Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Birmingham, AL

January 3, 2015Sumter County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Jan 3, 2015, 4:27 PM CST for Sumter County, Alabama. It was in force for 48 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: Jan 3, 2015, 4:27 PM CST (22:27 UTC)
Expired: Jan 3, 2015, 5:15 PM CST
In force: 48 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Sumter County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 134 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:29 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jan 3, 3:18 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 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-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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 471 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 266 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 377 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.

286 
WFUS54 KBMX 032227
TORBMX
ALC119-032315-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0002.150103T2227Z-150103T2315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
427 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL SUMTER COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 515 PM CST

* AT 427 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM
  WAS LOCATED 9 MILES WEST OF CUBA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  YORK...LIVINGSTON...BOYD...EMELLE...THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST
  ALABAMA...BLUFFPORT...EPES...GAINESVILLE...I 20 WELCOME CENTER AT
  CUBA AND OLD MALLARD AIRPORT.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 20 EXIT NUMBERS 1 THROUGH 23...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...
CALL 1-800-856-0758 OR TWEET YOUR REPORT USING HASHTAG ALWX

LAT...LON 3270 8838 3283 8817 3283 8813 3280 8810
      3280 8807 3278 8808 3277 8811 3271 8808
      3269 8812 3269 8804 3267 8806 3265 8805
      3263 8808 3259 8805 3260 8802 3244 8841
TIME...MOT...LOC 2227Z 238DEG 48KT 3248 8849

$$

GRANTHAM

4 follow-up statements

884 
WWUS54 KBMX 032239
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
439 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

ALC119-032315-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-150103T2315Z/
SUMTER AL-
439 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN SUMTER COUNTY
UNTIL 515 PM CST...

AT 438 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BOYD...OR 5 MILES NORTHWEST
OF YORK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LIVINGSTON...BOYD...EMELLE...THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA...
  BLUFFPORT...EPES...GAINESVILLE...UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA AND
  SUMTERVILLE.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 20 EXIT NUMBERS 1 THROUGH 23...

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3270 8838 3283 8817 3283 8813 3280 8810
      3280 8807 3278 8808 3277 8811 3271 8808
      3269 8812 3269 8804 3267 8806 3265 8805
      3263 8808 3259 8805 3260 8802 3244 8841
TIME...MOT...LOC 2239Z 238DEG 48KT 3256 8833

$$

GRANTHAM

867 
WWUS54 KBMX 032250
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
450 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

ALC119-032315-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-150103T2315Z/
SUMTER AL-
450 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN SUMTER COUNTY
UNTIL 515 PM CST...

AT 449 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR LIVINGSTON...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 60 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  EPES...GAINESVILLE AND SUMTERVILLE.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 20 EXIT NUMBERS 17 THROUGH 23...

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3283 8817 3283 8813 3280 8810 3280 8807
      3278 8808 3277 8811 3271 8808 3269 8812
      3268 8809 3269 8804 3267 8806 3265 8805
      3252 8832 3270 8838
TIME...MOT...LOC 2250Z 238DEG 50KT 3264 8822

$$

GRANTHAM

712 
WWUS54 KBMX 032302
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
502 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

ALC119-032315-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-150103T2315Z/
SUMTER AL-
502 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL SUMTER COUNTY
UNTIL 515 PM CST...

AT 500 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR EPES...OR 7 MILES NORTH OF
LIVINGSTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GAINESVILLE.

THIS INCLUDES...
INTERSTATE 20 EXIT NUMBER 23...

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3273 8826 3283 8817 3282 8815 3283 8813
      3280 8810 3280 8807 3278 8808 3277 8811
      3271 8808 3266 8817
TIME...MOT...LOC 2302Z 238DEG 50KT 3272 8816

$$

GRANTHAM

822 
WWUS54 KBMX 032310
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
510 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

ALC119-032321-
/O.EXP.KBMX.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-150103T2315Z/
SUMTER AL-
510 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL SUMTER COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 515
PM CST...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CALL 1-800-856-0758.

LAT...LON 3273 8826 3283 8817 3282 8815 3283 8813
      3280 8810 3280 8807 3278 8808 3277 8811
      3271 8808 3266 8817
TIME...MOT...LOC 2311Z 238DEG 50KT 3279 8803

$$

GRANTHAM

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jan 3, 3:42 AM CST	Flash Flood Watch	BMX	Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah and 14 more	24 hr
Jan 3, 3:56 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens	32 min
Jan 3, 4:02 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Sumter	11 min
Jan 3, 4:34 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter	41 min
Jan 3, 4:44 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lamar	46 min
Jan 3, 5:13 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Marion	47 min
Jan 3, 5:16 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Tuscaloosa	14 min
Jan 3, 5:29 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Greene, Lamar, Pickens, Sumter	3 hr
Jan 3, 5:32 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Lowndes	43 min
Jan 3, 5:39 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	20 min
Jan 3, 5:49 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Chilton, Coosa, Shelby, Talladega	3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2015 Every tornado warning in 2015 Tornadoes 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.