Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2020
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 117, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 22, 2020, 4:36 PM CDT for Clay County, Coosa County, Talladega County, Alabama. It was in force for 24 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
- May 22, 2020, 4:36 PM CDT (21:36 UTC)
- Expired
- May 22, 2020, 5:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 24 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Clay County, AL, Coosa County, AL, Talladega County, AL
The radar
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:37 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 nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 64 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 218 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -251 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1060 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 129 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 140 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.5
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 Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 22, 1:30 PM CDT, 3 hours 6 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 22, 1:30 PM CDT, 3 hours 6 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Birmingham AL 130 PM CDT Fri May 22 2020 .UPDATE... For 18Z Aviation. && .SHORT TERM... /Updated at 1057 AM CDT Fri May 22 2020/ This Afternoon through Tomorrow. Stronger storms continue to move through northern AL/GA this morning along an effective warm front which has been slowly lifting northward through the overnight hours with additional lifting from a weak mid-level shortwave. The majority of activity has remained north of our forecast area with observed storm motions indicating a slight northeastward trend. The upper-low which as been parked to our northeast for the past two days has begun rapidly ejecting towards the Northeastern CONUS. At the same time, low-level ridging is building to our east, and south-southwesterly flow will drive an increase in warm, moist air across Central AL. We're already beginning to see a surge in moisture across the south with dewpoints in the 70s, a developing cumulus field, and remnant outflow, observed on satellite imagery, surging southward from the storms to our north. Temperatures are expected to reach the upper 80s to near 90F in our southern counties. Destabilization during peak heating, in tandem with leftover mesoscale boundaries, may trigger scattered thunderstorm development, particularly south of I-20/59. The 12Z BMX RAOB measured a 500mb temperature of -12.5 degrees C with 700-500mb lapse rates of 7.2C/km. Latest hi-res guidance indicates 500mb temperatures across the south may be a degree or two cooler with moderately steep lapse rates, SBCAPE around 2500J/kg, and 0-6km shear around 15-20kts this afternoon. This would suggest the potential for hail development and accompanying gusty winds in any stronger storms that can sustain a strong enough updraft despite uncertainties including the somewhat less than favorable shear and lack of synoptic-scale forcing. Although severe storms are not anticipated, a couple stronger storms are not completely out of the question. Some activity will linger after dark, but will gradually decrease with the loss of daytime heating. Southerly flow becomes more prominent tomorrow as the ridge continues to amplify over the Southeast. Temperatures will be a couple degrees warmer throughout the area with a repeat of isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon. 86 .LONG TERM... /Updated at 333 AM CDT Fri May 22 2020/ Sunday through Thursday. Overall large scale ridging will take hold over the southeast on Sunday. conditions will become more summer-like, with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s and the typical afternoon airmass scattered convection. As this ridge builds stronger across the south and east coast through the remainder of the forecast period, a strengthening shortwave trough will begin to eject out of the Southern Rockies and stall across the Southern Plains, thanks to the strong ridging in the east. Despite the stalling of this low, southerly flow will continue to pump in gulf moisture into the area through mid week. This will increase the precipitation chances through each afternoon, and slightly lower afternoon highs due to the somewhat increase in clouds. By Thursday the upper low in the west begins to retrograde to the southwest as the ridging builds in the east. This looks to change the upper level flow to the east and could bring in a slightly drier airmass on Thursday and into Friday. 16 && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF Discussion. TSRA development is currently ongoing across southern portions of Central Alabama and will affect MGM and TOI through the remainder of the afternoon. Gusty winds will be likely within any storm that passes over a terminal location along with rapid reductions in vis due to heavy rainfall. SHRA has been included for northern terminals (BHM, EET, TCL, ASN, ANB) due to reduced coverage of showers, but an isolated storm can't be ruled out that may venture close to the vicinity of those locations. Shower and storm activity will decrease through the overnight hours tonight with another chance for low cloud development by early Saturday morning, especially for the southern terminals of MGM and TOI. We've gone ahead and trended toward lower cigs for all terminals by 12z Saturday morning, with higher confidence of IFR cigs at TOI. 56/GDG && .FIRE WEATHER... A more summer like pattern with daily isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms is expected through the weekend and into the first of next week. Minimum RH values are forecast to remain above 40 percent through the upcoming weekend with generally light winds outside of any thunderstorm activity. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Gadsden 65 88 64 89 65 / 20 40 20 30 30 Anniston 66 88 65 89 66 / 20 40 20 40 30 Birmingham 69 89 68 91 69 / 20 40 20 30 30 Tuscaloosa 70 90 68 91 69 / 20 30 20 30 20 Calera 68 88 67 90 68 / 20 30 20 30 30 Auburn 66 88 66 89 66 / 30 20 20 30 30 Montgomery 67 91 68 92 68 / 30 30 20 30 30 Troy 68 91 67 92 67 / 30 30 20 30 30 && .BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES/... None. &&
Hazardous weather outlook, May 22, 3:08 PM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Birmingham AL 308 PM CDT Fri May 22 2020 ALZ011>015-017>050-232315- Marion-Lamar-Fayette-Winston-Walker-Blount-Etowah-Calhoun-Cherokee- Cleburne-Pickens-Tuscaloosa-Jefferson-Shelby-St. Clair-Talladega- Clay-Randolph-Sumter-Greene-Hale-Perry-Bibb-Chilton-Coosa-Tallapoosa- Chambers-Marengo-Dallas-Autauga-Lowndes-Elmore-Montgomery-Macon- Bullock-Lee-Russell-Pike-Barbour- 308 PM CDT Fri May 22 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the counties served by the National Weather Service office in Birmingham. .DAY ONE...Outlook through Tonight. Strong thunderstorms are possible across Central Alabama through 8 pm. Storms will be most numerous south and east. The strongest storms will produce isolated damaging wind gusts to 60 mph and nickel size hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management should not be necessary. Please follow all local, state, and CDC guidelines in regards to travel.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 22, 4:09 PM CDT, 27 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 22, 4:11 PM CDT, 25 minutes before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 7:18 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Pike | 57 min |
| May 21, 8:47 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Bullock | 28 min |
| May 22, 6:49 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Marion | 41 min |
| May 22, 9:32 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | DeKalb | 43 min |
| May 22, 1:06 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Montgomery | 39 min |
| May 22, 1:54 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Macon | 36 min |
| May 22, 1:58 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Dallas | 47 min |
| May 22, 2:32 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Russell | 43 min |
| May 22, 2:35 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Macon | 25 min |
| May 22, 2:51 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Lowndes | 39 min |
| May 22, 2:56 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Bullock, Macon | 34 min |
| May 22, 3:17 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Autauga | 28 min |
| May 22, 3:26 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Clay | 34 min |
| May 22, 3:30 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Bullock | 30 min |
| May 22, 3:33 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Russell | 42 min |
| May 22, 3:34 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Lowndes | 26 min |
| May 22, 3:50 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Bibb | 25 min |
| May 22, 3:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Barbour | 37 min |
| May 22, 4:03 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Barbour | 42 min |
| May 22, 4:09 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Montgomery | 36 min |
| May 22, 4:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Montgomery | 19 min |
| May 22, 4:23 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Bibb | 52 min |
| May 22, 4:30 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Macon | 30 min |
| May 22, 4:32 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Sumter | 28 min |
| May 22, 4:38 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Talladega | 37 min |
| May 22, 4:43 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Shelby | 47 min |
| May 22, 4:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Shelby | 37 min |
| May 22, 5:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Sumter | 45 min |
| May 22, 5:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Talladega | 23 min |
| May 22, 5:19 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Talladega | 26 min |
| May 22, 5:32 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Greene | 43 min |
| May 22, 5:45 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Jefferson | 30 min |
| May 22, 5:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 23 min |
| May 22, 5:59 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Bibb | 46 min |
| May 22, 6:08 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Cleburne | 52 min |
| May 22, 6:17 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 43 min |
| May 22, 6:23 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | St. Clair | 52 min |
| May 22, 6:36 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | BMX | Chilton, Jefferson | 39 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2020Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2020
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.