Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2017

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Birmingham, AL

January 21, 2017Elmore County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Jan 21, 2017, 7:52 AM CST for Elmore County, Alabama. It was in force for 38 min. 4 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
Jan 21, 2017, 7:52 AM CST (13:52 UTC)
Expired
Jan 21, 2017, 8:30 AM CST
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

County Elmore County, AL

The radar

The Maxwell AFB radar (KMXX), 27 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:52 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jan 21, 7:55 AM CSTTORNADO2 Sse Blue Ridge, ALAN EF1 TORNADO WITH WINDS OF 90 MPH TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY JUST SOUTH OF WILLOW SPRINGS RD AND MOVED NORTH NORTHEAST CAUSING TREE DAMAGE. PATH LENGTH 0.68 MI. PATH WIDTH 200 YD.
Jan 21, 7:57 AM CSTTSTM WND DMG4 Nnw Emerald Mountain, ALPOWERLINES DOWN IN REDLAND. POSSIBLE TORNADO. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
Jan 21, 7:57 AM CSTTORNADO2 S Emerald Mountain, ALEF0 BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN NEAR EMERALD MOUNTAIN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL WITH WINDS OF 75MPH, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO FENCING AND METAL SIDING. PATH LENGTH 0.59 MILE. PATH WIDTH 90YDS. THE DURATION OF THE TORNADO EVENT WAS 1 MINUTE.
Jan 21, 8:29 AM CSTTSTM WND DMG2 Se Blue Ridge, ALTREES AND POWERLINES DOWN ACROSS WILLOW SPRINGS RD. POSSIBLE TORNADO. .

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jan 21, 3:56 AM CSTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 175 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2017-01-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 388 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2017-01-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 61 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
388 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-26 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
536 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
61 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
85 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

700 
WFUS54 KBMX 211352
TORBMX
ALC051-211430-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0005.170121T1352Z-170121T1430Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
752 AM CST SAT JAN 21 2017

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Elmore County in east central Alabama...

* Until 830 AM CST
    
* At 752 AM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Blue Ridge, or near Wetumpka, 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...
  Wetumpka, Tallassee, Eclectic, Emerald Mountain, Blue Ridge, Yates
  Reservoir, Claud, Ware and Yates Dam.

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 3242 8613 3243 8613 3243 8615 3244 8617
      3243 8619 3245 8618 3245 8620 3247 8621
      3247 8622 3250 8624 3275 8588 3271 8589
      3269 8591 3266 8591 3265 8589 3249 8589
      3242 8608
TIME...MOT...LOC 1352Z 236DEG 32KT 3245 8617 

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

$$

87/GRANTHAM
2 follow-up statements
864 
WWUS54 KBMX 211359
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
759 AM CST SAT JAN 21 2017

ALC051-211430-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-170121T1430Z/
Elmore AL-
759 AM CST SAT JAN 21 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 AM CST FOR
SOUTHEASTERN ELMORE COUNTY...
        
At 758 AM CST, a confirmed tornado was located over Emerald Mountain,
or near Wetumpka, moving northeast at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado. 

SOURCE...Radar confirmed tornado. 

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...
Wetumpka, Tallassee, Eclectic, Emerald Mountain, Blue Ridge, Yates
Reservoir, Claud, Ware and Yates Dam.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. 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 3242 8613 3243 8613 3243 8615 3244 8617
      3243 8619 3245 8618 3245 8620 3247 8621
      3247 8622 3250 8624 3275 8588 3271 8589
      3269 8591 3266 8591 3265 8589 3249 8589
      3242 8608
TIME...MOT...LOC 1358Z 236DEG 32KT 3248 8611 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

87/GRANTHAM
024 
WWUS54 KBMX 211407
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
807 AM CST SAT JAN 21 2017

ALC051-211430-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-170121T1430Z/
Elmore AL-
807 AM CST SAT JAN 21 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 830 AM CST FOR
SOUTHEASTERN ELMORE COUNTY...
    
At 807 AM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Emerald Mountain, or 7 miles west of Tallassee,
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...
Tallassee, Eclectic, Yates Reservoir, Claud, Ware and Yates Dam. 

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 3243 8606 3255 8617 3275 8588 3271 8589
      3269 8591 3266 8591 3265 8589 3249 8589
TIME...MOT...LOC 1407Z 236DEG 32KT 3253 8602 

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

$$

87/GRANTHAM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 21, 3:52 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementBMXDallas, Lowndes38 min
Jan 21, 4:19 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLowndes41 min
Jan 21, 5:21 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXMarengo54 min
Jan 21, 7:02 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXAutauga, Lowndes43 min
Jan 21, 7:24 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLowndes, Montgomery51 min
Jan 21, 7:37 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXElmore38 min
Jan 21, 7:50 AM CSTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXAutauga, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery3 hr
Jan 21, 7:58 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXElmore32 min
Jan 21, 8:07 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCoosa23 min
Jan 21, 8:22 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXCoosa, Elmore, Lee, Macon, Tallapoosa53 min
Jan 21, 8:41 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXChambers, Lee, Macon47 min
Jan 21, 8:47 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPike43 min
Jan 21, 8:58 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXPike47 min
Jan 21, 9:23 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXBarbour52 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2017Every tornado warning in 2017Tornadoes 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.