Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2017

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 85, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 5, 2017Chambers County, Tallapoosa County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 5, 2017, 5:24 AM CDT for Chambers County, Tallapoosa County, Alabama. It was in force for 51 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: Apr 5, 2017, 5:24 AM CDT (10:24 UTC)
Expired: Apr 5, 2017, 6:15 AM CDT
In force: 51 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.25 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Chambers County, AL, Tallapoosa County, AL

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 5, 5:46 AM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Sse Penton, AL	QUARTER SIZE HAIL ALONG HIGHWAY 77. THIS WAS THE FIRST SEVERE STORM IN THE AREA THIS DAY.
Apr 5, 5:56 AM CDT	HAIL 1.25	2 Nne Trammel Crossroad, AL

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 2 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 22 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
Apr 5, 1:37 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 104 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: 2507 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 42 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

395 
WUUS54 KBMX 051024
SVRBMX
ALC017-123-051115-
/O.NEW.KBMX.SV.W.0085.170405T1024Z-170405T1115Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
524 AM CDT WED APR 5 2017

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  East central Tallapoosa County in east central Alabama...
  Northern Chambers County in east central Alabama...

* Until 615 AM CDT

* At 524 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Ridge Grove,
  or near Camp Hill, moving northeast at 45 mph.

  HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. 

  SOURCE...Radar indicated. 

  IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage 
           to roofs, siding, and trees. 

* Locations impacted include...
  Camp Hill, Lafayette, Stroud, La Fayette, Red Level, Fredonia, Post
  Oak Forks, Veasey Creek Park, Denson, Amity Park, Standing Rock,
  Welch, Penton, Trammel Crossroads, Ridge Grove, Buffalo and Stroud
  Creek.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 3278 8567 3291 8577 3311 8545 3311 8523
      3297 8521
TIME...MOT...LOC 1024Z 237DEG 41KT 3288 8565 

HAIL...1.25IN
WIND...60MPH
 
$$

32/Davis

2 follow-up statements

208 
WWUS54 KBMX 051039
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
539 AM CDT WED APR 5 2017

ALC123-051049-
/O.CAN.KBMX.SV.W.0085.000000T0000Z-170405T1115Z/
Tallapoosa AL-
539 AM CDT WED APR 5 2017

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL TALLAPOOSA COUNTY
IS CANCELLED...
    
The severe thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out of 
the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect until 800 AM CDT for
east central Alabama.

LAT...LON 3281 8559 3302 8559 3311 8545 3311 8523
      3297 8521
TIME...MOT...LOC 1039Z 237DEG 41KT 3297 8548 

$$

ALC017-051115-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0085.000000T0000Z-170405T1115Z/
Chambers AL-
539 AM CDT WED APR 5 2017

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 AM CDT
FOR NORTHERN CHAMBERS COUNTY...

At 539 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Penton, or near
Lafayette, moving northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. 

SOURCE...Radar indicated. 

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to 
         roofs, siding, and trees. 

Locations impacted include...
Lafayette, Stroud, La Fayette, Red Level, Fredonia, Post Oak Forks,
Veasey Creek Park, Denson, Amity Park, Standing Rock, Welch, Penton,
Trammel Crossroads, Ridge Grove, Buffalo and Stroud Creek.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 3281 8559 3302 8559 3311 8545 3311 8523
      3297 8521
TIME...MOT...LOC 1039Z 237DEG 41KT 3297 8548 

HAIL...1.25IN
WIND...60MPH
 
$$

32/Davis

973 
WWUS54 KBMX 051054
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
554 AM CDT WED APR 5 2017

ALC017-051115-
/O.CON.KBMX.SV.W.0085.000000T0000Z-170405T1115Z/
Chambers AL-
554 AM CDT WED APR 5 2017

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 AM CDT
FOR NORTHEASTERN CHAMBERS COUNTY...

At 554 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Stroud, moving
northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and half dollar size hail. 

SOURCE...Radar indicated. 

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to 
         roofs, siding, and trees. 

Locations impacted include...
Lafayette, Stroud, La Fayette, Amity Park, Fredonia, Post Oak Forks,
Veasey Creek Park, Standing Rock, Welch, Buffalo and Stroud Creek.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 3289 8542 3303 8542 3311 8539 3311 8523
      3297 8521
TIME...MOT...LOC 1054Z 237DEG 41KT 3307 8530 

HAIL...1.25IN
WIND...60MPH
 
$$

32/Davis

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 Apr 5, 1:46 AM CDT, 3 hours 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 5, 1:46 AM CDT, 3 hours 38 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
146 AM CDT Wed Apr 5 2017

.UPDATE...
MESOSCALE UPDATE.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

A warm front is accelerating northward in far South Alabama this
morning, which has caused elevated supercell development.  This
activity will spread northward through the pre-dawn hours. Hi-res
model guidance does not have a good handle on the current
convective  situation, so it is difficult to know how this will
evolve through the rest of the morning. Complicating matters is
the presence of a subtle upper-level subtropical disturbance which
seems likely to cause early day warm sector contamination and the
development of a low-level jet impulse. The overall consensus is
for additional development through the late morning generally
along and east of a line from Demopolis to Gadsden and especially
across our southeast counties. The primary threat will probably be
large hail through 8 AM, though a tornado or two cannot be ruled
out. The warm sector should be established across most of the area
shortly after 8 AM when additional thunderstorm development is
likely in the areas previously mentioned. This is also when the
tornado threat will increase as a 40kt southwesterly low-level jet
becomes established, leading to 0-1 km SRH of 150-200 m2/s2. This
is normally not high enough for tornadoes in Alabama, but MLCAPE
values approaching 3000 J/kg should help offset the lackluster
low-level directional shear. This batch of storms will probably
exit into Georgia around Noon or 1 PM, leaving being somewhat
cooler air across East AL and West GA which may play a crucial
role in tornado potential later in the afternoon.

Another round of severe storms should initiate around 3-4 PM
along the cold front from Northwest AL southward to around
Demopolis. These storms should become severe with large hail as a
powerful 500 mb jet streak closes in on the area with 65-80 kt
flow across the warm sector. Initially the tornado threat with
these storms may be tempered by less than ideal low-level
directional shear, but this could change especially east of
Interstate 65. If the morning thunderstorm activity leaves behind
a substantial temperature gradient, significant backing of low-
level flow would be present, causing hodographs to become
enlarged. This type of mesoscale enhancement is difficult to
predict, but if it occurs, the threat for destructive, long-track
tornadoes will increase substantially as storms approach the AL/GA
state line around 6-8 PM.

87/Grantham

&&

.AVIATION...
06Z TAF Discussion.

Some big and rather fast changes take place in the first 6 hours.
The main change from the previous issuance was to slow the
increasing clouds by an hour or so. Warm air advection pattern
and low level jet kick between 06-09z with ceilings quickly
dropping to MVFR then IFR between 10-12z. The clouds will be
associated with a warm front and much increased moisture from the
south. Showers and thunderstorms will also develop with this
gradient of moisture around sunrise. Some improvement to all
ceilings expected by 16-18z as ceilings rise somewhat, but
additional showers and thunderstorms are possible through 00z area
wide. Low level winds will be in the neighborhood of 35-38kts
overnight, which is close but just shy of the LLWS criteria.

A volatile atmosphere will be in place across Central Alabama on
Wednesday and any of these storms may produce damaging winds,
tornadoes, and large hail.

75

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...

A storm system will bring rain and thunderstorms to the area
through tonight. Rain-free weather returns Thursday through the
weekend. Critical fire weather conditions are not expected through
the next 7 days.

&&

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

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 5, 5:05 AM CDT, 19 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
505 AM CDT Wed Apr 5 2017

ALZ011>015-017>050-061315-
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-
505 AM CDT Wed Apr 5 2017

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the counties served by the
National Weather Service office in Birmingham.

.DAY ONE...Outlook Through Tonight.

Severe thunderstorms will be possible through tonight.

Round one of severe storms will be associated with a warm front as
it lifts northward through the area. The warm front will move north
of the area by 11 AM. Large hail up to the size of baseballs and
damaging winds will continue to be the dominate concerns of these
storms.

South of the warm front, isolated to scattered storms will develop
and continue to move northeast through the afternoon. This activity
will impact all of Central Alabama. Destructive and long-track
tornadoes will be possible, along with hail up to the size of
baseballs, and damaging straight line winds. These threats will
encompass all of Central Alabama with the greatest threat area along
and east of a line from Warrior to West Blocton to Uniontown.

Round three will be the along the cold front itself as it slides
through the area. Storms may develop along the line and continue to
develop through 9 PM or until the front slides east of the area.
Large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes will be be possible along
this line as well.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Activation of storm spotters and emergency management is expected
from early Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 5, 4:26 AM CDT, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
426 AM CDT WED APR 5 2017

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

0354 AM     HAIL             2 ENE LADONIA           32.48N 85.05W
04/05/2017  E1.75 INCH       RUSSELL            AL   PUBLIC

            GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL ON AUBURN ROAD.

&&

DAVIS

Local storm report, Apr 5, 4:37 AM CDT, 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
437 AM CDT WED APR 5 2017

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

0422 AM     HAIL             1 S VANCE               33.15N 87.23W
04/05/2017  E1.00 INCH       TUSCALOOSA         AL   PUBLIC

            REPORTED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.

&&

DAVIS

Local storm report, Apr 5, 5:08 AM CDT, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
508 AM CDT WED APR 5 2017

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

0500 AM     HAIL             SHELBY COUNTY AIRPORT   33.18N 86.78W
04/05/2017  M0.75 INCH       SHELBY             AL   NWS EMPLOYEE

            PENNY SIZE HAIL OBSERVED AT NWS BIRMINGHAM
            OFFICE AT THE SHELBY COUNTY AIRPORT.

&&

JH

Local storm report, Apr 5, 5:16 AM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
516 AM CDT WED APR 5 2017

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

0440 AM     HAIL             BRIERFIELD IRONWORKS PA 33.04N 86.91W
04/05/2017  E1.00 INCH       BIBB               AL   PUBLIC

            QUARTER SIZED HAIL REPORTED.

&&

JH

Local storm report, Apr 5, 5:17 AM CDT, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
517 AM CDT WED APR 5 2017

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

0515 AM     HAIL             COLUMBIANA              33.18N 86.61W
04/05/2017  E0.25 INCH       SHELBY             AL   PUBLIC

            PEA SIZED HAIL REPORTED.

&&

JH

Local storm report, Apr 5, 5:19 AM CDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
519 AM CDT WED APR 5 2017

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

0512 AM     HAIL             4 SE CAMP BRANCH        33.17N 86.70W
04/05/2017  E0.25 INCH       SHELBY             AL   NWS EMPLOYEE

            PEA SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN NORTHEAST CALERA.

&&

JH

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 5, 1:24 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour	66 min
Apr 5, 2:04 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Pike	56 min
Apr 5, 2:44 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Russell	32 min
Apr 5, 3:32 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Russell	43 min
Apr 5, 3:35 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Hale, Perry	40 min
Apr 5, 3:54 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Tuscaloosa	34 min
Apr 5, 3:57 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Autauga, Lowndes, Montgomery	33 min
Apr 5, 4:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Perry	49 min
Apr 5, 4:45 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Shelby	44 min
Apr 5, 5:22 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Talladega	38 min
Apr 5, 6:02 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Clay, Randolph	58 min
Apr 5, 6:04 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Hale, Perry	56 min
Apr 5, 6:52 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Shelby	83 min
Apr 5, 7:22 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Greene, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa	3 hr
Apr 5, 7:40 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Blount, Jefferson	3 hr
Apr 5, 8:43 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Calhoun, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	3 hr
Apr 5, 9:00 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Dallas, Lowndes	75 min
Apr 5, 9:13 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Cleburne	32 min
Apr 5, 9:35 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour, Pike	70 min
Apr 5, 10:16 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Montgomery	29 min
Apr 5, 10:29 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph	3 hr
Apr 5, 10:38 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Elmore, Macon, Tallapoosa	67 min
Apr 5, 10:56 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Barbour	49 min
Apr 5, 11:43 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Bibb, Tuscaloosa	32 min
Apr 5, 11:55 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Shelby	66 min
Apr 5, 12:53 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Talladega	82 min
Apr 5, 1:42 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Cleburne	33 min
Apr 5, 2:35 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Cleburne	25 min
Apr 5, 3:03 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Talladega	42 min
Apr 5, 3:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	St. Clair, Talladega	38 min
Apr 5, 3:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne, Talladega	67 min
Apr 5, 4:08 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cleburne	52 min
Apr 5, 4:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cherokee, Etowah	45 min
Apr 5, 4:37 PM CDT	Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	26 hr
Apr 5, 4:59 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Randolph	46 min
Apr 5, 5:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Jefferson, Shelby	45 min
Apr 5, 5:32 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Randolph	13 min
Apr 5, 5:33 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Randolph, Tallapoosa	57 min
Apr 5, 5:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Chilton, Shelby	35 min
Apr 5, 5:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	St. Clair	40 min
Apr 5, 6:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Randolph	27 min
Apr 5, 6:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, St. Clair, Talladega	43 min
Apr 5, 6:20 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	DeKalb	25 min
Apr 5, 6:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega	27 min
Apr 5, 6:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Etowah	25 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2017 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2017

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.