2/18/09 NOW: KY, TN, MS, AL, GA

[Andrew Butler]

Slight Risk moved north as well as 5% tornado. Tornado Watch issued for middle Tennessee and Kentucky.

Healthy looking right-mover in south central Kentucky that is severe warned..

 

[Chip Redmond]

Tornado warning for Clinton, Cumberland, and Russell counties in southern KY. Nice looking descret cell.

Chip

 

[Dave Gallaher]

Tornado warning for east suburban Birmingham, AL, and just expired for Marwshall and Dekalb counties in north AL. Excellent viewing conditions are present, as soup has cleared, replaced by cu field.

 

[tom hanlon]

The cell tracking along route 20 East of Birmingham seems to have what it takes, tight strong, shows rotation on the storm relative velocity. Tracking straight east. Time 21.19 UTC .

LCL at 750, plenty of shear. Better dewpoint slightly to the south but as it heads east it should get into even better dewpoints.

 

[Andrew Stoller]

http://www.severestudios.com/cgi-bin/player.pl?username=brett.adair&uid=37

Brett Adair is on it. Looks very HP.

:edit: looks like he's a bit behind it. Big wet RFD it looks like in front of him.

 

[Dave Gallaher]

Yep, looks like a beast at this point--GRL3 showing 3" hail, which is not too common around here.

 

[Dave Gallaher]

Rapid development in cell north of Birmingham on Jefferson/Blount County lines. Looks like a loose rotation may be tightening, hail going to 2". I won't be surprised to see this SVR change to a TOR shortly.

 

[Dave Gallaher]

Cell east of Birmingham on GA state line has been upgraded to Tornado Emergency warning for Cleburne and Randolph Counties, AL.

EDIT: Still no reports, though, unless I've missed them.

 

[Jeff Russell]

Local TV (WSB) in Atlanta reports the cell on the GA/AL line has a BTI of 7.2. The highest they have ever seen since the equipment was installed. They sound pretty confident that there's a tornado on the ground.

 

[Charles Kuster]

The storm in Carroll County is still showing strong rotation and a well defined hook. It is moving south of due east at 50mph. As of 5:26pm EST the possible tornado was located about 3 miles east of Bowdon, GA.

Another storm with decent rotation was located in Perry County, Alabama (western AL.) This storm was located about 8 miles WNW of Uniontown, AL as of 4:24pm CST and moving east at 60mph.

Edit: Spotters have reported a tornado with this storm. The possible tornado is now about 4 miles south of Carrollton as of 5:35pm EST.

 

[Dave Gallaher]

TOR-warned cell in Perry County, AL is starting to show a hook, 3.75" hail indicator. This is big stuff around here!

EDIT: Couplet is tightening at 4:46 CST, will track close to Selma, it appears.

 

[Dick McGowan]

/O.CON.KBMX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090218T2330Z/
CLEBURNE AL-CALHOUN AL-
446 PM CST WED FEB 18 2009

...A TORNADO EMERGENCY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM CST FOR CENTRAL
CALHOUN AND CENTRAL CLEBURNE COUNTIES...

AT 442 PM CST...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF SAKS...MOVING
EAST AT 55 MPH.

WTF? No ground confirmation and a TE?

 

[BrianBaker]

Dick I agree! If they have not had a confirmation of a large or violent tornado moving into a decent size town then this is unwarranted. Yet another message that some NWS are beginning to overuse.

 

[Dave Gallaher]

We'll probably have to wait until after the event to see what lead to the TE decision. I still see no reports in the SPC site.

 

[Terry Tyler]

Just come out of a pretty serious storm thats heading into selma. Had just an incredible look to it. I couldent keep up with it, but its looking better on radar then it did when i saw it. Got some big spiked golf-balls and saw a raggedy wall cloud on it that was broke up and reattached and did some wierd things. I watched it for a good 20 mins as visibility was incredible just E of demopolis.

I didnt see anything that indicated the storm was going to make a tornado at the time i was viewing it, but after it passed over i couldent maintain a visual because rain started wrapping around the back side of it. I followed it all the way into uniontown but after following it for 25mins, it was clear i couldent see in there. With that said, things changed alot since then and it has a really impressive radar presentation.