Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Mobile, AL

March 17, 2021Wilcox County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 17, 2021, 5:53 PM CDT for Wilcox County, Alabama. It was in force for 37 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, 5:53 PM CDT (22:53 UTC)
Expired
Mar 17, 2021, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
37 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

County Wilcox County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 129 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:56 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, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 129 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.

397 
WFUS54 KMOB 172253
TORMOB
ALC131-172330-
/O.NEW.KMOB.TO.W.0012.210317T2253Z-210317T2330Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a

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

* Until 630 PM CDT.
    
* At 552 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Vineland, or 11 miles northeast of Thomasville,
  moving northeast at 40 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 Wilcox County.

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 3227 8744 3226 8744 3224 8741 3224 8739
      3222 8739 3222 8737 3220 8736 3220 8735
      3201 8759 3200 8763 3201 8762 3213 8762
      3213 8752 3226 8752
TIME...MOT...LOC 2252Z 225DEG 37KT 3205 8763 

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

$$

Black

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 16, 9:23 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningMOBChoctaw, Clarke, Washington, Wilcox16 hr
Mar 16, 11:44 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMOBCovington46 min
Mar 17, 4:18 AM CDTHigh Surf AdvisoryMOBBaldwin, Mobile26 hr
Mar 17, 4:27 AM CDTFlash Flood WatchMOBChoctaw, Clarke, Wilcox18 hr
Mar 17, 10:36 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningMOBChoctaw, Clarke, Washington32 days
Mar 17, 10:39 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningMOBClarke, Washington32 days
Mar 17, 11:58 AM CDTTornado WarningMOBChoctaw47 min
Mar 17, 12:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChoctaw46 min
Mar 17, 1:12 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBChoctaw48 min
Mar 17, 1:38 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBChoctaw37 min
Mar 17, 2:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChoctaw, Clarke40 min
Mar 17, 2:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChoctaw44 min
Mar 17, 2:19 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBChoctaw, Clarke, Washington6 hr
Mar 17, 2:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChoctaw, Clarke, Washington56 min
Mar 17, 2:36 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBClarke39 min
Mar 17, 2:38 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBChoctaw52 min
Mar 17, 3:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChoctaw47 min
Mar 17, 3:46 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBChoctaw44 min
Mar 17, 3:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBWilcox20 min
Mar 17, 4:00 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBWilcox14 min
Mar 17, 4:04 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBChoctaw, Washington26 min
Mar 17, 4:17 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatMOBChoctaw, Clarke43 min
Mar 17, 5:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBClarke30 min
Mar 17, 5:20 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBClarke, Wilcox40 min
Mar 17, 5:54 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMOBClarke, Wilcox6 hr
Mar 17, 5:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBClarke, Wilcox46 min
Mar 17, 6:08 PM CDTTornado WarningMOBWilcox22 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.