Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 31, NWS Mobile, AL

July 1, 1987Autauga County, Montgomery County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 1, 1987, 2:04 PM CDT for Autauga County, Montgomery County, Alabama. It was in force for 56 min. 3 reports 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
Jul 1, 1987, 2:04 PM CDT (19:04 UTC)
Expired
Jul 1, 1987, 3:00 PM CDT
In force
56 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Autauga County, AL, Montgomery 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
Jul 1, 2:20 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Autauga, AL
Jul 1, 2:30 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Montgomery, AL
Jul 1, 2:45 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Montgomery, 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 12:00Z, 7.1 hours before the alert went out and 93 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, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 12:00Z on 1987-07-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 451 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 12:00Z on 1987-07-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 53 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 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
451 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-18 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
661 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
57 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMGM 011904
SVRMGM
ALC001-101-012000-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
204 PM CDT WED JUL 1 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  300 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
          ...AUTAUGA...MONTGOMERY
 
AT 2 05PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM
JUST WEST OF PRATTVILLE TO JUST NORTHEAST OF FT DEPOSIT MOVING TOWARD
THE EAST AT 20 MPH.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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, Jul 1, 10:35 AM CDT, 3 hours 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1035 AM CDT WED JUL 1
Special weather statement, Jul 1, 10:42 AM CDT, 3 hours 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1035 AM CDT WED JUL 1 1987

THUNDERSTORMS IN LINES AND CLUSTERS WERE DEVELOPING OVER THE WESTERN
FLORIDA PANHANDLE FROM PENSACOLA TO PANAMA CITY.

AT 1030 AM CDT...RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING
RAPIDLY IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA OVER ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA...AND OKALOOSA
COUNTIES. THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO NUMEROUS IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND WILL CAUSE
FLOODING OF STREETS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO
REDUCE SPEED IN HEAVY RAIN AREAS AND ARE URGED TO AVOID AREAS OF
STANDING WATER.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHWAWRD 6 TO 10 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jul 1, 10:49 AM CDT, 3 hours 15 minutes before
SHORT-RANGE WEATHER SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
1050 AM CDT WED JUL 1 1987

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER MUCH OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND
SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...MAY PRODUCE SOME HEAVY RAINFALL...

WEATHER SERVICE RADARS AT 1045 AM SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN
CLUSTERS AND SHORT LINES FROM 20 MILES SOUTH OF THE ALABAMA COAST INLAND
OVER MOST OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA.  ALSO A FEW CLUSTERS WERE DEVELOPING
OVER THE COASTAL MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS AND
HEAVY RAINFALL THAT MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF STREETS AND ROADS.  THOSE
STORMS LOCATjED IN THE COASTAL WATERS MAY PRODUCE WATERSPOUTS.

RESIDENTS AND MOTORISTS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS.  THEY
WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY DURING THE AFTERNOON.
Special weather statement, Jul 1, 11:39 AM CDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1140 AM CDT WED JUL 1 1987

AT 1130 AM CDT...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN LARGE
CLUSTERS OVER THE PANHANDLE COUNTIES OF ESCAMBIA...SANTA ROSA...
OKALOOSA...AND WALTON. THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES. MOVEMENTS WERE NORTHWARD 8 TO 10 MILES
AN HOUR.

AN ESCAMBIA COUNTY DEPUTY REPORTED A SHORT LIVED FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR THE
BRENT LANE AND PALAFOX INTERSECTION IN PENSACOLA AROUND 11 AM.

MOTORISTS SHOULD REDUCE SPEED AND USE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS AND AVOID
STANDING WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.

RESIDENTS SHOULD PRACTICE LIGHTNING SAFETY RULES WHILE THE STORMS ARE
IN PROGRESS.

STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 1, 3:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile54 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987

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.