Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Huntsville, AL

March 17, 2021Cullman County, Alabama

NWS Huntsville, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 17, 2021, 6:44 PM CDT for Cullman 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 17, 2021, 6:44 PM CDT (23:44 UTC)
Expired
Mar 17, 2021, 7:15 PM CDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Huntsville, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.0 in

County Cullman County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 108 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:44 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, 11:36 AM CDTTornado Watch PDSSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 107 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 2021-03-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 658 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 2021-03-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 169 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
658 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-112 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
759 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
169 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
301 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

772 
WFUS54 KHUN 172344
TORHUN
ALC043-180015-
/O.NEW.KHUN.TO.W.0002.210317T2344Z-210318T0015Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Huntsville Alabama has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern Cullman County in north central Alabama...

* Until 715 PM CDT.
    
* At 643 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Good Hope, or 8 miles southwest of Cullman, moving
  northeast at 35 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...
  Cullman, Good Hope, Dodge City, Baldwin, Vinemont, Phelan, Logan,
  Crane Hill and Smith Lake.

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 3408 8708 3431 8684 3421 8665 3400 8698
TIME...MOT...LOC 2343Z 223DEG 32KT 3410 8695 

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

$$

70/DD
2 follow-up statements
372 
WWUS54 KHUN 180000
SVSHUN

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
700 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

ALC043-180015-
/O.CON.KHUN.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-210318T0015Z/
Cullman AL-
700 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 715 PM CDT FOR NORTH
CENTRAL CULLMAN COUNTY...
    
At 700 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Cullman, moving northeast at 35 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...
Cullman, Good Hope, Baldwin, Vinemont and Phelan. 

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 3417 8695 3431 8684 3421 8665 3410 8686
TIME...MOT...LOC 0000Z 223DEG 31KT 3421 8683 

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

$$

70/DD
559 
WWUS54 KHUN 180011
SVSHUN

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Huntsville AL
711 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

ALC043-180021-
/O.EXP.KHUN.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-210318T0015Z/
Cullman AL-
711 PM CDT Wed Mar 17 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL CULLMAN COUNTY WILL EXPIRE
AT 715 PM CDT...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.  However gusty
winds and heavy rain are still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until midnight CDT for north
central, northeastern and northwestern Alabama.

LAT...LON 3417 8695 3431 8684 3421 8665 3410 8686
TIME...MOT...LOC 0011Z 223DEG 32KT 3426 8677 

$$

70/DD

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 17, 1:24 AM CDTDense Fog AdvisoryHUNCullman, DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall7 hr
Mar 17, 7:25 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNMorgan50 min
Mar 17, 7:57 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNMadison48 min
Mar 17, 7:59 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNColbert46 min
Mar 17, 9:52 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHUNJackson23 min
Mar 17, 3:40 PM CDTTornado WarningHUNColbert, Franklin35 min
Mar 17, 4:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Franklin, Lauderdale26 min
Mar 17, 4:17 PM CDTFlash Flood WatchHUNColbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale and 5 more8 hr
Mar 17, 4:44 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningHUNCullman, Morgan5 hr
Mar 17, 5:24 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningHUNColbert, Franklin, Lauderdale9 hr
Mar 17, 5:49 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningHUNCullman8 hr
Mar 17, 6:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNMarshall22 min

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.