Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 65, NWS Mobile, AL

December 15, 1987Autauga County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Dec 15, 1987, 3:39 AM CST for Autauga County, Alabama. It was in force for 51 min. 2 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
Dec 15, 1987, 3:39 AM CST (09:39 UTC)
Expired
Dec 15, 1987, 4:30 AM CST
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Autauga 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
Dec 15, 3:50 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 60Autauga, AL
Dec 15, 4:00 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Autauga, 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, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 66 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 00:00Z on 1987-12-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 00:00Z on 1987-12-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 115 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
618 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
115 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
348 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMGM 150939
SVRMGM
ALC001-151030-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
339 AM CST TUE DEC 15 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  430 AM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
          ...AUTAUGA
 
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY RADAR NEAR AUTAUGAVILLE MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH AT 3 40AM CST.
 
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 QUGICKLY 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, Dec 15, 12:41 AM CST, 2 hours 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1235 AM CST TUE DEC 15 1987

A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MOST OF ALABAMA UNTIL 6AM THIS
MORNING. ALTHOUGH NO NORTHWEST FLORIDA COUNTIES HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN
THE WATCH AREA...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING
THROUGH NORTHWEST FLORIDA FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. THE THUNDERSTORMS
COULD POSSIBLY BE SEVERE. PERSONS SHOULD KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST
WEATHER REPORTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE PROTECTIVE ACTION IF
THREATENING WEATHER DEVELOPES.

AT 1230 AM CST...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS WERE
IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA...FROM MOBILE NORTHWARD...AND IN NEIGHBORING
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. MOVEMENTS WERE NORTHEAST AT 50 TO 60 MILES AN
HOUR.
Local storm report, Dec 15, 1:23 AM CST, 2 hours 16 minutes before
ATTN SELS
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
120 AM CST TUE DEC 15 1987

THE MISSISSIPPI HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTED WIND DAMAGE TO POWER
LINES NEAR PURVIS IN LAMAR COUNTY MISSISSIPPI CDURING THE PAST
FEW MINTUES.
Special weather statement, Dec 15, 1:39 AM CST, 2 hours before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
140 AM CST TUE DEC 15 1987

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA UNTIL
600 AM...TORNADO WATCH NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR ANY SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI COUNTY...

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR FORREST AND PEARL-RIVER
COUNTIES IN MISSISSIPPI HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

AT 135 AM THE MOBILE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI FROM NEAR RICHTON ACROSS WIGGINS SOUTH TO
THE COAST AT BAY ST LOUIS SOUTHWARD ACROSS THIS MISSISSIPPI DELTA.
THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH WHILE THE INDIVIDUAL THUNDERSTORMS
WERE RACING NORTHWARD AT 60 MPH.

DUE TO THE RAPID MOVEMENT OF THESES THUNDERSTORMS...WARNINGS FOR SPECIFIC
COUNTIES ARE DIFFICULT.  RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE APPROACH
OF SEVERE WEATHER AND LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Dec 15, 2:29 AM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
230 AM CST TUE DEC 15 1987

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 566 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA UNTIL 600 AM...

AT 225 AM...THE MOBILE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
ALONG A COLD FRONT FROM WESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY ALABAMA SOUTHWARD
TO NEAR LUCEDALE IN GEORGE COUNTY TO OCEAN SPRINGS AT THE COAST THEN
SOUTH INTO THE GULF FOR MORE THAN 50 MILES.  THE LINE WAS MOVING TOWARD
THE EAST AT 30 MPH WHILE THUNDERTORMS WERE MOVING UP THE LINE AT 60 MPH.

SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED DURING THE PAST HALF HOUR
OVER MOBILE COUNTY AND RADAR INDICATES THEY ARE MOVING NORTHWARD AT
60 MPH.

RESIDENTS OF SOUTHWEST ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY
OF SEVERE WEATHER UNTIL THE WIND SHIFTS TO THE WEST AND THE TEMPERTURE
BEGINS TO FALL.
Special weather statement, Dec 15, 2:38 AM CST, 1 hour 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
235 AM CST TUE DEC 15 1987

THE TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALABAMA UNTIL 6AM CST THIS
MORNING.

AT 230 AM CST...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSHOWERS...SOME
PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL...WERE OCASSIONALLY IN LINES AND CLUSTERS OVER
THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA. THE HEAVIEST
THUNDERSHOWEWRS WERE PRESENTLY INDICATED IN ALABAMA FROM MOBILE BAY
NORTHWARD ABOUT 50 MILES. MOVEMENTS WERE NORTHEAST ABOUT 55 MILES AN
HOUR.

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE BEGINNING TO MOVE INTO SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA AND TOWARD THE ALABAMA COASTAL WATERS. NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS
WERE OCCURRING ALONG THE LINE AS IT MOVED EASTWARD AROUND 35 MILES
AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Dec 15, 3:17 AM CST, 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
315 AM CST TUE DEC 15 1987

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 566 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWEST
ALABAMA UNTIL 600 AM...

AT 310 AM...THE MOBILE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
FROM SOUTHWEST CLARKE COUNTY SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL MOBILE COUNTY IN
ALABAMA WITH OTHER THUNDERSTORMS OVER BALDWIN...ESCAMBIA AND CONECUH
COUNTIES.  THE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE TOWARD THE NORTH AT 60
MPH WHILE THE LINE IS MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

THE COLD FRONT PUSHING THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
MOVING EASTWARD ACROSS SOUTHWEST ALABAMA THIS MORNING.  THE TEMPERATURE
WILL FALL RAPIDLY AFTER THE WIND SHIFT AND THAT WILL END THE THREAT OF
SEVERE WEATHER.  STRONG GUSTY WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL OCCUR BEHIND
THE COLD FRONT.   THE TEMPERATURE AT THE MOBILE AIRPORT HAS FALLEN FROM
73 TO 60 DEGREES IN 25 MINUTES WITH WIND GUSTS OF 37 MPH.
THE MOBILE POLICE DEPARTMEN0T REPORTED WIND DAMAGE TO A PATIO
COVER IN THE PONDEROSA SUBDIVISION...ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH OF THE
AIRPORT...ABOUT THE TIME OF THE WIND SHIFT.  WINDS ESTIMATED AT
50 MPH OCCURRED IN THE AREA.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 15, 3:12 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBDallas48 min
Dec 15, 3:54 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBElmore66 min
Dec 15, 4:14 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBullock61 min
Dec 15, 5:15 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBullock, Pike45 min
Dec 15, 5:15 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBCoffee45 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.