
AUBURN      56  78  58  79  60 /  40  40  30  20  10
MONTGOMERY  59  80  60  83  61 /  40  40  30  20  10
TROY        60  80  59  82  59 /  40  50  30  20  10

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 3:19 PM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
319 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

ALZ011>015-017>050-012330-
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-
319 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS ALL BUT SOUTHWESTERN
PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...UNTIL 9PM
...GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTHEAST OF A LINE FROM MILLPORT TO
CENTREVILLE TO TROY. THE THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS
UP TO 60 MPH. SEE THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR DETAILS.

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

THERE MAY BE A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON
ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE LIKELIHOOD OF SOMETHING SEVERE
IS LESS THAN ON TUESDAY...BUT NONETHELESS...QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND
WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH MAY OCCUR. THESE STORMS WILL ALSO DEVELOP
IN THE VICINITY OF A QUASI STATIONARY FRONT.

ANOTHER SHOT AT SEVERE STORMS COMES ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING
AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE REGION. ONCE AGAIN...THE MAIN
THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MAY BE
NEEDED TODAY...WEDNESDAY...AND AGAIN FRIDAY.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 31, 3:33 PM CDT, 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
333 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

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

0310 PM     HAIL             4 WSW AURORA            34.09N 86.26W
03/31/2015  E1.00 INCH       ETOWAH             AL   PUBLIC

            REPORTED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA

&&

DAVIS

Local storm report, Mar 31, 3:43 PM CDT, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
343 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

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

0333 PM     HAIL             4 NNE GLEN ALLEN        33.97N 87.71W
03/31/2015  E1.00 INCH       MARION             AL   PUBLIC

            NEAR EXIT 34 ON I-22

&&

DAVIS

Local storm report, Mar 31, 4:00 PM CDT, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
400 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

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

0347 PM     HAIL             4 W PELL CITY           33.56N 86.35W
03/31/2015  E0.88 INCH       ST. CLAIR          AL   PUBLIC

            REPORTED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA

&&

DAVIS

Local storm report, Mar 31, 4:10 PM CDT, 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
410 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

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

0351 PM     HAIL             4 SSE LYNN              33.99N 87.53W
03/31/2015  E1.75 INCH       WALKER             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

DAVIS

Local storm report, Mar 31, 4:13 PM CDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
413 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

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

0405 PM     HAIL             4 S LINCOLN             33.54N 86.14W
03/31/2015  E1.25 INCH       TALLADEGA          AL   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

DAVIS

Local storm report, Mar 31, 4:20 PM CDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
420 PM CDT TUE MAR 31 2015

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

0342 PM     HAIL             3 N ELDRIDGE            33.97N 87.61W
03/31/2015  E1.00 INCH       WALKER             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

DAVIS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 31, 6:25 AM CDT	Dense Fog Advisory	BMX	Barbour, Bullock, Macon, Pike, Russell	3 hr
Mar 31, 1:30 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Walker	30 min
Mar 31, 1:51 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Blount	39 min
Mar 31, 2:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount	45 min
Mar 31, 2:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Marion	34 min
Mar 31, 3:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Etowah	39 min
Mar 31, 3:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Marion, Walker, Winston	60 min
Mar 31, 3:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount	33 min
Mar 31, 4:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Talladega	37 min
Mar 31, 4:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Etowah, St. Clair	32 min
Mar 31, 4:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Pickens	49 min
Mar 31, 4:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	16 min
Mar 31, 4:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun	31 min
Mar 31, 4:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne, Talladega	24 min
Mar 31, 4:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cleburne	34 min
Mar 31, 4:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	54 min
Mar 31, 4:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Etowah	22 min
Mar 31, 5:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cleburne	45 min
Mar 31, 5:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Randolph	50 min
Mar 31, 5:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun	28 min
Mar 31, 5:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount	26 min
Mar 31, 5:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Randolph	34 min
Mar 31, 5:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens, Tuscaloosa	49 min
Mar 31, 5:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Etowah	56 min
Mar 31, 5:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette	33 min
Mar 31, 5:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount	35 min
Mar 31, 6:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	38 min
Mar 31, 6:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene, Hale, Tuscaloosa	52 min
Mar 31, 6:30 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Clay	30 min
Mar 31, 6:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Chilton, Shelby	58 min
Mar 31, 6:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Shelby	48 min
Mar 31, 6:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker	36 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2015 Every 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.