Alert archive / Alabama / Special Weather Statements in 2015

Special Weather Statement, NWS Birmingham, AL

August 6, 2015Greene County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this special weather statement at Aug 6, 2015, 3:31 PM CDT for Greene County, Alabama. It was in force for 44 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: Aug 6, 2015, 3:31 PM CDT (20:31 UTC)
Expired: Aug 6, 2015, 4:15 PM CDT
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL

County Greene County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 104 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:33 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, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 135 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: 1482 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -37 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 658 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 1 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -27 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: -0.0
Supercell composite: -0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

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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 Aug 6, 3:23 PM CDT, 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 6, 3:23 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
323 PM CDT THU AUG 6 2015

.DISCUSSION...

UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING ACROSS THE OH/TN VALLEYS WAS
CONTINUING TO HELP SET OFF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON. THE BULK OF THE RAIN THUS
FAR TODAY HAS BEEN IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF CENTRAL ALABAMA...WHICH
HAS HELD TEMPERATURES THERE IN 70S TO LOWER 80S. AS THE SHORTWAVE
CONTINUES TO SLIP EASTWARD THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS
EVENING...WE SHOULD EXPECT THE BEST RAIN CHANCES TO TRANSITION
MORE TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST AS WELL. IN CONTRAST TO THE CLOUDY
AND RAIN COOLED AIR IN THE NORTH...THERE'S SOME DECENT INSTABILITY
IN PARTS OF THE SOUTH (ESPECIALLY THE SOUTHWEST)...WITH TEMPS IN
THE MID 90S. THIS IS THE AREA THAT WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED MORE
CLOSELY FOR STRONGER STORMS. WILL MAINTAIN A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS
AND STORMS OVERNIGHT. BUT I DO THINK THAT AS THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS
GETS EAST OF THE APPALACHIAN DIVIDE AROUND MIDNIGHT...MOST RAIN
ACTIVITY SHOULD DIMINISH AROUND HERE.

THE REST OF THE 7 DAY FORECAST WILL LARGELY FEATURE THE RISING AND
EASING OF TEMPERATURES IN CONNECTION TO THE POSITION OF THE UPPER
LEVEL SUBTROPICAL RIDGE. THE RIDGE AXIS IN EAST TEXAS TO THE LOWER
MS VALLEY OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK KEEPS US IN A
ABOVE NORMAL TEMP FAVORABLE PATTERN. THE RIDGE CENTER APPEARS TO
SHIFT A BIT MORE WEST BY THE MIDDLE TO END OF NEXT WEEK...ALLOWING
SOME LOWER DEWPOINTS AND RELATIVELY LOWER TEMPS TO GET HERE FROM
THE NORTH.

/61/

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAF DISCUSSION.

THIS AFTERNOON...AN AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO
MOVE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA WHILE SCATTERED STORMS DEVELOP
ACROSS SOUTHEAST CENTRAL ALABAMA. RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO IMPACT ALL TERMINALS AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON. ACTIVITY
WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING AS
DRIER AIR MOVES INTO THE AREA BEHIND AN EXITING SHORTWAVE.

TONIGHT...LOW LEVEL MOIST LIFT WILL ALLOW FOR LOW STRATUS TO SPREAD
ACROSS THE AREA...WITH IFR CIGS POSSIBLE. FRIDAY MORNING LOOKS
BETTER WITH VFR CONDITIONS AND NORTHWESTERLY WINDS.

14

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA THROUGH THIS EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL
BUILD BACK INTO THE AREA FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND...TAKING RAIN
CHANCES BACK DOWN TO MORE SEASONABLE LEVELS...AND ALLOWING
TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB BACK ABOVE NORMAL.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     71  89  70  92  71 /  60  10  10  10  10
ANNISTON    70  89  70  92  72 /  70  10  10  10  10
BIRMINGHAM  73  91  73  93  74 /  30  10  20  10  10
TUSCALOOSA  73  94  75  96  74 /  30  20  30  10  10
CALERA      73  92  73  93  74 /  30  20  20  10  10
AUBURN      72  90  73  92  74 /  70  20  10  20  10
MONTGOMERY  76  94  76  96  75 /  70  30  20  20  10
TROY        74  93  74  95  75 /  70  40  20  20  10

&&

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

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 6, 4:13 AM CDT, 11 hours 18 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
413 AM CDT THU AUG 6 2015

ALZ011>015-017>050-071215-
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-
413 AM CDT THU AUG 6 2015

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

.DAY ONE...OUTLOOK THROUGH TONIGHT.

ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS
CENTRAL ALABAMA FROM AROUND NOON TO AROUND 9 PM. THE MAIN THREAT
WILL BE WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY COULD LEAD TO HEAT INDICES NEAR OR ABOVE
105 DEGREES FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
ALABAMA...ESPECIALLY THE SOUTH AND WEST.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS NOT
EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

08

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 6, 10:01 AM CDT, 5 hours 30 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1001 AM CDT THU AUG 6 2015

ALZ013-061530-
FAYETTE AL-
1001 AM CDT THU AUG 6 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN FAYETTE COUNTY UNTIL
1030 AM CDT...

AT 1001 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
NEAR BLUFF...OR 7 MILES NORTH OF FAYETTE...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
GLEN ALLEN...BLUFF...HUBBERTVILLE AND FOWLERS CROSSROADS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3385 8795 3390 8764 3387 8763 3387 8754
      3369 8753 3377 8794
TIME...MOT...LOC 1501Z 267DEG 40KT 3381 8786

14

Special weather statement, Aug 6, 3:31 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
331 PM CDT THU AUG 6 2015

ALZ022-030-062115-
PICKENS AL-SUMTER AL-
331 PM CDT THU AUG 6 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTH CENTRAL SUMTER AND
SOUTHWESTERN PICKENS COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM CDT...

AT 331 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
PAULETTE...OR 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ALICEVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
25 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
PANOLA...WARSAW AND COCHRANE.

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.

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 3309 8833 3304 8814 3303 8814 3300 8817
      3296 8816 3295 8817 3296 8819 3294 8817
      3294 8820 3292 8821 3290 8819 3286 8817
      3292 8835
TIME...MOT...LOC 2031Z 295DEG 20KT 3303 8840

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 6, 8:51 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Fayette	39 min
Aug 6, 10:01 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Fayette	29 min
Aug 6, 4:52 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Coosa	38 min
Aug 6, 5:29 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Talladega	46 min
Aug 6, 5:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay, Talladega	60 min
Aug 6, 6:23 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Chambers, Randolph	67 min
Aug 6, 6:29 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Lee	46 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Alabama, 2015 Every special weather statement 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.