Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Huntsville, AL

March 24, 2020Franklin County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 24, 2020, 6:29 PM CDT for Franklin County, Alabama. It was in force for 31 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 24, 2020, 6:29 PM CDT (23:29 UTC)
Expired
Mar 24, 2020, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.0 in

County Franklin County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 61 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:32 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 24, 3:06 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 178 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2020-03-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 291 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2020-03-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 153 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
291 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
547 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
73 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
153 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
160 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

011 
WFUS54 KHUN 242329
TORHUN
ALC059-250000-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0013.200324T2329Z-200325T0000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
629 PM CDT Tue Mar 24 2020

The National Weather Service in Huntsville Alabama has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southwestern Franklin County in northwestern Alabama...

* Until 700 PM CDT.
    
* At 629 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Red Bay, moving east at 40 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and quarter 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...
  Red Bay, Vina, Hodges, Atwood, Duketon, Little Bear Creek Reservoir
  and Halltown.

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 3444 8816 3447 8815 3446 8782 3431 8783
      3431 8795 3432 8817
TIME...MOT...LOC 2329Z 269DEG 33KT 3435 8816 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

GH
2 follow-up statements
458 
WWUS54 KHUN 242346
SVSHUN

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
646 PM CDT Tue Mar 24 2020

ALC059-250000-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-200325T0000Z/
Franklin AL-
646 PM CDT Tue Mar 24 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL FRANKLIN COUNTY...
    
At 645 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 9 miles northwest of Hackleburg, or 11 miles southeast of
Red Bay, moving east at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and quarter 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...
Hodges, Duketon, Atwood and Little Bear Creek Reservoir. 

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 3442 8800 3446 8782 3431 8783 3431 8803
TIME...MOT...LOC 2345Z 269DEG 33KT 3435 8797 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

GH
486 
WWUS54 KHUN 242352
SVSHUN

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
652 PM CDT Tue Mar 24 2020

ALC059-250002-
/O.EXP.KHUN.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-200325T0000Z/
Franklin AL-
652 PM CDT Tue Mar 24 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL FRANKLIN COUNTY WILL EXPIRE
AT 700 PM CDT...
        
The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.  However small hail
and gusty winds are still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CDT for northwestern
Alabama.

LAT...LON 3442 8800 3446 8782 3431 8783 3431 8803
TIME...MOT...LOC 2352Z 269DEG 33KT 3435 8791 

$$

GH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 24, 4:09 AM CDTFlash Flood WatchHUNColbert, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence and 4 more19 hr
Mar 24, 6:34 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningHUNLawrence54 hr
Mar 24, 7:28 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHUNLawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan3 hr
Mar 24, 7:47 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale3 hr
Mar 24, 8:05 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHUNJackson, Madison3 hr
Mar 24, 8:26 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHUNColbert, Franklin2 hr
Mar 24, 8:38 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningHUNDeKalb, Jackson2 hr
Mar 24, 10:11 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale7 days
Mar 24, 10:17 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningHUNMadison, Marshall, Morgan4 days
Mar 24, 10:33 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningHUNColbert, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence and 4 more6 hr
Mar 24, 3:24 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNMadison51 min
Mar 24, 4:06 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNFranklin24 min
Mar 24, 5:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale35 min
Mar 24, 5:34 PM CDTTornado Warning Considerable damage threatHUNColbert26 min
Mar 24, 5:43 PM CDTTornado Warning EmergencyTornado observedCatastrophic damage threatHUNColbert32 min
Mar 24, 6:03 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNColbert, Lawrence42 min
Mar 24, 6:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Franklin38 min
Mar 24, 6:22 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNFranklin9 min
Mar 24, 6:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin51 min
Mar 24, 6:34 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNLawrence, Limestone, Morgan26 min
Mar 24, 6:55 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNLawrence, Limestone, Morgan35 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2020Every tornado warning in 2020Tornadoes 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.