Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2016

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Birmingham, AL

February 15, 2016Barbour County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 15, 2016, 7:14 PM CST for Barbour County, Alabama. It was in force for 16 min. 1 report 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: Feb 15, 2016, 7:14 PM CST (01:14 UTC)
Expired: Feb 15, 2016, 7:30 PM CST
In force: 16 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 0.75 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

County Barbour County, AL

The radar

The Ft Rucker radar (KEOX), 59 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:15 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
Feb 15, 7:18 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	Eufaula, AL	MULTIPLE TREES DOWN AROUND THE CITY OF EUFAULA. 4 CHICKEN HOUSES AND NEARBY RESIDENCE WERE ALSO DAMAGED ON COUNTY ROAD 20.

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 one storm report to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 4 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
Feb 15, 12:02 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 173 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: 2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -52 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1122 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 418 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 614 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

504 
WUUS54 KBMX 160114
SVRBMX
ALC005-160130-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0007.160216T0114Z-160216T0130Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
714 PM CST MON FEB 15 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN BARBOUR COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 730 PM CST

* AT 714 PM CST...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE
  EXTENDING FROM NEAR LAKEPOINT RESORT STATE PARK TO NEAR RICHARDS
  CROSSROADS...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

  HAZARD...60 MPH WIND GUSTS. 

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED. 

  IMPACT...EXPECT DAMAGE TO ROOFS...SIDING AND TREES. 

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  EUFAULA...LAKEPOINT RESORT STATE PARK AND TWIN SPRINGS. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST FOR SOUTHEASTERN
ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3206 8519 3206 8511 3207 8511 3206 8506
      3202 8505 3200 8507 3197 8506 3196 8509
      3194 8508 3191 8511 3190 8511 3189 8513
      3179 8513 3178 8514 3176 8513 3177 8516
      3174 8521 3170 8522 3170 8525
TIME...MOT...LOC 0114Z 261DEG 33KT 3205 8511 3174 8519 

HAIL...<.75IN
WIND...60MPH
 
$$

87/GRANTHAM

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 Feb 15, 6:31 PM CST, 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 15, 6:31 PM CST, 43 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
631 PM CST MON FEB 15 2016

.UPDATE...
MESOSCALE UPDATE.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL LIMITED TO OUR SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES...
GENERALLY SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM AUBURN IN LEE COUNTY SOUTHWEST
TO JUST WEST OF TROY IN PIKE COUNTY.

TEMPERATURES REMAIN IN THE LOW TO MID 60S ACROSS THIS PORTION OF
OUR CWA WITH DEW POINTS IN THE LOW TO MID 50S. THE INSTABILITY
OVERALL IS NOT THAT IMPRESSIVE BUT IS SUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN THE
ONGOING LINE OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THAT IS
MOVING EAST ACROSS THE AREA.

STORM MOTION HAS INCREASED WITH THE LINE AS A WHOLE GENERALLY
MOVING EASTWARD AT 30 TO 40 MILES PER HOUR WITH THE INDIVIDUAL
STORMS WITHIN THE LINE GENERALLY MOVING NORTHEAST 40 T0 50 MILES
PER HOUR.

KMXX NEXRAD VAD WIND PROFILE INDICATING LOW LEVEL JET AROUND 6000
FEET WITH WINDS GENERALLY NOW UNIDRECTIONAL OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST
FROM 1000 FT ALOFT TO OVER 15000 FT. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AT
AUBURN... EUFAULA... AND COLUMBUS GA INDICATE SOME LOW LEVEL
VEERING WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTHEAST NEAR THE SURFACE AS WAS EVIDENT
EARLIER OFF THE KMXX NEXRAD VWP.

JH/05

&&

.AVIATION...
00Z TAF DISCUSSION.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO PROGRESS EASTWARD ALONG A
COLD FRONT. MOST WIDESPREAD LIGHTNING IS NEAR THE SOUTHERN TAF
SITES WHERE A PREVAILING TSRA MENTION WAS CONTINUED. LIGHTNING IS
MORE SPORADIC FARTHER NORTH...AND WILL STICK WITH VCTS AT ANB/ASN
AND AMEND IF NECESSARY. OVERALL ACTIVITY IS BEGINNING TO
ACCELERATE EASTWARD AND SHOULD MOVE EAST OF THE TAF SITES WITHIN
THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. UPSTREAM OBS OVER MISSISSIPPI INDICATE
IFR CEILINGS MOVING IN BEHIND THE FRONT AND EXPECT CIGS TO LOWER
TO IFR AREAWIDE TONIGHT BUT TIMING IS UNCERTAIN. IMPROVEMENT IS
EXPECTED TOMORROW MORNING WITH VFR CONDITIONS RETURNING BY NOON OR
SOONER.

32/DAVIS

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...

WIDESPREAD RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. DRY
CONDITIONS RETURN TO MOST OF THE AREA ON TUESDAY AND WILL REMAIN
THROUGH THE END OF THE END. NO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS
EXPECTED.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...
/ISSUED 552 PM CST MON FEB 15 2016/

AT 21Z...SURFACE THERMAL GRADIENT HAS BECOME DIFFUSE ACROSS OUR
SOUTHWEST COUNTIES AS ONGOING RAIN AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS
HELPED TO REDUCE INSTABILITY. HOWEVER...WE CONTINUE TO WATCH
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST OUT OF EAST-CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI.

THERMAL GRADIENT SHARPENS FURTHER EAST ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN
COUNTIES FROM NEAR SELMA IN DALLAS COUNTY TO ACROSS SOUTHERN
AUTAUGA AND ELMORE COUNTIES AND FURTHER EAST TO BETWEEN ALEXANDER
CITY AND AUBURN.

BREAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER CONTINUE TO ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO REACH
INTO THE LOWER 70S ACROSS OUR SOUTHEAST COUNTIES
(PIKE...BARBOUR...RUSSELL...MACON). HIGHER DEW POINTS HAVE HAD
DIFFICULTY ADVECTING INTO THIS AREA AND THAT WILL LIMIT CONVECTIVE
POTENTIAL TO A DEGREE. WARM ADVECTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AND
WILL LIKELY INCREASE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A LOW
LEVEL JET STRENGTHENS ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL ALABAMA.

REGIONAL RADAR MOSAICS SHOW WIDESPREAD SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF I-65 ACROSS SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
STRETCHING ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTHERN PORTION OF OUR CWA AND
THIS ACTIVITY IS MOVING NORTHEAST ABOUT 35 KNOTS.

NEXRAD VAD WIND PROFILES CONTINUE TO INDICATE VEERING WINDS AT BMX
WITH A LOW LEVEL JET PRESENT AT ABOUT 5000 FT. VEERING WINDS ALSO
PRESENT AT MXX THOUGH NOT AS PRONOUNCED AS AT BMX CURRENTLY.

CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT TO OUR SOUTH AND IN OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES
CONTINUES TO HELP LIMIT THE ADVECTION OF MORE UNSTABLE AIR
NORTHWARD THOUGH THIS IS NOT LIMITING ADVECTION INTO OUR SOUTHEAST
COUNTIES.

JH/05

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GADSDEN     39  59  37  55  34 /  90  20  20   0   0
ANNISTON    39  60  38  57  35 /  90  20  20   0   0
BIRMINGHAM  41  61  39  58  37 /  80  10  10   0   0
TUSCALOOSA  40  63  39  61  38 /  70  10   0   0   0
CALERA      40  62  40  59  39 /  80  10  10   0   0
AUBURN      41  61  40  60  39 / 100  10  10   0   0
MONTGOMERY  41  65  41  63  39 /  90  10   0   0   0
TROY        43  65  42  63  40 /  90  10   0   0   0

&&

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

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 15, 6:21 PM CST, 53 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
621 PM CST MON FEB 15 2016

ALZ011>015-017>050-170330-
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-
621 PM CST MON FEB 15 2016

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PORTIONS
OF THE CENTRAL ALABAMA THROUGH 8 PM THIS EVENING. THE GREATEST
THREAT APPEARS TO BE DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 70 MPH...BUT BRIEF
TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER
IS ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-85.

IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINFALL COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING
ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WILL BE
NEEDED THROUGH THIS EVENING.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 15, 3:19 PM CST, 3 hours 55 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
319 PM CST MON FEB 15 2016

ALZ044-152215-
MONTGOMERY AL-
319 PM CST MON FEB 15 2016

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL MONTGOMERY COUNTY UNTIL
415 PM CST...

AT 318 PM CST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
DAVENPORT...OR 12 MILES EAST OF FORT DEPOSIT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40
MPH.

NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
EASTERN MONTGOMERY...PIKE ROAD...MOUNT MEIGS...AUBURN UNIVERSITY IN
MONTGOMERY...SELLERS...WAUGH...PINEDALE...RAMER...SNOWDOUN...
NAFTEL...DAVENPORT...STRATA...EASTDALE MALL...SPRAGUE...BRASSELL...
BARACHIAS...CECIL...CARTERS HILL AND MITYLENE.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 85 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 6 AND 16.

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.

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 3205 8630 3205 8641 3210 8641 3243 8619
      3244 8618 3243 8615 3243 8613 3242 8612
      3242 8609 3241 8605 3242 8603 3234 8599
      3232 8596 3230 8595 3228 8592 3227 8598
      3225 8599 3225 8600 3221 8600 3196 8630
TIME...MOT...LOC 2118Z 219DEG 34KT 3205 8637

87/GRANTHAM

Local storm report, Feb 15, 4:39 PM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
439 PM CST MON FEB 15 2016

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

0355 PM     TSTM WND DMG     6 NE CUBA               32.49N 88.30W
02/15/2016                   SUMTER             AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREE DOWN ON A HOME ON CONTI ST IN YORK

&&

DAVIS

Local storm report, Feb 15, 5:43 PM CST, 1 hour 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
543 PM CST MON FEB 15 2016

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

0416 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 S CECIL               32.27N 86.00W
02/15/2016                   MONTGOMERY         AL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF FLOWERS ROAD AND MATTHEWS ROAD.
            A FEW BARNS DAMAGED, DAMAGE TO A TIN ROOF, A FEW TREES
            DOWN. POSSIBLE TORNADO. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

&&

JH

Local storm report, Feb 15, 6:21 PM CST, 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
621 PM CST MON FEB 15 2016

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

0604 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 ENE GOSHEN            31.72N 86.12W
02/15/2016                   PIKE               AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            LARGE TREES DOWN NEAR GOSHEN HIGH SCHOOL. TIME ESTIMATED
            BY RADAR.

&&

JH

Local storm report, Feb 15, 6:22 PM CST, 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
622 PM CST MON FEB 15 2016

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

0614 PM     TSTM WND DMG     TROY                    31.81N 85.97W
02/15/2016                   PIKE               AL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            POWER OUTAGES REPORTED IN TROY. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

&&

JH

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 15, 6:21 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour	54 min
Feb 15, 6:44 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bullock, Macon, Russell	46 min
Feb 15, 6:58 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lee, Russell	32 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2016 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2016

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.