Alert archive / Alabama / Flash Flood Warnings in 2015

Flash Flood Warning 6, NWS Huntsville, AL

July 3, 2015Limestone County, Madison County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this flash flood warning at Jul 3, 2015, 8:11 AM CDT for Limestone County, Madison County, Alabama. It was in force for 109 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 3, 2015, 8:11 AM CDT (13:11 UTC)
Expired: Jul 3, 2015, 10:00 AM CDT
In force: 109 min
Issued by: NWS Huntsville, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Limestone County, AL, Madison County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:14 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

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 150 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: 492 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -45 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 689 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 16 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 61 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 7 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Jul 3, 6:57 AM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 3, 6:57 AM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 3, 4:18 AM CDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
418 AM CDT FRI JUL 3 2015

ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-041000-
LAUDERDALE-COLBERT-FRANKLIN AL-LAWRENCE-LIMESTONE-MADISON-MORGAN-
MARSHALL-JACKSON-DEKALB-CULLMAN-MOORE-LINCOLN-FRANKLIN TN-
418 AM CDT FRI JUL 3 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH ALABAMA AND PORTIONS
OF SOUTHERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK EASTWARD ACROSS THE
CENTRAL TENNESSEE VALLEY TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY BE
STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE IN NATURE...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. LOCALLY
HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO RESULT IN PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND MINOR
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...

AN UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE
FOURTH OF JULY HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...AS A
PERSISTENT NORTHWESTERLY UPPER FLOW PATTERN BRINGS MULTIPLE
DISTURBANCES ACROSS THE REGION. THIS WILL TRANSLATE INTO RELATIVELY
HIGH CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR MUCH OF THE OUTLOOK PERIOD. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF GUSTY WINDS AROUND 50 MPH...SMALL
HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

ADDITIONALLY...MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF HEAVY RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED...WITH
FORECAST ACCUMULATIONS NEAR 3 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS
THROUGH SATURDAY. HEAVY RAIN MOVING OVER THE SAME GENERAL AREAS MAY
RESULT IN INSTANCES OF LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IS
POSSIBLE LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 3, 2:51 AM CDT, 5 hours 20 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 3, 7:24 AM CDT, 47 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
724 AM CDT FRI JUL 3 2015

ALZ016-031300-
CULLMAN AL-
724 AM CDT FRI JUL 3 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CULLMAN COUNTY UNTIL 800 AM
CDT...

AT 723 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NESMITH TO NEAR SMITH LAKE
TO NEAR CAMP MCDOWELL...AND MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CULLMAN...HANCEVILLE...GOOD HOPE...HOLLY POND...DODGE CITY...
SARDIS...SMITH DAM...BALDWIN...VINEMONT AND BAILEYTON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS...AND MAY
LEAD TO MINOR FLOODING ON ROADS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS. DO NOT DRIVE
YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.

FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE SEVERAL MILES AWAY FROM THE PARENT THUNDERSTORM.
SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.

&&

LAT...LON 3390 8710 3399 8715 3399 8711 3426 8711
      3425 8655 3417 8656 3412 8660 3408 8670
      3405 8668 3406 8671 3403 8670 3395 8679
      3396 8682 3393 8686 3394 8688 3392 8689
      3391 8692 3386 8694
TIME...MOT...LOC 1223Z 271DEG 51KT 3420 8711 3404 8714 3394 8733

KTW

Special weather statement, Jul 3, 7:33 AM CDT, 38 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
733 AM CDT FRI JUL 3 2015

ALZ006>009-031300-
MARSHALL AL-MORGAN AL-MADISON AL-JACKSON AL-
733 AM CDT FRI JUL 3 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN MARSHALL...EAST
CENTRAL MORGAN...SOUTHERN MADISON AND WEST CENTRAL JACKSON COUNTIES
UNTIL 800 AM CDT...

AT 732 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS NEAR MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER...OR NEAR
HUNTSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE
WITH THESE STORMS.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
HUNTSVILLE...MADISON...REDSTONE ARSENAL...OWENS CROSS ROADS...
GRANT...GURLEY...WOODVILLE...UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE...
MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER AND PAINT ROCK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY
LEAD TO MINOR FLOODING ON ROADS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS. DO NOT DRIVE
YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.

FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE SEVERAL MILES AWAY FROM THE PARENT
THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.

&&

LAT...LON 3442 8626 3451 8674 3479 8670 3473 8624
TIME...MOT...LOC 1232Z 276DEG 34KT 3460 8662

15

Special weather statement, Jul 3, 8:03 AM CDT, 8 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
803 AM CDT FRI JUL 3 2015

ALZ005>008-031345-
MARSHALL AL-MORGAN AL-MADISON AL-LIMESTONE AL-
803 AM CDT FRI JUL 3 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN MARSHALL...EAST
CENTRAL MORGAN...SOUTHERN MADISON AND SOUTHEASTERN LIMESTONE COUNTIES
UNTIL 845 AM CDT...

AT 801 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS FROM EAST LIMESTONE TO NEAR HUNTSVILLE...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE
WITH THESE STORMS.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
HUNTSVILLE...MADISON...ARAB...REDSTONE ARSENAL...OWENS CROSS ROADS...
GURLEY...TRIANA...MORGAN CITY...HUNTSVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS...AND MAY
LEAD TO MINOR FLOODING ON ROADS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS. DO NOT DRIVE
YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.

FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE SEVERAL MILES AWAY FROM THE PARENT
THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.

&&

LAT...LON 3431 8654 3459 8692 3478 8687 3482 8683
      3470 8636 3463 8636 3461 8633 3460 8632
      3460 8619
TIME...MOT...LOC 1301Z 299DEG 27KT 3468 8674

15

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 3, 2:51 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	Franklin, Lawrence	54 min
Jul 3, 7:24 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	Cullman	36 min
Jul 3, 7:33 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	Madison	27 min
Jul 3, 8:03 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	Madison	42 min
Jul 3, 8:53 AM CDT	Flash Flood Watch	HUN	Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale and 5 more	45 hr
Jul 3, 11:04 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	Cullman	41 min
Jul 3, 10:57 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	Franklin	33 min
Jul 3, 11:13 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Franklin	32 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Alabama, 2015 Every flash flood 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.