Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1988

Tornado Warning 15, NWS Jackson, MS

March 12, 1988Sumter County, Alabama

NWS Jackson, MS issued this tornado warning at Mar 12, 1988, 3:36 PM CST for Sumter County, Alabama. It was in force for 39 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 12, 1988, 3:36 PM CST (21:36 UTC)
Expired
Mar 12, 1988, 4:15 PM CST
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Jackson, MS
Area
Whole counties

County Sumter 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 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 100 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 1988-03-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 4 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 12:00Z on 1988-03-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 253 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
4 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
630 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
253 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
379 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.

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, Mar 12, 12:55 PM CST, 2 hours 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
 1255 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988

 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CST
FOR ALL COUNTIES IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI EXCEPT JONES AND WAYNE...

AT 100 PM RAINSHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER
PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI AND EXTREME WEST
CENTRAL ALABAMA.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN DETECTED OR REPORTED BUT CONDITIONS REMAIN
FAVORABLE FOR POSSIBLE TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP.

THE THUNDERSTORMS AND RAINSHOWERS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES
AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER. <<
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 1:34 PM CST, 2 hours 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
130 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL...
   NORTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 5 PM...

JACKSON RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF
HAZLEHURST IN COPIAH COUNTY AND WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.
THE THUNDERSTORM WILL PASS JUST TO THE WEST OF CRYSTAL SPRINGS IN THE
NEXT 30 MINUTES AND MAY P?RODUCE SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH...
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 2:04 PM CST, 1 hour 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
 200 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988

 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CST...

AT 200 PM VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED FROM SOUTHERN LEAKE
COUNTY TO JUST NORTHWEST OF PHILIDELPHIA.  VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND
SOME SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTHCENTRAL CENTRAL AND
EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI AND EXTREME WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN DETECTED OR REPORTED THE POTENTIAL
REMAINS FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EiAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER. <<
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 2:38 PM CST, 58 minutes before
TTAA0  KJAN 122038

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
240 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR A SMALL PORTION
   OF NORTH...WEST CENTRAL...AND SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...BUT
   STILL REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL...NORTHEAST
   AND SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 5 PM...

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI
CARROLL        GRENADA      LEFLORE      SUNFLOWER    WASHINGTON

IN CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
CLAIBORNE      HUMPHREYS    ISSAQUENA    JEFFERSON    SHARKEY
WARREN

IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI
ADAMS          WILKINSON
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 3:30 PM CST, 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
330 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988

...FREEZE WARNING FOR SUNDAY NIGHT...

A COLD FRONT ENTERED EXTREME NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON.
DRIER AIR BEHIND THIS FRONT WILL PUT AN END TO THE RAIN AND THUNDER-
STORM ACTIVITY OVER MISSISSIPPI EARLY TONIGHT EXCEPT IN THE EXTREME
SOUTHEAST...WHERE THUNDERSTORMS COULD LINGER UNTIL MIDNIGHT OR SO.

ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLDER TONIGHT...THE MERCURY SHOULD
REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING. LOWS WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 30S IN THE NORTH
TO NEAR 50 ALONG THE COAST.

HOWEVER...A MUCH STRONGER SURGE OF COLD AIR WILL SPREAD OVER THE
STATE SUNDAY NIGHT AS A CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BUILDS SOUTHWARD
INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THIS WILL RESULT IN BELOW FREEZING
TEMPERATURES ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI SUNDAY NIGHT. EVEN
PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE STATE COULD EXPERIENCE READINGS
NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW FREEZING LATE SUNDAY NIGHT.

ONE FACTOR WHICH COULD WORK IN OUR FAVOR IS A DISTURBANCE IN THE
UPPER ATMOSPHERE THAT COULD PRODUCE SOME CLOUDS OVER THE STATE LATE
SUNDAY NIGHT. IF THAT HAPPENS...SOME AREAS COULD BE SPARED FROM A
FREEZE...OR AT LEAST FROM A HARD FREEZE. HOWEVER...IT IS TOO EARLY
TO TELL HOW MUCH CLOUDINESS THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ABLE TO GENERATE.

PEOPLE IN MISSISSIPPI SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR WEATHER FORECASTS
THIS WEEKEND...AND SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE NECESSARY PROTECTIVE
MEASURES BY SQUNDAY NIGHT. PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T PLANTED GARDENS YET
MIGHT WANT TO HOLD OFF FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 3:32 PM CST, 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
330 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988

...FREEZE WARNING FOR SUNDAY NIGHT...

A COLD FRONT ENTERED EXTREME NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON.
DRIER AIR BEHIND THIS FRONT WILL PUT AN END TO THE RAIN AND THUNDER-
STORM ACTIVITY OVER MISSISSIPPI EARLY TONIGHT EXCEPT IN THE EXTREME
SOUTHEAST...WHERE THUNDERSTORMS COULD LINGER UNTIL MIDNIGHT OR SO.

ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLDER TONIGHT...THE MERCURY SHOULD
REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING. LOWS WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 30S IN THE NORTH
TO NEAR 50 ALONG THE COAST.

HOWEVER...A MUCH STRONGER SURGE OF COLD AIR WILL SPREAD OVER THE
STATE SUNDAY NIGHT AS A CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BUILDS SOUTHWARD
INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THIS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN BELOW
FREEZING TEMPERATURES ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI SUNDAY NIGHT.
EVEN PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE STATE COULD EXPERIENCE READINGS
NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW FREEZING LATE SUNDAY NIGHT.

ONE FACTOR WHICH COULD WORK IN OUR FAVOR IS A DISTURBANCE IN THE
UPPER ATMOSPHERE THAT COULD PRODUCE SOME CLOUDS OVER THE STATE LATE
SUNDAY NIGHT. IF THAT HAPPENS...SOME AREAS COULD BE SPARED FROM A
FREEZE...OR AT LEAST FROM A HARD FREEZE. HOWEVER...IT IS TOO EARLY
TO TELL HOW MUCH CLOUDINESS THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ABLE TO GENERATE.

PEOPLE IN MISSISSIPPI SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR WEATHER FORECASTS
THIS WEEKEND...AND SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE NECESSARY PRSOTECTIVE
MEASURES BY SUNDAY NIGHT. PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T PLANTED GARDENS YET
MIGHT WANT TO HOLD OFF FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Jackson, MS issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 12, 2:08 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANRankin37 min
Mar 12, 2:17 PM CSTTornado WarningJANRankin28 min
Mar 12, 2:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANNeshoba, Newton45 min
Mar 12, 2:49 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANKemper, Noxubee41 min
Mar 12, 3:24 PM CSTTornado WarningJANKemper36 min
Mar 12, 4:04 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANLauderdale41 min
Mar 12, 4:12 PM CSTTornado WarningJANLauderdale33 min
Mar 12, 4:29 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANClarke46 min
Mar 12, 4:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANLauderdale30 min
Mar 12, 5:14 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANClarke31 min
Mar 12, 5:27 PM CSTTornado WarningJANChoctaw, Sumter33 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.