Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2017

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Huntsville, AL

April 30, 2017Cullman County, Morgan County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at Apr 30, 2017, 2:09 PM CDT for Cullman County, Morgan County, Alabama. It was in force for 21 min. 3 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 30, 2017, 2:09 PM CDT (19:09 UTC)
Expired: Apr 30, 2017, 2:30 PM CDT
In force: 21 min
Issued by: NWS Huntsville, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

Counties Cullman County, AL, Morgan County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:12 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
Apr 30, 2:10 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Nw South Vinemont, AL	REPORT OF PINE TREES SNAPPED. TREES WERE ABOUT 1.5 FEET THICK. PERSONAL WEATHER STATION NEARBY MEASURED A GUST OF 87MPH.
Apr 30, 2:12 PM CDT	TORNADO	1 Nw South Vinemont, AL	NWS SURVEY TEAM FOUND EVIDENCE OF AN EF-0 TORNADO IN THE NORTH CENTRAL CULLMAN COUNTY AREA. TIMES ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
Apr 30, 2:17 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 Se Eva, AL	STRUCTURE ROOF DAMAGE NEAR EVA REPORTED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.

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
Apr 30, 10:36 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 7.2 hours before the alert went out and 135 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: 53 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -333 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 867 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 224 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

733 
WFUS54 KHUN 301909
TORHUN
ALC043-103-301930-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0009.170430T1909Z-170430T1930Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
209 PM CDT SUN APR 30 2017

The National Weather Service in Huntsville Alabama has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  North central Cullman County in north central Alabama...
  Southeastern Morgan County in north central Alabama...

* Until 230 PM CDT
    
* At 208 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a 
  tornado was located 2 miles west of Vinemont, or 8 miles northwest 
  of Cullman, moving northeast 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. 

* This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
  north central Cullman and southeastern Morgan Counties, including
  the following locations: Valhermoso Springs, Cole Springs,
  Battleground, Eva and Lacon.

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 3427 8703 3455 8678 3455 8676 3457 8674
      3442 8657 3436 8658 3419 8693
TIME...MOT...LOC 1908Z 227DEG 36KT 3428 8692 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

BCC

2 follow-up statements

088 
WWUS54 KHUN 301917
SVSHUN

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
217 PM CDT SUN APR 30 2017

ALC043-103-301930-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-170430T1930Z/
Cullman AL-Morgan AL-
217 PM CDT SUN APR 30 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 PM CDT FOR NORTH
CENTRAL CULLMAN AND SOUTHEASTERN MORGAN COUNTIES...
    
At 216 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado 
was located near Lacon, near Interstate 65 Exit 318, 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...
Falkville, Vinemont, Somerville, Eva, Valhermoso Springs, Cole
Springs, Lacon and Florette.

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 3430 8696 3455 8678 3455 8676 3457 8674
      3442 8657 3436 8658 3422 8689
TIME...MOT...LOC 1916Z 227DEG 32KT 3430 8688 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

BCC

690 
WWUS54 KHUN 301926
SVSHUN

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
226 PM CDT SUN APR 30 2017

ALC043-103-301936-
/O.EXP.KHUN.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-170430T1930Z/
Cullman AL-Morgan AL-
226 PM CDT SUN APR 30 2017

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL CULLMAN AND SOUTHEASTERN
MORGAN COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 230 PM CDT...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore the warning will be allowed to expire.

Remember, a Severe Thunderstorm Warning still remains in effect for 
much of Morgan and Cullman Counties until 3 PM CDT.

A tornado watch remains in effect until 700 PM CDT for north central
and northwestern Alabama. A tornado watch also remains in effect
until 700 PM CDT for north central and northeastern Alabama.

LAT...LON 3430 8696 3455 8678 3455 8676 3457 8674
      3442 8657 3436 8658 3422 8689
TIME...MOT...LOC 1926Z 227DEG 36KT 3435 8681 

$$

BCC

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 30, 9:30 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	HUN	Jackson, Madison, Marshall	64 hr
Apr 30, 12:14 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale	46 min
Apr 30, 12:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale	39 min
Apr 30, 12:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence	50 min
Apr 30, 1:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Cullman	35 min
Apr 30, 1:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence	32 min
Apr 30, 1:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan	52 min
Apr 30, 1:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Cullman, Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan	38 min
Apr 30, 1:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	HUN	Lauderdale, Limestone	19 min
Apr 30, 2:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	Cullman, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan	39 min
Apr 30, 2:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HUN	DeKalb, Jackson, Madison, Marshall	66 min
Apr 30, 3:58 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HUN	DeKalb, Jackson	47 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.