Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1986
Tornado Warning 18, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at May 24, 1986, 9:30 PM CDT for Winston County, Alabama. It was in force for 60 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 24, 1986, 9:30 PM CDT (02:30 UTC)
- Expired
- May 24, 1986, 10:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Winston County, AL
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 10:25 PM CDT | Tornado F1 | Winston, AL |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 140 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 770 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -71 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1633 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 7 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 19 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 46 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBHM 250232 TORBHM ALC133-250330- BULLETIN-EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 930 PM CDT SAT MAY 24 1986 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 10:30 PM FOR FOR PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA... WINSTON POLICE AT BEAR CREEK IN EXTREME NORTHEAST MARION COUNTY REPORTED TWO POSSIBLE TORNADOES IN THE AREA AT 9:25 PM CDT. THEY WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPHc INTO WINSTON COUNTY. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 24, 6:06 PM CDT, 3 hours 24 minutes before
STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 605 PM CDT SAT MAY 24 1986 ...ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS REPORT MARBLE SIZE HAIL 5 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF HAMILTON IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA'S MARIONQ COUNTY. THE HAIL OCCURED AT 5:50 PM CDT.
Local storm report, May 24, 6:25 PM CDT, 3 hours 5 minutes before
STORM REPORTS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 625 PM CDT SAT MAY 24 1986 ...ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS REPORT MARBLE SIZE HAIL CONTINUING AT HAMILTON IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA'S MARION COUNTY. BY^ 6:25 PM THE HAIL HAD BEEN FALLING ABOUT 20 MINUTES. A FEW HAILSTONES WERE LARGER THAN MARBLE SIZE. THE HAIL WAS COVERING THE GROUND AT THE STATE TROOPER POST.
Special weather statement, May 24, 6:37 PM CDT, 2 hours 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 635 PM CDT SAT MAY 24 1986 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11:00 OCLOCK TONIGHT FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTH AND WEST-CENTRAL ALABAMA... AT 6:35 PM CDT...A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA EXTENDED FROM EXTREME NORTH LAMAR COUNTY THROUGH HAMILTON...HACKLEBURG AND PHIL CAMPBELL AND INTO LAWRENCE COUNTY. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE CONTINUES A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR LAWRENCE AND LIMESTONE COUNTY UNTIL 7PM. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING MAY BE NEEDED AT ANY MOMENT FOR SOME OTHER COUNTIES. THE THUNDERSTORMS IN MARION COUNTY ARE ALMOST SEVERE. ASo OF 6:25 PM...MARBLE SIZE HAIL HAD BEEN FALLING IN HAMILTON FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES AND ALABAMA STATE TROOPERS REPORTED THAT THE GROUND WAS COVERED. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
Special weather statement, May 24, 7:25 PM CDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 715 PM CST SAT MAY 24 1986 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 209 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11PM CST FOR COOSA COUNTY OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA. WEATHER RADAR SHOWS VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING OVER THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF ALABAMA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST ABOUT 20 MPH. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THIS OFFICE DURING THE PAST HOUR..HOWEVER PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ON THE ALERT.
Special weather statement, May 24, 8:01 PM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 800 PM CDT SAT MAY 24 1986 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11:00 OCLOCK TONIGHT FOR A LARGE PART OF NORTH AND WEST-CENTRAL ALABAMA... A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR MARION AND WINSTON COUNTY EXPIRED AT 8 PM AND IS NOT BEING EXTENDED AT THIS TIME. AT 8 PM...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR SULLIGENT IN NORTH LAMAR COUNTY...NORTHEAST TO DOUBLE SPRINGS ...THEN ACROSS NORTHWEST CULLMAN COUNTY AND INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. ALTHOUGH THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE WEAKENED A LITTLE THEY ARE STILL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS AND POSSIBLE HAIL. AS THE THUNDERSTORMS PASSED HUNTSVILLE AIRPORT...THEY PRODUCED WINDS OF AT LEAST 46 MPH.
Special weather statement, May 24, 9:18 PM CDT, 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL 915 PM CST SAT MAY 24 1986 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 209 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11PM CST FOR COOSA COUNTY OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALABAMA. WEATHER RADAR SHOWS VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING OVER THE NORTHERN THIRD OF ALABAMA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST ABOUT 20 MPH. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THIS OFFICE DURING THE PAST HOUR..HOWEVER PERSONS INX THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ON THE ALERT.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 8:28 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lamar | 62 min |
| May 24, 8:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marion | 50 min |
| May 24, 9:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Fayette | 60 min |
| May 24, 9:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Franklin | 62 min |
| May 24, 10:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 60 min |
| May 24, 10:22 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cullman | 53 min |
| May 24, 10:27 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Morgan | 55 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes in 1986
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.