Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 106, NWS Mobile, AL

November 26, 1986Dale County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 26, 1986, 2:08 AM CST for Dale County, Alabama. It was in force for 67 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
Nov 26, 1986, 2:08 AM CST (08:08 UTC)
Expired
Nov 26, 1986, 3:15 AM CST
In force
67 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Dale 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Nov 26, 2:30 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Dale, 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

Apalachicola Mun, FL (KAQQ), launched 00:00Z, 8.1 hours before the alert went out and 198 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Apalachicola Mun, FL at 00:00Z on 1986-11-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1141 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Apalachicola Mun, FL at 00:00Z on 1986-11-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 117 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1141 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
567 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
117 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
158 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.7
Supercell composite
3.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAAOO KMGM 260808
SVRMGM
ALC045-260915-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
208 AM CST WED NOV 26 1986
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  315 AM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
          ..DALE

AT 2 10AM CST RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF OZARK ALABAMA MOVING TOWARD THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 35
MPH.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH, LARGE HAIL, AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER,
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Nov 25, 8:43 PM CST, 5 hours 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
840 PM CST TUE NOV 25 1986

THE TORNADO WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST FLORIDA...IT
HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

AT 830 PM CST...SCATTERED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS AND WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN
WERE OVER ALL OF SOUTH ALABAMA...PART OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...
THE WESTERN END OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE...AND INTO THE GULF TO
MORE THAN 225 MILES SOUTH OF PENSACOLA.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT NEAR 40 MPH.
Special weather statement, Nov 25, 11:35 PM CST, 2 hours 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1140 PM CST TUE NOV 25 1986

AT 1130 PM CST...A LINE-LIKE BAND OF HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED
FROM CENTRAL ALABAMA SOUTHWARD TO PENSACOLA AND INTO THE GULF FOR 50
MILES. THE BAND OF STORMS WAS MOVING EASTWARD THROUGH THE WESTERN
FLORIDA PANHANDLE AT NEAR 20 MPH. FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...AND BRIEFLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM.

SCATTERED PATCHES OF LIGHT RAIN SURROUNDED THE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS
AND STRETCHED FROM MONTGOMERY ALABAMA SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE EXTREME
WESTERN END OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND INTO THE GULF...WHERE COVERAGE
WAS HIGHER...TO 200 MILES SOUTH OF PENSACOLA.

INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS AND LIGHT RAIN WAS TO THE
NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Nov 26, 12:45 AM CST, 1 hour 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1235 AM CST WED NOV 26 1986

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE
EXCEPT ESCAMBIA COUNTY UNTIL 6 AM CST THIS MORNING...

AT 1230 AM CST...CLUSTERS OF VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM
CENTRAL ALABAMA SOUTHWARD THROUGH BREWTON AND THE PENSACOLA AREA INTO
THE GULF FOR MORE THAN 50 MILES. THE BAND OF STORMS WAS MOVING EASTWARD
AROUND 20 MPH. FREQUENT LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WIND...AND BRIEF
PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED PATCHES OF RAIN AND SHOWERS WERE OVER SOUTH
ALABAMA...THE PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA WEST OF DE FUNIAK SPR&INGS AND DESTIN
AND THE GULF UP TO 200 MILES SOUTH OF THE COAST BETWEEN DAUPHIN ISLAND
AND PANAMA CITY.

INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS AND LIGHT RAIN WAS TO THE
NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Mobile, AL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 25, 10:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBarbour, Dale60 min
Nov 25, 11:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBarbour60 min
Nov 26, 12:24 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBElmore66 min
Nov 26, 12:31 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMontgomery59 min
Nov 26, 12:48 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBCovington57 min
Nov 26, 1:02 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBPike58 min
Nov 26, 1:40 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBCoffee65 min
Nov 26, 2:20 AM CSTTornado WarningMOBDale55 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.