Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 41, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 17, 2021Greene County, Pickens County, Sumter County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 17, 2021, 8:01 PM CDT for Greene County, Pickens County, Sumter County, Alabama. It was in force for 22 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, 8:01 PM CDT (01:01 UTC)
Expired
Mar 17, 2021, 8:23 PM CDT
In force
22 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Greene County, AL, Pickens County, AL, Sumter County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:04 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, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 113 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.

838 
WFUS54 KBMX 180101
TORBMX
ALC063-107-119-180200-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.W.0041.210318T0101Z-210318T0200Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Pickens County in west central Alabama...
  Northern Greene County in west central Alabama...
  Northwestern Sumter County in west central Alabama...

* Until 900 PM CDT.
    
* At 801 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Electric Mills, or 17 miles north of Lauderdale,
  moving northeast at 60 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...
  Union, Gainesville, Emelle, New West Greene, Mantua, Panola, Jena,
  West Greene, Knoxville, Benevola, Geiger, Snoddy, Warsaw, New Mount
  Hebron, Clinton, Pleasant Ridge, Pioneer and Lewiston.

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 3293 8835 3323 8784 3302 8783 3302 8771
      3299 8771 3298 8775 3296 8774 3267 8838
TIME...MOT...LOC 0101Z 236DEG 51KT 3276 8843 

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

$$

87/GRANTHAM
2 follow-up statements
774 
WWUS54 KBMX 180117
SVSBMX

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

ALC063-107-119-180200-
/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0041.000000T0000Z-210318T0200Z/
Pickens AL-Greene AL-Sumter AL-
817 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN PICKENS...NORTHERN GREENE AND NORTHWESTERN SUMTER
COUNTIES...
    
At 817 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Gainesville, or 17 miles south of Aliceville, moving
northeast at 55 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...
Union, Gainesville, New West Greene, Mantua, Panola, Jena, West
Greene, Knoxville, Benevola, Geiger, Snoddy, Warsaw, New Mount
Hebron, Clinton, Pleasant Ridge, Pioneer and Lewiston.

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 3277 8828 3291 8835 3315 8798 3323 8784
      3302 8783 3302 8772
TIME...MOT...LOC 0117Z 235DEG 48KT 3288 8822 

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

$$

87/GRANTHAM
574 
WWUS54 KBMX 180123
SVSBMX

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

ALC063-107-119-180133-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.W.0041.000000T0000Z-210318T0200Z/
Pickens AL-Greene AL-Sumter AL-
823 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN PICKENS...NORTHERN GREENE AND
NORTHWESTERN SUMTER COUNTIES 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 west central
Alabama.

LAT...LON 3277 8828 3291 8835 3315 8798 3323 8784
      3302 8783 3302 8772
TIME...MOT...LOC 0122Z 236DEG 51KT 3292 8814 

$$

87/GRANTHAM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 17, 7:18 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXAutauga, Dallas17 min
Mar 17, 7:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion58 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.