Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2016

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 1, 2016Chambers County, Lee County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 1, 2016, 8:26 PM CST for Chambers County, Lee County, Alabama. It was in force for 14 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: Mar 1, 2016, 8:26 PM CST (02:26 UTC)
Expired: Mar 1, 2016, 8:40 PM CST
In force: 14 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

Counties Chambers County, AL, Lee County, AL

The radar

The Maxwell AFB radar (KMXX), 59 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:25 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
Mar 1, 8:27 PM CST	TORNADO 0	3 Nw Opelika, AL	A TORNADO TRAVELED WEST TO EAST JUST NORTH OF OPELIKA. NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED OFF OR WERE UPROOTED ALONG THE PATH.
Mar 1, 8:30 PM CST	TORNADO	2 Ne Opelika, AL	TORNADO REPORTED WITH TDS SIGNATURE, EMA REPORTED SEVERAL TREES DOWN

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
Mar 1, 5:25 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 2.4 hours before the alert went out and 100 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: 3 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -33 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1253 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 64 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 236 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 353 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

418 
WFUS54 KBMX 020226
TORBMX
ALC017-081-020300-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0014.160302T0226Z-160302T0300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
826 PM CST TUE MAR 1 2016

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN LEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...
  SOUTHEASTERN CHAMBERS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 900 PM CST
    
* AT 826 PM CST...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED OVER OPELIKA...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

  HAZARD...TORNADO. 

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION. 

  IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT 
           SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. 
           DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE 
           DAMAGE IS LIKELY. 

* THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  BEANS MILL AROUND 835 PM CST.
  BEULAH...BLEECKER AND FAIRFAX AROUND 840 PM CST.
  RIVER VIEW AROUND 945 PM EST.

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE MOUNT
JEFFERSON AND ROBERT G. PITTS AIRPORT.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 85 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 57 AND 70.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...IN A
MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL
SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3258 8549 3276 8550 3280 8516 3278 8512
      3276 8514 3274 8513 3274 8511 3272 8512
      3269 8512 3266 8509 3265 8511 3263 8508
      3262 8509 3258 8507 3257 8505
TIME...MOT...LOC 0226Z 267DEG 49KT 3267 8541 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

32/DAVIS

2 follow-up statements

643 
WWUS54 KBMX 020233
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
833 PM CST TUE MAR 1 2016

ALC017-081-020300-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0014.000000T0000Z-160302T0300Z/
LEE AL-CHAMBERS AL-
833 PM CST TUE MAR 1 2016

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST FOR
NORTHEASTERN LEE AND SOUTHEASTERN CHAMBERS COUNTIES...
    
AT 833 PM CST...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED OVER BEANS MILL...OR NEAR OPELIKA...MOVING EAST AT 55
MPH.

HAZARD...TORNADO. 

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION. 

IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT 
         SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE 
         TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE DAMAGE IS 
         LIKELY. 

THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  BEULAH AROUND 840 PM CST.
  RIVER VIEW AROUND 945 PM EST.

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE MOUNT
JEFFERSON.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 85 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 60 AND 70.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...IN A
MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL
SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3263 8540 3275 8541 3280 8516 3278 8512
      3276 8514 3274 8513 3274 8511 3272 8512
      3269 8512 3266 8510 3265 8511 3263 8508
      3262 8509
TIME...MOT...LOC 0233Z 267DEG 49KT 3268 8529 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

32/DAVIS

470 
WWUS54 KBMX 020240
SVSBMX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
840 PM CST TUE MAR 1 2016

ALC017-081-020250-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0014.000000T0000Z-160302T0300Z/
LEE AL-CHAMBERS AL-
840 PM CST TUE MAR 1 2016

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN LEE AND SOUTHEASTERN CHAMBERS
COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...
                
THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER APPEARS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.
THEREFORE THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.  HOWEVER GUSTY WINDS OF
40-50 MPH ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM CST FOR
EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA.

LAT...LON 3263 8540 3275 8541 3280 8516 3278 8512
      3276 8514 3274 8513 3274 8511 3272 8512
      3269 8512 3266 8510 3265 8511 3263 8508
      3262 8509
TIME...MOT...LOC 0238Z 267DEG 49KT 3268 8518 

$$

32/DAVIS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 1, 6:12 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Talladega	48 min
Mar 1, 6:14 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Sumter	46 min
Mar 1, 6:44 PM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Clay, Coosa, Talladega, Tallapoosa	9 min
Mar 1, 6:52 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Autauga	38 min
Mar 1, 7:02 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Dallas, Lowndes	58 min
Mar 1, 7:31 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Chambers	44 min
Mar 1, 7:55 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Elmore, Macon, Tallapoosa	35 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2016 Every tornado warning in 2016 Tornadoes 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.