It’s fun to watch the process as the NWS local offices expire, cancel and issue new counties for tornado watches. The SPC has final say on the initial watch after a coordination call with the affected local offices. Then it is up to the local offices to clear counties. They can also selectively add counties or extend the expiration time for certain counties.
Here is the latest changes as they cancel tornado watch number three and issue tornado watch number 4.
BMX cancels Tornado Watch for Chambers, Clay, Lee, Macon, Randolph, Russell, Tallapoosa [AL]
BMX issues Tornado Watch for Chambers, Clay, Lee, Macon, Randolph, Russell, Tallapoosa [AL] till 7:00 PM CST
BMX expires Tornado Watch for Autauga, Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Shelby, Sumter, Talladega [AL]
BMX issues Tornado Watch for Barbour, Bullock [AL] till 7:00 PM CST
WWUS64 KBMX 211731
WCNBMX
WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION FOR WATCHES 3/4
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1131 AM CST SAT JAN 21 2012
ALC017-027-081-087-111-113-123-220100-
/O.CAN.KBMX.TO.A.0003.000000T0000Z-120121T1800Z/
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.A.0004.120121T1731Z-120122T0100Z/
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 4 UNTIL
7 PM CST THIS EVENING WHICH REPLACES A PORTION OF TORNADO WATCH
3. THE NEW WATCH IS VALID FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
IN ALABAMA THE NEW WATCH INCLUDES 7 COUNTIES
IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA
CHAMBERS CLAY LEE
MACON RANDOLPH RUSSELL
TALLAPOOSA
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF…ALEXANDER CITY…ASHLAND…AUBURN…
LANETT…LINEVILLE…OPELIKA…PHENIX CITY…ROANOKE…
TUSKEGEE AND VALLEY.
$$
ALC001-007-021-037-047-051-063-065-091-105-117-119-121-211845-
/O.EXP.KBMX.TO.A.0003.000000T0000Z-120121T1800Z/
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL ALLOW TORNADO WATCH 3 TO EXPIRE
AT NOON CST TODAY FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
IN ALABAMA THIS ALLOWS TO EXPIRE 13 COUNTIES
IN CENTRAL ALABAMA
AUTAUGA BIBB CHILTON
COOSA DALLAS ELMORE
PERRY SHELBY TALLADEGA
IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA
GREENE HALE MARENGO
SUMTER
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF…ALABASTER…BRENT…CENTREVILLE…
CLANTON…COLUMBIANA…DEMOPOLIS…EUTAW…GREENSBORO…LINDEN…
LIVINGSTON…MARION…MILLBROOK…MOUNDVILLE…PELHAM…
PRATTVILLE…ROCKFORD…SELMA…SYLACAUGA…TALLADEGA…
UNIONTOWN…WETUMPKA AND YORK.
$$
ALC005-011-220100-
/O.NEW.KBMX.TO.A.0004.120121T1731Z-120122T0100Z/
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 4 IN EFFECT
UNTIL 7 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS
IN ALABAMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 2 COUNTIES
IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA
BARBOUR BULLOCK
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF…EUFAULA AND UNION SPRINGS.
$$
08
The final result:
These counties will be cleared as soon as the line of storms push out of these areas.
