Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2018

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 19, 2018Blount County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 19, 2018, 7:18 PM CDT for Blount County, Alabama. It was in force for 31 min. 7 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: Mar 19, 2018, 7:18 PM CDT (00:18 UTC)
Expired: Mar 19, 2018, 7:49 PM CDT
In force: 31 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 2.5 in

County Blount County, AL

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:22 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
Mar 19, 7:26 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	2 N Blountsville, AL	GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BLOUNTSVILLE.
Mar 19, 7:26 PM CDT	HAIL 2	2 N Blountsville, AL	CORRECTS PREVIOUS HAIL REPORT FROM 2 N BLOUNTSVILLE. HAIL FROM PING BALL BALL TO EGG SIZE.
Mar 19, 7:38 PM CDT	HAIL 3	1 Ne Susan Moore, AL
Mar 19, 7:41 PM CDT	HAIL 2.5	1 Sw Snead, AL
Mar 19, 7:46 PM CDT	HAIL 3	4 Ne Blountsville, AL
Mar 19, 7:58 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Snead, AL	A FEW TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN NEAR SNEAD.
Mar 19, 7:59 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	1 Ne Susan Moore, AL

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
Mar 19, 3:28 PM CDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 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: 1154 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -50 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1046 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 61 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 334 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 409 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 2.6
Supercell composite: 17.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

080 
WFUS54 KBMX 200018
TORBMX
ALC009-200100-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0001.180320T0018Z-180320T0100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
718 PM CDT MON MAR 19 2018

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Blount County in central Alabama...

* Until 800 PM CDT
    
* At 718 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Holly Pond, or 7 miles west of Blountsville,
  moving east at 50 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and tennis ball size hail. 

  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...
  Blountsville, Cleveland, Altoona, Snead, Susan Moore, Walnut Grove,
  Rosa, McLarty, Brooksville, Fowler Spring, Chamblees Mill and
  Hendrix.

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 3420 8640 3410 8630 3405 8633 3397 8634
      3403 8672 3404 8670 3406 8670 3405 8668
      3408 8670 3409 8669 3408 8669 3409 8666
      3412 8663 3412 8660 3415 8659 3419 8655
      3421 8655
TIME...MOT...LOC 0018Z 279DEG 43KT 3413 8669 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...2.50IN

$$

87/GRANTHAM

2 follow-up statements

148 
WWUS54 KBMX 200031
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
731 PM CDT MON MAR 19 2018

ALC009-200100-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-180320T0100Z/
Blount AL-
731 PM CDT MON MAR 19 2018

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN BLOUNT COUNTY...
    
At 731 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Blountsville, moving east at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and tennis ball size hail. 

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...
Blountsville, Cleveland, Altoona, Snead, Susan Moore, Walnut Grove,
Rosa, McLarty, Brooksville, Fowler Spring, Chamblees Mill and
Hendrix.

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 3420 8640 3410 8630 3405 8633 3397 8634
      3403 8672 3404 8670 3406 8670 3405 8668
      3408 8670 3409 8669 3408 8669 3409 8666
      3412 8663 3412 8660 3415 8659 3419 8655
      3421 8655
TIME...MOT...LOC 0031Z 280DEG 39KT 3410 8655 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...2.50IN

$$

87/GRANTHAM

014 
WWUS54 KBMX 200049
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
749 PM CDT MON MAR 19 2018

ALC009-200059-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-180320T0100Z/
Blount AL-
749 PM CDT MON MAR 19 2018

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN BLOUNT COUNTY 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 1100 PM CDT for central and
northeastern Alabama.

LAT...LON 3420 8640 3410 8630 3405 8633 3397 8634
      3403 8672 3404 8670 3406 8670 3405 8668
      3408 8670 3409 8669 3408 8669 3409 8666
      3412 8663 3412 8660 3415 8659 3419 8655
      3421 8655
TIME...MOT...LOC 0048Z 279DEG 43KT 3407 8629 

$$

87/GRANTHAM

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 19, 7:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount	42 min
Mar 19, 7:29 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Etowah	61 min
Mar 19, 7:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount, St. Clair	34 min
Mar 19, 7:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Etowah	62 min
Mar 19, 7:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Blount	56 min
Mar 19, 8:02 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cherokee	58 min
Mar 19, 8:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun	66 min
Mar 19, 8:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Etowah	45 min
Mar 19, 8:33 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	St. Clair	42 min
Mar 19, 8:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Cleburne	46 min
Mar 19, 8:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun	42 min
Mar 19, 9:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Calhoun	21 min
Mar 19, 9:24 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Blount, Calhoun, Etowah, St. Clair	6 hr
Mar 19, 9:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne	34 min
Mar 19, 9:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Calhoun, St. Clair, Talladega	59 min
Mar 19, 10:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cleburne	40 min
Mar 19, 11:01 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Calhoun, Cleburne, Talladega	3 hr
Mar 20, 3:06 AM CDT	Wind Advisory	BMX	Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more	19 hr
Mar 20, 5:33 AM CDT	Dense Fog Advisory	BMX	Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Etowah and 3 more	3 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2018 Every tornado warning in 2018 Tornadoes in 2018

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.