Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2017

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 38, NWS Huntsville, AL

March 21, 2017DeKalb County, Marshall County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 21, 2017, 6:34 PM CDT for DeKalb County, Marshall County, Alabama. It was in force for 26 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 21, 2017, 6:34 PM CDT (23:34 UTC)
Expired
Mar 21, 2017, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
50.0 mph

Counties DeKalb County, AL, Marshall County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 58 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:37 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 21, 2:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 185 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 2017-03-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°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 2017-03-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 125 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1219 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
125 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
152 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Mar 21, 3:13 PM CDT, 3 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 21, 3:13 PM CDT, 3 hours 21 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
313 PM CDT Tue Mar 21 2017

.NEAR TERM...(Tonight)
Issued at 312 PM CDT Tue Mar 21 2017

The MCS will be exiting northeast AL and southern middle TN around
01-02Z, so we may be able to trim some of the Severe Thunderstorm
Watch early. Trailing showers along the outflow boundary could
redevelop, and even along the cold front. However, have kept this PoP
in the low chance range at this point. With lingering cloud cover,
lows will stay on the mild side in the lower 60s despite the frontal
passage.

.SHORT TERM...(Wednesday through Thursday)
Issued at 312 PM CDT Tue Mar 21 2017

Despite the mid level shifting east on Wednesday into Thursday,
cloud cover will be considerable with weak impulses in the northwest
flow at mid levels tracking southeast. The surface high will induce a
pseudo-wedge that attempts to produce some light precip late Thursday
into Thursday night. This as mid level warm advection on the west
side of the 850 mb ridge will produce showers across the upper and
middle MS valley to our northwest. Forecast soundings indicate that warm
advection above 900 mb may increase the inversion and trap the low
level moisture and clouds through Thursday Night. Will forecast
patchy drizzle and a slight chance of light rain given the amount of
low level saturation indicated.

.LONG TERM...(Thursday night through Monday)
Issued at 312 PM CDT Tue Mar 21 2017

Sfc high pressure will push eastward off into the Atlantic on
Friday. This will keep conditions dry but return flow will open the
Gulf up to start increasing moisture ahead of our next system this
weekend.

From when this system started coming into view until today, models
have come into much better agreement. However, there is still some
differences in timing and placement, especially of the sfc low.
Timing slowed down even more today as the upper level trough takes on
a greater negative tilt than previous runs. The ECMWF is trending a
little bit farther north while the GFS is still trending a little
stronger. Both agree that the system will weaken as it moves towards
the TN Valley Friday night/Saturday. Showers will start moving into
the area starting Friday night/Saturday morning. Showers and
thunderstorms will overspread the area west to east Saturday
afternoon into Saturday night. As for details, with plentiful
moisture PWATS will rise just over an inch and looks like there will
be moderate shear and CAPE values. Will keep the main threats as
damaging wind and locally heavy rainfall. As the system lifts NE
Saturday night, POPs for just showers will taper off west to east
throughout the day on Sunday.

The next system up to bat is right on the heels of the last one,
moving in on Monday as a short wave moves in from the Plains. Will
start the work week off with a chance of showers and thunderstorms
with highs in the low/mid 70s.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Wednesday afternoon)
Issued at 1151 AM CDT Tue Mar 21 2017

VFR flight weather conditions are expected through early this
evening for most locations southwest of KMSL and KHSV. Northeast of
these locations, a complex of thunderstorms is likely to move across
southern TN and far northeast AL. The chance is greater at KHSV to be
affected and have included a VCTS from 21-03Z before the cold front
arrives. Severe thunderstorms are possible and capable of winds of
50kt or higher and hail. After the frontal passage late this
evening, winds will shift to the north and a period of lower ceilings
of 020-030agl are possible producing MVFR conditions. These clouds
should clear by ~17Z on Wednesday.

&&

.HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AL...NONE.
TN...NONE.
&&

NEAR TERM...17
SHORT TERM...17
LONG TERM...JMS
AVIATION...17

For more information please visit our website
at weather.gov/huntsville.
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 21, 1:55 PM CDT, 4 hours 39 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
155 PM CDT Tue Mar 21 2017

ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-221200-
Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan-
Marshall-Jackson-De Kalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN-
155 PM CDT Tue Mar 21 2017

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north Alabama and portions of
southern middle Tennessee.

.DAY ONE...Through Tonight...

A cluster of severe thunderstorms will move southeastward across
Northeastern Alabama and Southern Middle Tennessee later this
afternoon and evening. Damaging winds will be the primary threat
with the cluster of thunderstorms itself, with a lesser threat for
large hail with any storms that develop ahead of this area of storms.

Locations to the south and west of a line from Muscle Shoals to
Guntersville are only expected to see an isolated strong to severe
storm at best.

Storms will end from northwest to southeast by midnight tonight.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday...

Thunderstorms are expected again Saturday, with a few strong to
severe storms possible. Strong to damaging wind gusts will be the
primary threat.

Thunderstorms will again be possible as another system affects the
Tennessee Valley Monday, with additional chances for thunderstorms
expected later next week as a more active pattern begins to set up
across the southeast.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

Activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel is
requested this afternoon and evening.

12

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 21, 5:58 PM CDT, 36 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Mar 21, 6:01 PM CDT, 33 minutes before
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Local storm report, Mar 21, 6:24 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Mar 21, 6:24 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Mar 21, 6:25 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
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Local storm report, Mar 21, 6:32 PM CDT, 2 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 21, 4:51 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNMadison24 min
Mar 21, 4:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNJackson, Madison33 min
Mar 21, 5:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNJackson, Limestone, Madison44 min
Mar 21, 5:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNJackson34 min
Mar 21, 5:29 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNMorgan31 min
Mar 21, 5:57 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNJackson33 min
Mar 21, 5:58 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNMorgan32 min
Mar 21, 6:01 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNDeKalb29 min
Mar 21, 6:24 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNMadison36 min
Mar 21, 6:25 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNDeKalb, Marshall50 min
Mar 20, 8:33 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNFranklin42 min
Mar 21, 4:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLincoln, Moore36 min
Mar 21, 4:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin, Lincoln, Moore27 min
Mar 21, 5:03 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNFranklin12 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2017Every 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.