Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 40, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 17, 2021Autauga County, Dallas County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 17, 2021, 7:18 PM CDT for Autauga County, Dallas County, Alabama. It was in force for 17 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 17, 2021, 7:18 PM CDT (00:18 UTC)
Expired
Mar 17, 2021, 7:35 PM CDT
In force
17 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Autauga County, AL, Dallas County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:22 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 17, 6:48 PM CDTTornado Watch PDSSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 66 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 00:00Z on 2021-03-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 188 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 00:00Z on 2021-03-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 336 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
188 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-25 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
669 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
336 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
465 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

049 
WFUS54 KBMX 180018
TORBMX
ALC001-047-180115-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0040.210318T0018Z-210318T0115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
718 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern Autauga County in central Alabama...
  East central Dallas County in south central Alabama...

* Until 815 PM CDT.
    
* At 718 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Selma, moving northeast at 30 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...
  Billingsley, Gardner Island, Burnsville, Vida Junction and Dawson
  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 3247 8702 3266 8687 3266 8672 3271 8671
      3271 8649 3240 8690
TIME...MOT...LOC 0018Z 225DEG 26KT 3245 8697 

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

$$

17/KLAWS
2 follow-up statements
179 
WWUS54 KBMX 180033
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
733 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

ALC047-180042-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-210318T0115Z/
Dallas AL-
733 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL DALLAS COUNTY IS CANCELLED...
    
The tornadic thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out 
of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

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

LAT...LON 3246 8686 3248 8689 3249 8688 3252 8690
      3266 8677 3266 8671 3271 8671 3271 8649
      3244 8685 3244 8687
TIME...MOT...LOC 0032Z 233DEG 31KT 3250 8682 

$$

ALC001-180115-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-210318T0115Z/
Autauga AL-
733 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN AUTAUGA COUNTY...
    
At 732 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Mulberry, or 9 miles east of Valley Grande, moving
northeast 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.

Locations impacted include...
Billingsley, Vida Junction and Dawson 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 3246 8686 3248 8689 3249 8688 3252 8690
      3266 8677 3266 8671 3271 8671 3271 8649
      3244 8685 3244 8687
TIME...MOT...LOC 0032Z 233DEG 31KT 3250 8682 

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

$$

17/KLAWS
117 
WWUS54 KBMX 180035
SVSBMX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
735 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

ALC001-180045-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-210318T0115Z/
Autauga AL-
735 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN AUTAUGA 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.

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

LAT...LON 3246 8686 3248 8689 3249 8688 3252 8690
      3266 8677 3266 8671 3271 8671 3271 8649
      3244 8685 3244 8687
TIME...MOT...LOC 0034Z 225DEG 26KT 3252 8680 

$$

17/KLAWS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 17, 7:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion58 min
Mar 17, 8:01 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXGreene, Pickens, Sumter22 min
Mar 17, 8:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga39 min
Mar 17, 8:32 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton, Elmore19 min
Mar 17, 9:06 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Tuscaloosa33 hr
Mar 17, 9:14 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningBMXSumter37 hr
Mar 17, 9:18 PM CDTRiver Flood WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Marengo, Sumter72 hr
Mar 17, 9:48 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXBlount3 hr
Mar 17, 9:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery69 min
Mar 17, 10:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSt. Clair, Shelby, Talladega69 min
Mar 17, 10:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair68 min
Mar 17, 10:26 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXCalhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah, St. Clair, Talladega3 hr
Mar 17, 10:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBullock, Lee, Macon, Tallapoosa75 min
Mar 17, 10:43 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXCoosa6 min
Mar 17, 11:34 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXLee, Russell41 min
Mar 18, 2:46 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXRussell44 min
Mar 18, 3:06 AM CDTWind AdvisoryBMXAutauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 33 more16 hr
Mar 18, 8:31 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningBMXCherokee55 hr
Mar 18, 9:50 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningBMXJefferson, Tuscaloosa, Walker36 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 2021Every tornado warning in 2021Tornadoes in 2021

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.