Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 39, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 27, 2020Lee County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at May 27, 2020, 6:46 PM CDT for Lee County, Alabama. It was in force for 30 min. 1 report 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: May 27, 2020, 6:46 PM CDT (23:46 UTC)
Expired: May 27, 2020, 7:16 PM CDT
In force: 30 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

County Lee County, AL

The radar

The Maxwell AFB radar (KMXX), 59 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:51 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
May 27, 6:51 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 Nne Salem, AL	MULTIPLE TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ON LEE ROAD 252. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 99 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: 25 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -123 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 533 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 121 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 136 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

332 
WFUS54 KBMX 272346
TORBMX
ALC081-280030-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0039.200527T2346Z-200528T0030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
646 PM CDT Wed May 27 2020

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Lee County in east central Alabama...

* Until 730 PM CDT.
    
* At 646 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Beans Mill, or 7 miles east of Opelika, moving
  northeast at 25 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...
  Opelika, Beulah and Beans Mill. 

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 3265 8511 3264 8510 3258 8529 3267 8537
      3273 8531 3273 8529 3275 8528 3275 8514
      3274 8513 3274 8512 3269 8512 3265 8509
TIME...MOT...LOC 2346Z 229DEG 20KT 3265 8525 

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

$$

25/Owen

2 follow-up statements

444 
WWUS54 KBMX 280004
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
704 PM CDT Wed May 27 2020

ALC081-280030-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-200528T0030Z/
Lee AL-
704 PM CDT Wed May 27 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN LEE COUNTY...
    
At 704 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Beulah, or 7 miles south of Valley, moving northeast
at 25 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...
Beulah and Beans Mill. 

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 3264 8523 3268 8530 3273 8531 3273 8529
      3275 8528 3275 8514 3274 8513 3274 8512
      3269 8512 3267 8510
TIME...MOT...LOC 0004Z 229DEG 20KT 3272 8516 

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

$$

25/Owen

340 
WWUS54 KBMX 280016
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
716 PM CDT Wed May 27 2020

ALC081-280026-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-200528T0030Z/
Lee AL-
716 PM CDT Wed May 27 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN LEE 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.  However gusty winds are
still possible with this thunderstorm.

LAT...LON 3264 8523 3268 8530 3273 8531 3273 8529
      3275 8528 3275 8514 3274 8513 3274 8512
      3269 8512 3267 8510
TIME...MOT...LOC 0013Z 229DEG 20KT 3277 8510 

$$

25/Owen

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 27, 12:01 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marengo	59 min
May 27, 12:42 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Hale	63 min
May 27, 1:28 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Hale, Tuscaloosa	47 min
May 27, 1:49 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Bibb, Hale, Perry, Tuscaloosa	3 hr
May 27, 2:09 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Bibb	51 min
May 27, 2:38 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby	67 min
May 27, 2:59 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	BMX	Jefferson, Shelby	3 hr
May 27, 3:53 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Shelby	37 min
May 27, 3:56 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Marengo	49 min
May 27, 6:18 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Lee	42 min
May 27, 6:59 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	BMX	Chambers	31 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2020 Every tornado warning in 2020 Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.