Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2020
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 41, NWS Huntsville, AL
NWS Huntsville, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 9, 2020, 1:39 AM CDT for Madison County, Marshall County, Morgan County, Alabama. It was in force for 37 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
- Apr 9, 2020, 1:39 AM CDT (06:39 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 9, 2020, 2:16 AM CDT
- In force
- 37 min
- Issued by
- NWS Huntsville, AL
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Madison County, AL, Marshall County, AL, Morgan County, AL
The radar
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:37 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 10:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 151 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
- 597 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -45 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 931 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 70 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 85 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 207 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.4
- Supercell composite
- 2.9
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 Apr 9, 12:00 AM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 9, 12:00 AM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 1200 AM CDT Thu Apr 9 2020 .UPDATE... For 06Z TAFS. && .NEAR TERM...(Rest of tonight) Issued at 947 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 Clusters of supercells/tstms are marching SE across west/mid TN this Wed evening, along and ahead of a pre-frontal boundary stretching SW front the MO Bootheel into north cntrl AR. Several warnings are in effect with many of these storms, and it is likely the cntrl TN Valley will be dealing with similar storms heading into the late evening/overnight hrs. A Tornado Watch is in effect for all of the Mid South region and it is also likely this Tornado Watch will be extended into the local area later this evening given the amount of low level shear in place below 1km coupled with unusually excessive amounts of buoyant energy/instability. The main window for severe wx looks to be from 11 pm thru 4 am. Large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes are the main threats with any severe tstms. Any tstms should then quickly taper off heading into the early morning hrs Thu, as a cold front moves ewd across the area. Overnight lows will trend seasonably warm with the cloud cover/rainfall, with lows xpcted to be in the upper 50s/lower 60s for most spots. .SHORT TERM...(Thursday through Friday night) Issued at 314 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 Latest global model consensus indicates that deep-layer flow will continue to gradually veer to the northwest on Thursday and Thursday night, as a deepening vort max (initially over southern Ontario) pivots northeastward into northern New England and eventually carves out a broad longwave trough over the eastern CONUS. Although modest low-level CAA will occur during the day on Thursday, abundant insolation during the late morning/afternoon hours should allow temps to reach the u60s-l70s in valley locations and l-m 60s in elevated terrain. However, a reinforcing surge of colder/drier air will arrive early Friday morning, as the axis of the broader longwave trough crosses the region. A subtle increase in synoptic scale ascent related to this feature will provide an increase in mid/high-level cloud cover, but profiles remain too dry for the inclusion of any shower activity with the passage of the reinforcing cold front. With stronger CAA in the wake of the secondary front forcing lows into the u30s-l40s Friday morning, temperatures will have difficulty reaching the m-u 50s on Friday afternoon, and this could set the stage for frost across portions of the region Friday night/Saturday morning, as a surface ridge spreads eastward into the southern Appalachians and provides ideal conditions for radiational cooling. .LONG TERM...(Saturday through Tuesday) Issued at 314 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 On Saturday, high pressure overhead will begin to shift eastward ahead of a deepening upper trough across the desert southwest. Under partly cloudy skies, afternoon temperatures rise up into the upper 60s to near 70. The upper trough will continue to move east throughout the day and by the evening a SFC low will develop across TX. Rain and thunderstorm chances increase starting late Saturday night as a warm front lifts northeastward through the Tennessee Valley. By Sunday, the aformentioned low pressure system ejects north and east through northern Alabama and southern Tennessee with a cold front swinging through by the late afternoon into the evening. While model guidance has generally honed in on the timing of this system, there are considerable differences in the position and track of the low pressure system. The GFS at the moment is an outlier with a more southern track compared to the Canadian and ECMWF based on the latest operational runs. A southern track would limit the severe potential to our south, whereas if it were to move farther to the north, greater instability would be able to filter into the region bringing an increased risk for all modes of severe weather. Given the differences in models, will only mention strong to severe storms in the HWO at this time. However, the biggest concern may be the heavy rain with the potential for 1-2" by Monday morning. Dry weather returns Monday and Tuesday with high pressure once again positioned overhead. Much cooler air advects into the region behind a secondary cold front Monday night. Highs on Tuesday and Wednesday will only be in the low to mid 60s with overnight lows in the lower 40s. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Thursday night) Issued at 1200 AM CDT Thu Apr 9 2020 Clusters of shra/tsra continue to move ESE across parts of west/mid TN into extreme NE MS. This activity will begin to approach the KMSL terminal within the next hr and prob the KHSV airport within the next few hrs. Brief IFR cigs/vis are possible in/near any +tsra, with vrb winds gusting near 35-40kt at times. The shra/tsra are then xpcted to quickly taper off from the WNW heading into the early morning period following the passage of a cold front. Cloud cover should also begin to diminish/sct with the onset of the morning hrs Thu. Sfc winds out the SW near 8-10kt will turn toward the NW around 12-14kt with higher gusts Thu morning in the wake of the frontal passage. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && NEAR TERM...09 SHORT TERM...70/DD LONG TERM...GH AVIATION...09 For more information please visit our website at weather.gov/huntsville.
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 8, 11:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Huntsville AL 1100 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-091100- Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan- Marshall-Jackson-DeKalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN- 1100 PM CDT Wed Apr 8 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north Alabama and portions of southern middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Tonight... Clusters of thunderstorms are expected to move southeast into much of the outlook area heading into the overnight hours. Some of these storms may be strong to severe in nature, and will be capable of damaging winds, large hail and a brief tornado. The thunderstorm threat is expected to quickly taper off from the northwest early Thursday morning following the passage of a cold front. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday... A strong upper level disturbance moving across the region will translate into scattered thunderstorms from Sunday into Sunday night. A few of these storms may be strong to severe with the potential for damaging wind gusts. Heavy rainfall is also expected with this storm system and rises on area rivers may be possible early next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel is requested during the overnight hours. Please relay any information about observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC guidelines.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 9, 1:05 AM CDT, 34 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
105 AM CDT Thu Apr 9 2020
ALZ001>007-016-090645-
Lawrence AL-Madison AL-Lauderdale AL-Morgan AL-Franklin AL-
Limestone AL-Colbert AL-Cullman AL-
105 AM CDT Thu Apr 9 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN MADISON...
SOUTHEASTERN LAUDERDALE...CENTRAL LIMESTONE...SOUTHEASTERN COLBERT...
NORTHWESTERN CULLMAN...EASTERN FRANKLIN...MORGAN AND LAWRENCE
COUNTIES UNTIL 145 AM CDT...
At 104 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a line of strong
thunderstorms extending from Rogersville to 9 miles west of Moulton
to 7 miles north of Weston. Movement was east at 50 mph.
Pea size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Western Huntsville, Decatur, Madison, Athens, Cullman, Hartselle,
Russellville, Moulton, Redstone Arsenal and Priceville.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.
Lightning can strike several miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a
safe shelter inside a building or vehicle.
Portions of these storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor
local radio stations and available television stations for
additional information and possible warnings from the National
Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 3456 8758 3489 8735 3478 8658 3425 8679
3409 8711 3430 8711 3432 8805
TIME...MOT...LOC 0604Z 291DEG 45KT 3480 8730 3446 8745 3427 8802
30Local storm report, Apr 9, 1:10 AM CDT, 29 minutes before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Huntsville, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 7:12 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HUN | Morgan | 48 min |
| Apr 8, 7:26 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HUN | Jackson | 49 min |
| Apr 8, 8:22 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HUN | DeKalb | 23 min |
| Apr 8, 11:50 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HUN | Lauderdale | 25 min |
| Apr 9, 12:01 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN | Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale | 29 min |
| Apr 9, 12:16 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HUN | Lauderdale | 29 min |
| Apr 9, 12:30 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HUN | Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence | 45 min |
| Apr 9, 12:38 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN | Colbert, Lauderdale | 37 min |
| Apr 9, 12:52 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HUN | Jackson, Madison | 38 min |
| Apr 9, 12:57 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN | Jackson, Madison | 33 min |
| Apr 9, 1:05 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HUN | Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan | 40 min |
| Apr 9, 1:09 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN | Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale | 38 min |
| Apr 9, 1:35 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN | Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan | 40 min |
| Apr 9, 1:54 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HUN | Cullman | 51 min |
| Apr 9, 2:14 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HUN | DeKalb, Marshall | 61 min |
| Apr 9, 12:01 AM CDT | Special Weather Statement | HUN | Franklin, Moore | 59 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.