Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Birmingham, AL

January 3, 2015Lamar County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Jan 3, 2015, 4:44 PM CST for Lamar County, Alabama. It was in force for 46 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: Jan 3, 2015, 4:44 PM CST (22:44 UTC)
Expired: Jan 3, 2015, 5:30 PM CST
In force: 46 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Lamar County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 22 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:44 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
Jan 3, 5:02 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	6 Wnw Vernon, AL	NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ON COUNTY LAKE ROAD AND ABERDEEN ROAD.
Jan 3, 5:04 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	4 Nw Vernon, AL	NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ON COUNTY LAKE ROAD AND ABERDEEN ROAD.

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

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, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 144 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.

783 
WFUS54 KBMX 032244
TORBMX
ALC075-032330-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0004.150103T2244Z-150103T2330Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 530 PM CST

* AT 442 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDICATED A SEVERE
  SQUALL LINE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF RAIN-WRAPPED TORNADOES IN
  ADDITION TO WIDESPREAD STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE. THESE DANGEROUS
  STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES NORTHWEST
  OF CALEDONIA TO CALEDONIA TO COLUMBUS...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45
  MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  VERNON...SULLIGENT...BEDFORD...LAMAR COUNTY AIRPORT...CREWS...
  BEAVERTON...BLOOMING GROVE...LAMAR COUNTY PUBLIC LAKE...MELBORNE
  AND STAR.

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 3397 8823 3406 8810 3405 8799 3403 8799
      3402 8795 3362 8795 3353 8816 3353 8828
TIME...MOT...LOC 2244Z 240DEG 40KT 3378 8837 3369 8829
          3355 8833

$$

GRANTHAM

5 follow-up statements

276 
WWUS54 KBMX 032254
SVSBMX

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

ALC075-032330-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-150103T2330Z/
LAMAR AL-
454 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN LAMAR COUNTY
UNTIL 530 PM CST...

AT 452 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
CONFIRMED TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BEDFORD...OR 7
MILES WEST OF VERNON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  VERNON...SULLIGENT...BEDFORD...LAMAR COUNTY AIRPORT...CREWS...
  BLOOMING GROVE...BEAVERTON...HIGHTOGY AND PINE SPRINGS.

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

LAT...LON 3389 8824 3405 8800 3402 8798 3402 8795
      3401 8795 3374 8795 3362 8827
TIME...MOT...LOC 2254Z 240DEG 40KT 3376 8821

$$

GRANTHAM

719 
WWUS54 KBMX 032301
SVSBMX

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

ALC075-032330-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-150103T2330Z/
LAMAR AL-
501 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN LAMAR COUNTY
UNTIL 530 PM CST...

AT 457 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
CONFIRMED TORNADO 5 MILES WEST OF VERNON.  A SECOND TORNADO MAY BE 
DEVELOPING 3 MILES WEST OF SULLIGENT. THESE TORNADOES WERE LOCATED 
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SULLIGENT TO BEDFORD...MOVING NORTHEAST 
AT 45 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  VERNON...SULLIGENT...LAMAR COUNTY AIRPORT...CREWS...BEAVERTON...
  BLOOMING GROVE AND PINE SPRINGS.

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

LAT...LON 3389 8824 3405 8800 3402 8798 3402 8795
      3386 8795 3377 8795 3368 8826
TIME...MOT...LOC 2300Z 240DEG 40KT 3392 8817 3376 8817

$$

GRANTHAM

293 
WWUS54 KBMX 032309
SVSBMX

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

ALC075-032330-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-150103T2330Z/
LAMAR AL-
509 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN LAMAR COUNTY
UNTIL 530 PM CST...

AT 505 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
LINE OF STORMS WITH POSSIBLE EMBEDDED TORNADOES. THESE POSSIBLE 
TORNADOES WERE LOCATED 2 MILES NORTH OF CREWS AND 4 MILES NORTH OF 
VERNON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BEAVERTON.

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

LAT...LON 3396 8814 3405 8800 3402 8798 3402 8795
      3401 8795 3381 8795 3374 8814
TIME...MOT...LOC 2308Z 240DEG 40KT 3394 8808 3382 8809

$$

GRANTHAM

413 
WWUS54 KBMX 032318
SVSBMX

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

ALC075-032330-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-150103T2330Z/
LAMAR AL-
518 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN LAMAR COUNTY
UNTIL 530 PM CST...

AT 515 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BEAVERTON...OR 10 MILES
NORTHEAST OF SULLIGENT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...

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

LAT...LON 3405 8800 3402 8798 3402 8795 3392 8795
      3391 8795 3392 8798 3401 8805
TIME...MOT...LOC 2318Z 235DEG 49KT 3400 8794

$$

GRANTHAM

405 
WWUS54 KBMX 032321
SVSBMX

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

ALC075-032331-
/O.EXP.KBMX.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-150103T2330Z/
LAMAR AL-
521 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2015

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN LAMAR COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
530 PM CST...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED
AREA.

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

LAT...LON 3405 8800 3402 8798 3402 8795 3392 8795
      3391 8795 3392 8798 3401 8805
TIME...MOT...LOC 2321Z 235DEG 49KT 3402 8790

$$

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, 4:27 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Sumter	48 min
Jan 3, 4:34 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter	41 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.