Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1988

Tornado Warning 35, NWS Birmingham, AL

November 27, 1988Cleburne County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Nov 27, 1988, 12:11 AM CST for Cleburne County, Alabama. It was in force for 34 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Nov 27, 1988, 12:11 AM CST (06:11 UTC)
Expired
Nov 27, 1988, 12:45 AM CST
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Cleburne County, AL

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 00:00Z, 6.2 hours before the alert went out and 178 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 1988-11-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 395 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 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 1988-11-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 437 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
395 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
789 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
71 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
437 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
526 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
5.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBHM 270611
TORBHM
ALC029-270645-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1211 AM CST SUN NOV 27 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1245 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
          ...CLEBURNE
 
AT 1205 PM CST...THE POLICE HAVE REPORTED A TORNADO LOCATED ALONG THE
CLEBURNE/CALHOUN COUNTY LINE JUST OFF I-20. STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSOIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

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

Special weather statement, Nov 26, 8:26 PM CST, 3 hours 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
824 PM CST SAT NOV 26 1988

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND
WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 824 PM CST VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED BY RADAR NEAR
DEMOPOLIS AND MOVING ALONG THE MARENGO/CLARKE COUNTY LINE. THESE STORMS
ARE LIKELY PRODUCING DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...TORRENTIAL RAIN AND WINDS
GUSTING TO AROUND 50 MPH. THE STORM NEAR DEMOPOLIS WILL BE MOVING INTO
HALE COUNTY BEFORE 9 PM.

OTHER STORMS PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED IN TUSCALOOSA AND
WESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN ACCOMPANYING THE STORMS...FLOODING OF STREETS AND
LOW LYING AREAS CAN BE EXPECTED.

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR SECTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA
UNTIL 11 PM.
THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
Special weather statement, Nov 26, 9:02 PM CST, 3 hours 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
900 PM CST SAT NOV 26 1988

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 900 PM CST VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED BY RADAR NEAR
GREENSBORO IN HALE COUNTY AND MOVING ALONG THE MARENGO/CLARKE COUNTY
LINE SOUTHWEST OF DIXON MILLS. THESE STORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY
RAIN...WIND GUSTING TO AROUND 45 MPH AND OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING. SOME HAIL
MAY ALSO OCCUR WITH THESE STORMS.

OTHER STORMS PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED IN TUSCALOOSA...
BIBB AND WESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN ACCOMPANYING THE STORMS...FLOODING OF STREETS AND
LOW LYING AREAS MAY OCCUR\. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR SECTIONS OF NORTH AND WEST ALABAMA UNTIL
11 PM CST.
Special weather statement, Nov 26, 9:33 PM CST, 2 hours 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
930 PM CST SAT NOV 26 1988

...TORNADO WATCH CANCELED FOR ALL BUT A FEW COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST
   ALABAMA...

AT 930 PM CST...TORNADO WATCH 511 HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR ALL OF
ALABAMA EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING 4 COUNTIES IN THE SOUTHWEST...
   CHOCTAW   CLARKE   MARENGO  WASHINGTON

THUNDERSTORMS WERE STILL OCCURRING IN A BAND FROM CULLMAN AND
GADSDEN EXTENDING TO THE SOUTHWEST THROUGH CENTREVILLE AND INTO
THE SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL
...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING WHILE MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
Special weather statement, Nov 26, 10:01 PM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1000 PM CST SAT NOV 26 1988

...TORNADO WATCH CANCELLED FOR ALL OF ALABAMA...

AT 1000 PM CST...TORNADO WATCH 511 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL OF
ALABAMA.

AT 1000 PM CST THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE LOCATED
JUST SOUTHWEST OF THE BIRMINGHAM METRO AREA. DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN...
SOME FLOODING OF STREETS AND LOW LYING AREAS MAY OCCUR. MOTORISTS NEED
TO BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE HYDROPLANING CONDITIONS ON TH WET RAODWAYS.

ELSEWHERE IN ALABAMA THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED BY RADAR MOVING INTO
SHELBY AND CHILTON COUNTIES. YOU CAN EXPECT TORRENTIAL RAIN...OCCASIONAL
LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTING TO 50 MPH.
Special weather statement, Nov 26, 11:25 PM CST, 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1125 PM CST SAT NOV 26 1988

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 1125 PM CST...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM
AROUND THE CITY OF GADSDEN...TO JUST WEST OF ANNISTON...TO JUST
WEST OF MONTGOMERY. ESPECIALLY STRONG STORMS WERE LOCATED IN
SOUTHERN TALLADEGA COUNTY NEAR SYLACAUGA.

THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING BLINDING RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS
...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL. THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH. DUE TO THE EXTREMELY
HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS...PERSONS IN EAST CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD
BE ESPECIALLY AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF FLOODING OF S	TREETS
AND LOW LYING AREAS.
Special weather statement, Nov 26, 11:42 PM CST, 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1140 PM CST SAT NOV 26 1988

RADAR SHOWED A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA AT 1135 PM. THE LINE EXTENDED FROM
JUST WEST OF LAKE MARTIN TO PRATTVILLE...AND SOUTHWEST TO PINE APPLE.

THE MOST INTENSE STORMS WERE NEAR PRATTVILLE...JUST WEST AND NORTH OF
WETUMPKA...AND JUST NORTH OF PINE APPLE.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT AROUND 30 MPH AND WIL"L BE PRODUCING
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND BLINDING
RAIN.

DEVAUGHN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 26, 6:11 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXCullman, Walker64 min
Nov 26, 6:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMorgan28 min
Nov 26, 7:09 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXTuscaloosa51 min
Nov 26, 10:02 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson, Shelby43 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.