Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2025

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 109, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 2, 2025Fayette County, Lamar County, Marion County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 2025, 2:16 PM CDT for Fayette County, Lamar County, Marion County, Alabama. It was in force for 74 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 2, 2025, 2:16 PM CDT (19:16 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 2025, 3:30 PM CDT
In force
74 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.88 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Fayette County, AL, Lamar County, AL, Marion County, AL

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 39 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:19 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 2, 1:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 130 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 2025-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1260 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, Birmingham, AL at 12:00Z on 2025-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 93 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
1260 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-39 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
818 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
93 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
102 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
2.8

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 2, 1:37 PM CDT, 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 1:37 PM CDT, 39 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 2, 2:41 AM CDT, 11 hours 35 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
241 AM CDT Fri May 2 2025

ALZ011>015-017>050-031045-
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-
241 AM CDT Fri May 2 2025

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

.DAY ONE...Outlook through Tonight.

There is a level 3 out of 5 risk for severe storms for locations near
and north of Interstate 20 with a level 1 to 2 out of 5 risk for
locations south of Interstate 20. Threats include damaging wind gusts
up to 60 mph and hail up to quarter size during the afternoon and
evening.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

There is a level 1 out of 5 risk for severe storms across central
Alabama Saturday morning and afternoon. Threats include damaging wind
gusts up to 60 mph and hail up to quarter size.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Activation of storm spotters and emergency management will be needed
for today and Saturday.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 2, 11:27 AM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Birmingham AL
1127 AM CDT Fri May 2 2025

ALZ011-021715-
Marion AL-
1127 AM CDT Fri May 2 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHWESTERN MARION COUNTY
THROUGH 1215 PM CDT...

At 1127 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Weston, or near Hamilton, moving northeast at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Pigeye, Shottsville, Weston, Hamilton, Bexar, and Rankin Fite
Airport.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead to
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

&&

LAT...LON 3431 8783 3405 8806 3405 8807 3412 8817
      3432 8813
TIME...MOT...LOC 1627Z 213DEG 17KT 3420 8803

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

87/Grantham

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 1, 7:35 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXSt. Clair40 min
May 1, 8:10 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXSt. Clair50 min
May 2, 11:27 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXMarion48 min
May 2, 3:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston74 min
May 2, 3:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPickens63 min
May 2, 3:44 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXGreene, Sumter46 min
May 2, 3:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPickens, Tuscaloosa61 min
May 2, 4:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSumter46 min
May 2, 4:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Walker, Winston79 min
May 2, 4:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Sumter58 min
May 2, 4:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount, Jefferson, Tuscaloosa81 min
May 2, 4:48 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXGreene, Sumter3 hr
May 2, 5:04 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryBMXTuscaloosa3 hr
May 2, 5:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount, Cherokee, Etowah, St. Clair69 min
May 2, 5:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Chilton, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, Tuscaloosa97 min
May 2, 5:26 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXHale64 min
May 2, 5:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Hale, Perry61 min
May 2, 6:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Talladega54 min
May 2, 6:09 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXPerry51 min
May 2, 6:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDallas, Perry44 min
May 2, 6:30 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXCherokee, Etowah45 min
May 2, 6:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph, Talladega87 min
May 2, 6:56 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXShelby49 min
May 2, 6:59 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementBMXBibb, Perry46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 2025Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2025

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.