Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2017

Tornado Warning 48, NWS Birmingham, AL

August 31, 2017Marion County, Winston County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Aug 31, 2017, 4:26 PM CDT for Marion County, Winston County, Alabama. It was in force for 35 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: Aug 31, 2017, 4:26 PM CDT (21:26 UTC)
Expired: Aug 31, 2017, 5:01 PM CDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Observed
Damage threat: Considerable
Hail: 0.75 in

Counties Marion County, AL, Winston County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:28 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Aug 31, 11:13 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	11 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 128 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: 724 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 569 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 198 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 229 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.5
Supercell composite: 4.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

812 
WFUS54 KBMX 312126
TORBMX
ALC093-133-312230-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0048.170831T2126Z-170831T2230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
426 PM CDT THU AUG 31 2017

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Eastern Marion County in northwestern Alabama...
  Western Winston County in northwestern Alabama...

* Until 530 PM CDT
    
* At 426 PM CDT, a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado
  was located near Bluff, or 7 miles north of Fayette, moving
  northeast at 35 mph.

  This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TAKE COVER NOW! 

  HAZARD...Damaging tornado. 

  SOURCE...Radar confirmed tornado. 

  IMPACT...You are in a life-threatening situation. Flying debris 
           may be deadly to those caught without shelter. Mobile 
           homes will be destroyed. Considerable damage to homes, 
           businesses, and vehicles is likely and complete 
           destruction is possible. 

* Locations impacted include...
  Winfield, Haleyville, Lynn, Brilliant, Glen Allen, Lake
  Buttahatchee, Needmore, Ashridge, Bear Creek, Natural Bridge,
  Tucker, Weiss, Posey Field Airport, Pebble, Upper Bear Creek
  Reservoir, Texas, Delmar and Piney Grove.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a large, extremely dangerous and potentially deadly
tornado is on the ground. To protect your life, 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 3430 8743 3400 8754 3400 8764 3391 8764
      3392 8784 3431 8769
TIME...MOT...LOC 2126Z 204DEG 32KT 3380 8781 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

32/Davis

3 follow-up statements

429 
WWUS54 KBMX 312143
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
443 PM CDT THU AUG 31 2017

ALC093-133-312230-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0048.000000T0000Z-170831T2230Z/
Marion AL-Winston AL-
443 PM CDT THU AUG 31 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM CDT FOR EASTERN
MARION AND NORTHWESTERN WINSTON COUNTIES...
    
At 443 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Brilliant, or near Winfield, moving north at 40 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. 

Locations impacted include...
Winfield, Haleyville, Brilliant, Glen Allen, Lake Buttahatchee,
Needmore, Bear Creek, Tucker, Posey Field Airport, Delmar, Piney
Grove and Upper Bear Creek Reservoir.

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 3431 8756 3413 8760 3401 8766 3391 8770
      3392 8784 3431 8769
TIME...MOT...LOC 2143Z 194DEG 35KT 3397 8777 

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

$$

32/Davis

772 
WWUS54 KBMX 312155
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
455 PM CDT THU AUG 31 2017

ALC093-133-312230-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0048.000000T0000Z-170831T2230Z/
Marion AL-Winston AL-
455 PM CDT THU AUG 31 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM CDT FOR EASTERN
MARION AND NORTHWESTERN WINSTON COUNTIES...
    
At 455 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Lake Buttahatchee, or 9 miles west of Lynn, moving
northeast at 35 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. 

Locations impacted include...
Haleyville, Brilliant, Lake Buttahatchee, Needmore, Bear Creek, Posey
Field Airport, Delmar, Piney Grove and Upper Bear Creek Reservoir.

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 3431 8756 3413 8760 3399 8767 3401 8781
      3431 8769
TIME...MOT...LOC 2155Z 204DEG 32KT 3407 8772 

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

$$

32/Davis

265 
WWUS54 KBMX 312201
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
501 PM CDT THU AUG 31 2017

ALC093-133-312211-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0048.000000T0000Z-170831T2230Z/
Marion AL-Winston AL-
501 PM CDT THU AUG 31 2017

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EASTERN MARION AND NORTHWESTERN WINSTON
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.

A tornado watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for northwestern
Alabama.

LAT...LON 3431 8756 3413 8760 3399 8767 3401 8781
      3431 8769
TIME...MOT...LOC 2200Z 204DEG 32KT 3412 8769 

$$

32/Davis

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 30, 7:17 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Bullock	58 min
Aug 30, 7:19 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Pike	26 min
Aug 30, 7:50 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Barbour	70 min
Aug 31, 12:01 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marengo	29 min
Aug 31, 2:49 PM CDT	Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee and 29 more	27 hr
Aug 31, 3:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Pickens	48 min
Aug 31, 3:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Lamar, Pickens	52 min
Aug 31, 3:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Hale, Perry	10 min
Aug 31, 4:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	BMX	Fayette	30 min
Aug 31, 4:23 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Pickens, Tuscaloosa	52 min
Aug 31, 5:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Winston	23 min
Aug 31, 5:41 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marengo	34 min
Aug 31, 6:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Hale	38 min
Aug 31, 6:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Bibb	65 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2017 Every tornado warning in 2017 Tornadoes 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.