Alert archive / Alabama / Special Weather Statements in 2016

Special Weather Statement, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 20, 2016Pickens County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this special weather statement at May 20, 2016, 4:52 PM CDT for Pickens County, Alabama. It was in force for 23 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: May 20, 2016, 4:52 PM CDT (21:52 UTC)
Expired: May 20, 2016, 5:15 PM CDT
In force: 23 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL

County Pickens County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 93 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:52 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, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 126 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: 7 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -181 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1126 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 67 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 146 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

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 May 20, 2:25 PM CDT, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 2:25 PM CDT, 2 hours 27 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
225 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2016

.DISCUSSION...

Upper trough axis to our west is setting off a few isolated to
scattered areas of showers this afternoon. This feature will
continue to shift eastward this evening and with decreasing pops
from west to east through the next 12 hours. It will be dry going
into the first of the week.

Weather conditions look quiet for much of next week. Mid and
upper level ridging moves across the area early next week. Low
level winds become southerly as surface high pressure shifts
eastward. Ridging aloft should keep the main storm track to the
north as impulses rotate around the ridge. Cannot rule out a
couple of these impulses skirting the far northern locations by
Tuesday and Wednesday, and will keep a mention of low pops for
parts of the area.

Ridging weakens slightly and southwesterly mid level flow
develops across the area around the Thursday/Friday time frame.
For now, most of the showers/storms are expected to remain west
of the state although slightly higher coverage is warranted.

Nothing unusual for temperatures. A little cooler Saturday and
Sunday as the drier air shifts southward and into the area with
warmer and more humid conditions for next week.

88

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAF Discussion.

Generally MVFR clouds out there right now as southerly flow
continues to stream some limited moisture into the area. These
clouds are going to limit the potential for showers/storms this
afternoon and tonight as the front works through. There is still a
chance at seeing some scattered showers and storms at all sites
after 21Z north to 00Z south. Troy has the best shot even before
then as the boundary from the morning's activity remains nearby.
By 6Z the rain chances dwindle but with plenty of low level
moisture in place, low IFR clouds will develop and impact most
sites through 14 to 15Z tomorrow. These clouds should break up
after that, giving way to clearing skies.

16

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...

Scattered rain and storms are possible today ahead of a frontal
system. Drier and cooler air arrives behind a cold front tomorrow
with dry conditions continuing through mid week. No fire weather
concerns at this time.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Gadsden     61  78  54  79  53 /  50  10   0   0   0
Anniston    62  79  57  79  55 /  50  10   0   0   0
Birmingham  63  79  58  80  58 /  40  10   0   0   0
Tuscaloosa  62  81  58  82  58 /  40  10   0   0   0
Calera      63  80  59  80  58 /  40  10   0   0   0
Auburn      64  79  60  79  59 /  40  20   0   0   0
Montgomery  67  83  61  84  59 /  40  10   0   0   0
Troy        66  83  61  82  58 /  40  20   0   0   0

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 8:39 AM CDT, 8 hours 13 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
839 AM CDT FRI MAY 20 2016

ALZ011>015-017>050-211645-
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-
839 AM CDT FRI MAY 20 2016

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

.DAY ONE...OUTLOOK THROUGH TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

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

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 20, 4:10 PM CDT, 42 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
410 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2016

ALZ012-202200-
LAMAR AL-
410 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2016

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN LAMAR COUNTY UNTIL 500
PM CDT...

AT 410 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
CALEDONIA...OR 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF VERNON...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

HALF INCH HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
VERNON...MILLPORT...KENNEDY...MELBORNE...CODY...STAR AND HIGHTOGY.

LAT...LON 3376 8825 3379 8795 3353 8795 3354 8827
TIME...MOT...LOC 2110Z 264DEG 25KT 3365 8825

08

Special weather statement, May 20, 4:52 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
452 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2016

ALZ022-202215-
PICKENS AL-
452 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 2016

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN PICKENS COUNTY UNTIL
515 PM CDT...

AT 452 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
BEVILL LOCK AND DAM...OR NEAR PICKENSVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20
MPH.

HALF INCH HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ALICEVILLE...PICKENSVILLE...MCMULLEN...BEVILL LOCK AND DAM...GARDEN...
GAINESVILLE LAKE CAMPGROUND...GEORGE DOWNER AIRPORT AND COCHRANE.

LAT...LON 3324 8831 3329 8826 3308 8799 3307 8802
      3305 8803 3306 8804 3304 8804 3304 8805
      3305 8807 3305 8808 3304 8807 3303 8810
      3304 8814 3304 8815 3303 8814 3301 8817
      3300 8817 3299 8834
TIME...MOT...LOC 2152Z 311DEG 19KT 3317 8827

08

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 20, 3:29 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Dallas, Lowndes	61 min
May 20, 4:13 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Autauga, Elmore, Montgomery, Pike	62 min
May 20, 4:56 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Bullock, Macon	64 min
May 20, 5:27 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Elmore, Tallapoosa	63 min
May 20, 5:28 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Barbour	62 min
May 20, 4:10 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Lamar	50 min
May 20, 5:09 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Greene, Sumter	51 min
May 20, 6:21 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marion	39 min
May 20, 6:26 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Hale	49 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Alabama, 2016 Every special weather statement 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.