April 19-26, 2011 Weather Xtreme Video by James Spann and Brian Peters Compilation

This video includes excerpts from ABC 33/40 Birmingham Chief Meteorologist James Spann and Meteorologist Brian Peters Weather Xtreme Videos which were produced in the week leading up to the historic and tragic April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak in Alabama. The video begins with an excerpt from April 19th and takes us all the way through April 26. These are weather forecasting model discussions, not necessarily the forecast that was published officially on those days. This video was made to focus on discussions about the 27th, both at long range and as the event became imminent. I have excluded most other parts of the original discussions so that the viewer can focus on information related to April 27th.
Contents:
0:08 Tuesday Morning 4/19/11 - James Spann
1:12 Wednesday Afternoon 4/20/11 - James Spann
2:19 Thursday Morning 4/21/11 - James Spann
3:54 Friday Afternoon 4/22/11 - James Spann
5:17 Easter Sunday 4/24/11 - Brian Peters
8:31 Monday Afternoon 4/25/11 - James Spann
11:51 Tuesday Morning 4/26/11 - James Spann
16:28 Tuesday Afternoon 4/26/11 - James Spann

[@afield-fo2sf]

James was right on the money. We have the best weather man in the country.

[@krazykyfan]

It's so eerie how prophetic and on point he was about this event. Incredible how the dynamics for this outbreak were seen coming together nearly eight days out.

[@johnkittz]

8 days out? Dang. People said it was on day 4 they issued a outlook area. I guess this system was super sure of itself lol.

[@krazykyfan]

@@johnkittz yeah it's crazy how the models were already pointing at trouble that far out. For an interesting read check out this weather blog from that time. I think the thread had started on April 20, 2011 and runs through the event as it happened... www.americanwx.com/bb/topic/17368-historic-tornado-outbreak-april-27-2011/

[@tracyfrederick5606]

This is so creepy in retrospect.

[@altfactor]

Those who listed/watched these podcasts knew days in advance that a major severe weather outbreak was coming.

[@tracyfrederick5606]

altfactor people just don't pay attention. I don't understand it.

[@supertornadogun1690]

Less than 1% of the population watches this.

[@orangejoe204]

@@supertornadogun1690 Shit, less than 1% of the population in Alabama pays any attention to the sirens. lol

[@jamessimms415]

Had two dogs @ the time, even they were showing anxiety & odd behavior 2-3 days beforehand

[@jamesgentry13]

And yet people are still playing they didn't have warning card.

[@orangejoe204]

Only way to talk to some people is the way James talks to them post 2011: stop the silly BS, sirens aren't a good warning system, go buy a damn weather radio. Frankly, I think on high risk days they SHOULD be trying to scare people. Their problem isn't being too scared, it's not being scared enough!

[@feathertail8996]

@@orangejoe204 "Just buy a gosh darn weather radio. Don't have the money? I'll friccen pay for it."

[@jaredpatterson1701]

@@orangejoe204 yeah until the radio tower got knocked out lol the best prevention is for people to know in advance and make arrangements. Sometimes you can look at radar and see nothing and still get an ef2 to drop down in a matter of a couple minutes. I've had sirens go off when it seemed like nothing, and found spin ups. Still on a day like 2011 my goodness! Gotta be prepared before hand

[@TheOfficialRandomGuy]

The original purpose for the sirens wasn’t intended for weather. It’s surprises me on how many people still wait for the sirens to take cover.

[@tracyfrederick5606]

This is exactly why people can't truthfully say " we had no warning". If you watch the weather... You had warning.

[@peachxtaehyung]

You could tell they started getting really nervous about it starting at the one at 7:25 or the one before that one. They we're trying not to let people know how bad it was looking until they were sure but looking back you can tell they were really nervous early on...

[@jaredpatterson1701]

10 years later still prophetic

[@NVRAMboi]

Spann was right about Middle TN that day (Wed, 4/27/11) as well. We lucked out - had mostly overcast morning with light/moderate rain and cooler air until early afternoon. We never had enough sun to heat us up - thankfully.

[@JamesBozeman]

I come back and watch it all again as i watched each day back then. Never will forget it ! April 15th had been terrible just a few miles from home already that year. Lost some dear friends on that day! Incredible Forecasting. Unfortunately we all remember here in Alabama that it was right on target. Easy to be nervous in bad weather around here after that day!

[@kpopfanforever7720]

James Bozeman im very sorry for your losses hopefully stuff like this will never happen again

[@JamesBozeman]

Thanks so very much. Praying it does not! Thanks again!

[@tracyfrederick5606]

I was in the '74 outbreak. I've got PTSD. I live in Montgomery now. I couldn't live up there again. It's sad because it's my favorite place in the world. That part of Alabama is home .

[@ILoveOldTWC]

​@@tracyfrederick5606What portion of Alabama is home?

[@tracyfrederick5606]

@ILoveStorms the shelby/ bibb/ Jefferson County area

[@ILoveOldTWC]

"Synoptically speaking, everything is in place for a red severe weather day. It's the mesoscale things that can determine the ultimate outcome." He mentions, boundaries, stronger caps, cloudiness, but one thing he didn't mention was convection along the Gulf Coast, which typically disrupts and/or cuts off the flow of moisture to central and northern Alabama. Unfortunately, NONE of those things were there to make the outcome any different. There were capping inversions but they broke. The clouds from the morning wave moved out and the atmosphere quickly recovered. Gulf Coast was high and dry, and wide open with no convection to rob north and central Alabama of instability.

[@tracyfrederick5606]

Almost 7th anniversary and heavily on my mind.

[@mrslinarcos]

No doubt it was 1974 all over again I remember that event very well it was scary I wasn't living in Alabama. I was living in Illinois I was 14 years old and I remember how scary that two-day event was. I have been through Alabama; Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, & Cullman places that I've been through and just hard to believe that they would have ended up under the gun the way they did.

[@aaronspringborn34]

I just watched for the first time and overall the predication sad to say came true and James like you said the morning round was possible but not as severe as predicted. WOW!

[@cnmnnaturalist]

I can't imagine the weight of these forecasts on the shoulders of meteorologists, emergency management and the general public. Even the best of our ability to predict these events will still not be enough to completely prevent casualties, and they will always have that question on their minds of whether or not they did enough to save lives. I have nothing but respect for them.

[@tracyfrederick5606]

Does anyone know if they discussed the outbreak on weatherbrains? If so, which episode.

[@peachxtaehyung]

They did. I think if you type in weatherbrains on google and go to their site and in the search bar type in weatherbrains heavy hearts it should come up

[@tracyfrederick5606]

@@peachxtaehyung thank you

[@peachxtaehyung]

@@tracyfrederick5606 not a problem! Just go to their site because it was before they started doing the video on youtube

[@YouTubeeeeeewil]

8 days out! That’s insane.

[@drewcox2103]

Excellent Video. I do have one nitpick. He forgot the April 20 AM Weather Xtreme where he warns that "Next week's severe weather event could be VERY significant."

[@drewcox2103]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2KoqIWji52Xm8U, specifically between 5:22 and 6:11

[@racecarsandconvections1991]

They didn't even know about Round 1 that came through yet. Seems like they just thought it would be afternoon only. Imagine if the morning round didn't happen, how bad it could have been

[@larrycopeland2413]

The thing is about that early-morning round - it knocked out power/infrastructure to hundreds of thousands of people, making it a lot harder to warn them about the monster storms that came later in the day.

[@racecarsandconvections1991]

@@larrycopeland2413 Yeah it did, but I'm referring to the days before the storms. It didn't even appear to be they thought there would be a morning round

[@larrycopeland2413]

@@racecarsandconvections1991 Yeah, that's right.

[@saromakhatun558]

= by

[@montecarlo4294]

Something akin to this is coming to Alabama on 2/23/19

[@peachxtaehyung]

Lol that didn't happen. This type of outbreak happens maybe once a generation (the last being in 1974 super outbreak) people need to stop spreading that every severe weather event is THE NEXT SUPER OUTBREAK! That is only hurting not helping things

[@drewcox2103]

@@peachxtaehyung And the last Super outbreaks before '74 were March 21, 1932 that killed 268 Alabamians and Enigma outbreak of Feb. 19-20, 1884 that killed between 200-1200 people in the Deep South.

[@peachxtaehyung]

@@drewcox2103 yeah i know? That's why i am saying people need to spreading every event will be the next super outbreak! Stuff like this only happens every 40-50yrs

[@trollerjakthetrollinggod-e7761]

​@@peachxtaehyungit did almost happen in 2019, but it was a bust.

[@Scott81]

I cannot stand Brian

[@nadokid1]

Bearded Boss why

[@tracyfrederick5606]

Get over it

[@ILoveOldTWC]

Why?