Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Mobile, AL

March 31, 2020Butler County, Wilcox County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 31, 2020, 9:11 AM CDT for Butler County, Wilcox County, Alabama. It was in force for 34 min. 2 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 31, 2020, 9:11 AM CDT (14:11 UTC)
Expired
Mar 31, 2020, 9:45 AM CDT
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Butler County, AL, Wilcox County, AL

The radar

The Maxwell AFB radar (KMXX), 126 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:11 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 31, 9:12 AM CDTTSTM WND DMGOak Hill, ALWILCOX COUNTY EMA REPORTS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN NEAR OAK HILL.
Mar 31, 9:18 AM CDTTSTM WND DMGPine Apple, ALWILCOX COUNTY EMA REPORTS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN NEAR PINE APPLE.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 31, 8:51 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 2.2 hours before the alert went out and 137 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 2020-03-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 2020-03-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 734 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1788 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
69 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
734 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
929 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

454 
WFUS54 KMOB 311411
TORMOB
ALC013-131-311445-
/O.NEW.KMOB.TO.W.0005.200331T1411Z-200331T1445Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Mobile AL
911 AM CDT Tue Mar 31 2020

The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern Butler County in south central Alabama...
  Southeastern Wilcox County in south central Alabama...

* Until 945 AM CDT.
    
* At 910 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 6 miles east of Camden, moving east at 35 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.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Pine Apple around 930 AM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

This cluster of thunderstorms is capable of producing tornadoes and 
widespread significant wind damage. Do not wait to see or hear the 
tornado. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest 
floor of a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3196 8686 3196 8679 3184 8677 3190 8722
      3200 8721 3205 8686
TIME...MOT...LOC 1410Z 267DEG 31KT 3196 8718 

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

$$
2 follow-up statements
950 
WWUS54 KMOB 311424
SVSMOB

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mobile AL
924 AM CDT Tue Mar 31 2020

ALC013-131-311445-
/O.CON.KMOB.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-200331T1445Z/
Butler AL-Wilcox AL-
924 AM CDT Tue Mar 31 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 945 AM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN BUTLER AND EAST CENTRAL WILCOX COUNTIES...
    
At 923 AM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 6 miles north of Pine Apple, or 18 miles east of Camden,
moving east at 50 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.

This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
northwestern Butler and east central Wilcox Counties.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

This cluster of thunderstorms is capable of producing tornadoes and
widespread significant wind damage. Do not wait to see or hear the
tornado. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest
floor of a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3196 8686 3196 8679 3188 8678 3193 8708
      3202 8707 3205 8686
TIME...MOT...LOC 1423Z 268DEG 45KT 3197 8698 

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

$$
778 
WWUS54 KMOB 311440
SVSMOB

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Mobile AL
940 AM CDT Tue Mar 31 2020

ALC013-131-311449-
/O.EXP.KMOB.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-200331T1445Z/
Butler AL-Wilcox AL-
940 AM CDT Tue Mar 31 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN BUTLER AND EAST CENTRAL
WILCOX COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 945 AM CDT...
                
The storm which prompted the warning no longer appears capable of 
producing a tornado. Therefore, the warning will be allowed to 
expire.  However gusty winds are still possible with this 
thunderstorm.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 300 PM CDT for south central
Alabama.

LAT...LON 3196 8686 3196 8679 3188 8678 3193 8708
      3202 8707 3205 8686
TIME...MOT...LOC 1439Z 267DEG 31KT 3198 8683 

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 31, 5:13 AM CDTRip Current StatementMOBBaldwin, Mobile13 hr
Mar 31, 7:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChoctaw43 min
Mar 31, 7:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChoctaw, Clarke, Wilcox55 min
Mar 31, 7:59 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChoctaw, Washington46 min
Mar 31, 8:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBClarke, Conecuh, Monroe, Washington, Wilcox53 min
Mar 31, 9:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile37 min
Mar 31, 9:20 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin, Butler, Clarke, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Escambia and 4 more55 min
Mar 31, 9:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin, Mobile, Washington44 min
Mar 31, 9:49 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB86 min
Mar 31, 9:54 AM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedMOBMobile35 min
Mar 31, 10:00 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBBaldwin, Escambia45 min
Mar 31, 10:01 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBConecuh, Escambia44 min
Mar 31, 10:05 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB85 min
Mar 31, 10:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin, Butler, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Escambia and 2 more53 min
Mar 31, 10:25 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBConecuh, Escambia40 min
Mar 31, 10:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin, Mobile39 min
Mar 31, 10:41 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB2 hr
Mar 31, 10:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin51 min
Mar 31, 10:58 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBConecuh, Covington, Escambia47 min
Mar 31, 11:01 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBBaldwin27 min
Mar 31, 11:17 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB91 min
Mar 31, 11:34 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin41 min
Mar 31, 11:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBCovington48 min
Mar 31, 11:59 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBBaldwin14 min
Mar 31, 12:12 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB93 min
Mar 31, 12:38 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningMOB97 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.