Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2024

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 27, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 9, 2024Clay County, Cleburne County, Randolph County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 9, 2024, 9:46 AM CDT for Clay County, Cleburne County, Randolph County, Alabama. It was in force for 59 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 9, 2024, 9:46 AM CDT (14:46 UTC)
Expired
May 9, 2024, 10:45 AM CDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Clay County, AL, Cleburne County, AL, Randolph County, AL

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 97 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:50 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
May 9, 3:02 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr
May 9, 8:51 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 103 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2024-05-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1170 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2024-05-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 32 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1170 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
597 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
98 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
1.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Birmingham, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 9, 9:26 AM CDT, 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 9:26 AM CDT, 20 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
926 AM CDT Thu May 9 2024

...New MESOSCALE UPDATE...

.MESOSCALE UPDATE FOR SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH MIDDAY...
Issued at 926 AM CDT THU MAY 9 2024

Heavy rain and thunderstorm activity continued to move southeast
across our northeast and north-central counties along the outflow
boundary established from earlier activity. The primary risk for
damaging straight-line winds with a small risk for a tornado and a
risk for hail with the heavier thunderstorms.

The 09/12z BMX sounding sampled an unstable environment with
surface instability over 2400 J/kg with bulk shear over 50 kts.
The environment remains favorable for organized thunderstorms that
may become severe with damaging winds, large hail and possibly a
tornado or two.

The greatest potential through midday looks to be for areas
generally east of I-65 and north of I-85 as the activity is
heavier in this area and continues to move southeast across
Eastern Alabama and into Georgia. Some re-intensification will be
possible as instability values increase with the heat of the day,
but much of this activity looks to push out of our area before mid
afternoon.

We are also watching clusters of showers and thunderstorms that
are developing further south along the U.S. Highway 80 corridor.
This activity is becoming more widespread, which is reducing the
risk of a rogue isolated storm becoming severe, but this risk will
persist with potential later development into the afternoon.

05

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Today through Friday)
Issued at 115 AM CDT THU MAY 9 2024

Key Messages:

- A Mesoscale Convective System dives southeast into the area
  before sunrise and push southeast through the morning and into
  the afternoon hours. While gradually weakening in the morning,
  it may re-intensify before it exists our southeast counties late
  morning into the afternoon. Damaging winds will be the primary
  risk, with large hail and a few tornadoes being possible as
  well.

- Some thunderstorms may redevelop across North-Central Alabama
  late afternoon into the early evening that will have large hail
  potential, this risk will decrease in the evening as another MCS
  approaches our south-central counties from the west.

- The second MCS appears to track a touch to the north of the
  previous forecast, so the severe chances have increased across
  the southern areas. Damaging winds will be the primary
  risk, with large hail and a few tornadoes being possible as
  well.

We will be watching a MCS that is currently across western TN.
This MCS should dive southeast into the area before sunrise and
push southeast through the morning and into the afternoon hours.
While gradually weakening in the morning, it may re-intensify
before it exists our southeast counties late morning into the
afternoon. There may be a line of showers and storms that develops
as well and will merge with this first area. Highest confidence
right now would be with the MCS to or northwest moving down and
then spreading out. Damaging winds will be the primary risk, with
large hail and a few tornadoes being possible as well, especially
if there is a merge of lines. There will be a brief lull before
the next system moves in.

Conditions are shaping up for a secondary round of strong to
severe thunderstorms late tonight through Friday morning. This
activity will likely develop along the cold front which will be
nearly parallel to I-20 as a mid-level shortwave quickly moves
east across the area. The airmass will still be very warm and
unstable south of the front with dewpoints in the lower to mid 70s
and steep 7.5-8 C/km lapse rates leading to large CAPE profiles
(MLCAPE ~3500 J/kg). Shear values will be amplified by the mid-
level speedmax/shortwave which will result in eff. bulk shear
values around 60 kts. This environment will foster intense
convection to our west which will rapidly grow into a large MCS
with damaging wind potential maximized along embedded bowing
segments as the system moves east, across the southern portions
of Central Alabama early Friday morning. There are questions
regarding how far north the threat extends given the uncertain
position of the front and remnant cold pool from the line of
convection this morning/afternoon which could suppress the
greatest risk to the southern third of the area. Anything that
develops south of the cold front will have the potential to become
severe given the moist, unstable environment. Damaging winds are
by far the primary threat, but intense updrafts may lead to large
hail in the Enhanced risk area.

The cluster of storms will begin to exit the area around 7 AM Friday
morning as the cold front continues to push south through the area,
bringing a much more pleasant airmass to the region.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Friday night through next Wednesday)
Issued at 245 AM CDT THU MAY 9 2024

Dry conditions return Friday night as the system exits to our
east. Humidity will be lower on Saturday with highs in the upper
70s to lower 80s under sunny skies. A mid-level ridge will move
across the area over the weekend as an upper-level low transitions
from the Four Corners to the Central Plains. Deep moisture
returns on Monday, with an increasing potential for another
period of rainy and stormy conditions through the early part of
next week as a warm front lifts north across the region.

16

&&

.AVIATION...
(12Z TAFS)
Issued at 702 AM CDT THU MAY 9 2024

Almost all sites have already dropped to MVFR ahead of the next
round of showers/storms. We may briefly see sites drop to IFR
before the band gets in, especially at TOI. The biggest impact
should be the storms as they move into the northern TAF sites
within the next hour or two. This round will slide south of the
northern sites by 16 to 18z and out of the southern sites by 19
to 21z. Conditions will improve to VFR for most of the rest of
the cycle, but begin to decrease at TCL by 3z ahead of the next
round of showers and storms along a cold front. Looks like the
main impact here will be between 6 and 12z.

16

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...

Multiple rounds of showers and storms are expected to affect the
area through Friday morning. Rainfall amounts will generally
range from 1 to 2 inches. A drier airmass will return on Friday as
a cold front passes through the area with min RH of 35 to 40
percent on Saturday. 20ft winds will be out of the south-
southeast at 8 to 10 kts.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Gadsden     86  61  78  49 / 100  30  20   0
Anniston    85  64  79  52 / 100  50  30   0
Birmingham  86  64  79  54 / 100  50  20   0
Tuscaloosa  87  66  81  55 / 100  60  20   0
Calera      85  66  80  55 / 100  60  30   0
Auburn      82  69  81  57 /  90  80  50   0
Montgomery  86  69  84  57 /  90  80  50   0
Troy        86  68  83  57 /  90  80  60   0

&&

.BMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

SHORT TERM...05
LONG TERM....16
AVIATION...16
Hazardous weather outlook, May 9, 3:44 AM CDT, 6 hours 2 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
344 AM CDT Thu May 9 2024

ALZ011>015-017>050-101145-
Marion-Lamar-Fayette-Winston-Walker-Blount-Etowah-Calhoun-Cherokee-
Cleburne-Pickens-Tuscaloosa-Jefferson-Shelby-St. Clair-Talladega-
Clay-Randolph-Sumter-Greene-Hale-Perry-Bibb-Chilton-Coosa-Tallapoosa-
Chambers-Marengo-Dallas-Autauga-Lowndes-Elmore-Montgomery-Macon-
Bullock-Lee-Russell-Pike-Barbour-
344 AM CDT Thu May 9 2024

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the counties served by the
National Weather Service office in Birmingham.

.DAY ONE...Outlook through Tonight.

Multiple rounds of showers and storms will move through Central
Alabama. The first will move through this morning into the afternoon.
The second round will move through tonight into the overnight hours
ahead of a cold front. Severe storms will be possible with threats
including damaging winds up to 60 mph, large hail, and a tornado or
two.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Activation of storm spotters and emergency management may be needed
through early Friday morning.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 9, 9:03 AM CDT, 43 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 9, 9:11 AM CDT, 35 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 9, 9:18 AM CDT, 28 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 9, 9:25 AM CDT, 21 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 9, 9:29 AM CDT, 17 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 9, 9:39 AM CDT, 7 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 9, 5:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCherokee60 min
May 9, 5:58 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXBlount, Etowah62 min
May 9, 6:28 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCherokee47 min
May 9, 6:43 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMarion47 min
May 9, 7:04 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXRandolph41 min
May 9, 7:18 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXWinston42 min
May 9, 7:32 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXTallapoosa43 min
May 9, 7:48 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXRandolph42 min
May 9, 7:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount48 min
May 9, 8:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCoosa, Elmore, Tallapoosa55 min
May 9, 8:21 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXJefferson39 min
May 9, 8:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXEtowah, St. Clair48 min
May 9, 8:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson44 min
May 9, 8:41 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXChambers49 min
May 9, 8:44 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXLee31 min
May 9, 8:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCherokee42 min
May 9, 8:57 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXBlount, Etowah, St. Clair2 hr
May 9, 8:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega63 min
May 9, 9:29 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXClay, Cleburne, Randolph46 min
May 9, 9:39 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXTallapoosa51 min
May 9, 10:05 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXClay, Randolph, Tallapoosa115 min
May 9, 10:19 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXChambers, Tallapoosa56 min
May 9, 10:38 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXClay52 min
May 9, 10:53 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXClay, Talladega3 hr
May 9, 11:12 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCoosa33 min
May 9, 11:18 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXLee27 min
May 9, 11:19 AM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXCoosa, Tallapoosa3 hr
May 9, 11:48 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCoosa27 min
May 9, 11:52 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMontgomery23 min
May 9, 12:13 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXBullock32 min
May 9, 4:57 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXShelby48 min
May 9, 5:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby55 min
May 9, 6:04 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXTalladega41 min
May 9, 6:06 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCoosa39 min
May 9, 6:12 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXTalladega33 min
May 9, 6:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar, Pickens46 min
May 9, 6:30 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXSt. Clair30 min
May 9, 6:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Pickens, Sumter47 min
May 9, 6:45 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXWalker45 min
May 9, 6:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatBMXLamar42 min
May 9, 6:55 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCoosa50 min
May 9, 6:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPickens47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2024Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2024

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.