Alabama Skies Today

Time lapse looking NE of Huntsville, AL from Oak Park, 2:50-4:01 p.m.



7/18/10 Huntsville, AL Evening Skies

NWS HUN Survey

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1050 AM CDT WED JUL 14 2010...

STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS CAUSE DAMAGE IN MORGAN COUNTY TUESDAY...

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS RACED ACROSS NORTH ALABAMA TUESDAY /JULY 13/...BETWEEN 11 AM AND 2 PM. SEVERAL REPORTS OF THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE OCCURRED ACROSS MORGAN COUNTY...BETWEEN DANVILLE AND HARTSELLE SHORTLY AFTER NOON. A METAL ROOF WAS PEELED OFF ONE HOME...AND A TREE FELL ON TOP OF ANOTHER HOME. FORTUNATELY...THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. BASED ON SURVEYING THE DAMAGE AND REVIEWING THE RADAR DATA...THE NWS IN HUNTSVILLE HAS CONFIRMED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS.

$$DJN

Morgan County Storms

I saw a couple of storms today in Decatur, Alabama. I was working, so in order to see them, I had to time my morning break and half-hour lunch break perfectly. An isolated storm moved just north of my location just after 11:30 a.m. while I was on my morning break. Here are two photos of that storm. It was not severe and no warning was in effect.


11:32 a.m.


11:36 a.m.

I timed my lunch perfectly. I was about to walk out the door at 12:14 when my NOAA Weather Radio alarm went off to broadcast a severe thunderstorm warning for Morgan County. I left the office at 12:15 and positioned myself at the southern tip of Decatur on US 31. That was probably the part of the storm with the highest winds. I estimate that the peak winds I witnessed were approximately 50 mph. Initially the winds were out of the southwest as the storm began but they gradually became more westerly and then northwesterly. After the highest winds and heaviest rains subsided there was a brief period of frequent cloud to ground lightning. Several strikes were close with one of the strikes being 50-100 yards behind me in a field. Since I was in my car to stay safe from the lightning and to stay dry, I was unable to get any really good photos of the lightning that were close. I may have captured one strike on video after the storm had passed off to the east. If I can capture that one I will post it later. My friend Jennifer New captured some radar images for me. It was a great way for a weather geek to enjoy a 30 minute lunch!

12:21


12:24 p.m. Hytop Nexrad


12:26 p.m.


12:27 p.m.


12:28 p.m.


12:29 p.m. Hytop Nexrad Velocity


12:29 Hytop Nexrad


12:30 p.m.


13:33 Hytop Nexrad

Short video of part of the storm...



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Severe Thunderstorm in Lawrence Co., AL

These images were taken from the UAH Armor Radar at approximately 12 noon.

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Slight Risk For Severe Weather in North Alabama...

Excerpt from SPC Outlook...

DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1257 AM CDT TUE JUL 13 2010

VALID 131200Z - 141200Z

...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS FROM THE TN VALLEY INTO THE SRN
APPALACHIANS REGION...

...TN VALLEY/SRN APPALACHIANS REGION...
30-40 KT WLY MID LEVEL FLOW IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS THE TN
VALLEY TO SRN APPALACHIANS REGION TO VA/CAROLINAS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY EVENING. DESPITE WEAK MIDLEVEL LAPSE RATES...SURFACE HEATING
WITHIN A RATHER MOIST AIR MASS RESIDING ACROSS THE TN VALLEY AND IN
LEE OF THE SRN/CENTRAL APPALACHIANS IS EXPECTED TO SUPPORT MODERATE
INSTABILITY BY AFTERNOON. TSTMS PRODUCING MAINLY STRONG WIND GUSTS
SHOULD POSE THE GREATEST THREAT ALONG THE CORRIDOR OF STRONGER
MIDLEVEL WLY MIDLEVEL FLOW.

..PETERS/GRAMS.. 07/13/2010

Alabama Weather I Observed in June 2010

It has been a month since I posted here, so it is high time I share a few highlights from the previous month.

5/30/10 & 5/31/10 Memorial Day Weekend Skies in North Alabama:



6/02/10 NE Huntsville, AL Thunderstorm Time Lapse:



6/4/10 Oil spill Reaches Alabama Beaches

A man was struck by lightning 6/4/10 near Ripley in Limestone Co, AL. He was injured and will live. A reminder to seek shelter.

6/9/10 - My report to the NWS Huntsville: RT @stormreports: Madison County, AL - 60 mph wind gust estimated by spotter near chapman middle school in northeast huntsville


6/09/10 - Huntsville, AL Severe Thunderstorm Video:



6/13/10 NE Huntsville Sky Time Lapse:



6/14/10 - At 11 a.m. it was 97F on my car thermometer in Decatur, AL. Heat index 105F at 11 a.m. at Huntsville International Airport.

6/16/10 - Skies just NE of Huntsville, AL at 5:33 p.m.:



6/16/10 Huntsville, AL Sky Time Lapse:



6/17/10 Outflow Boundary on Radar:


6/17/10 - Decatur, AL Convection Time Lapse:



6/19/10 - Amazing shelf cloud just rolled through Madison, AL. Flooding on I-565 west of Madison:


6/19/10 - Madison, AL Shelf Cloud Time Lapse:

Walker-Jefferson Co., AL Storm - 5/28/10

These images were captured near the intersection of Alabama Highway 269 and Walker County Road 61 on the Walker-Jefferson line, south of Gorgas and east of Oakman. These images were made looking west toward a severe thunderstorm that was near Oakman....

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5/28/2010 - Convection in Morgan County, AL

Time lapse of storms that later became severe. These storms developed in Madison County and I followed them through Morgan, Cullman, and Walker, all the way into Jefferson County.



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Storms in North Alabama

2:40 Weather Underground image for Madison/Jackson counties.


UAH Armor Radar at 2:30

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Storms in Decatur & Huntsville - 5/20/10

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