Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 101, NWS Mobile, AL
NWS Mobile, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 4, 1988, 7:15 PM CST for Washington County, Alabama. It was in force for 60 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 4, 1988, 7:15 PM CST (01:15 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 4, 1988, 8:15 PM CST
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Mobile, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Washington 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 4, 8:10 PM CST | Hail 0.75 | Washington, 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
Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 192 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1052 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -5 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 860 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 61 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 137 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 211 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.7
- Supercell composite
- 5.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMOB 050120
SVRMOB
ALC129-050215-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
715 PM CST FRI NOV 4 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
...WASHINGTON
AT 715...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR MILLRY. TREES AND
POWER LINES HAVE ALREADY BEEN KNOCKED DOWN BY THE STORM.
IT WAS MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH AND SHOULD MOVE NEAR BIGBEE AND
FRANKVILLE IN THE NEXT 45 MINUTES.
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.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 4, 3:27 PM CST, 3 hours 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 325 PM CDT FRI NOV 4 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI... TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 460 IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI. AT 315 PM MOBILE RADAR WAS INDICATING ONLY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI. A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVED ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA LATE THIS MORNING AND EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BAND WAS NOW MOVING INTO THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. IT PRODUCED SOME SEVERE WEATHER AND TWO FUNNEL CLOUDS WERE REPORTED IN NORTHERN BALDWIN COUNTY ALABAMA BETWEEN 130 AND 200 PM. MUCH HEAVIER WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND MOVE INTO SOUTHERN ALABAMA AFTER DARK. THE SEVERE WEATHER IS ALONG AND AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT. THE FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI EARLY TONIGHT AND IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN ALABAMA BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 3 AM. THE SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO END AFTER THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH. PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN WEATHER CONSCIOUS AND MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR T.V. TONIGHT UNTIL THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IS OVER.
Local storm report, Nov 4, 5:30 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
530 PM CDT FRI NOV 4 1988
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE, AL
TIME COUNTY/STATE EVENT
145 PM BALDWIN/AL GROCERY CONTACT REPORTS 1 1/2 INCH HAIL
3 MILES NORTH OF STOCKTON.Special weather statement, Nov 4, 5:37 PM CST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL 535 PM CST FRI NOV 4 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 461 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CST FOR ESCAMBIA... SANTA ROSA...OKLAOOSA...WALTON AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS OF THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE... AT 530 PM CST...THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE IMMEDIATE COASTAL WATERS OF THE WEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE. LIGHT RAIN WAS OVER SANTA ROSA AND OKA- LOOSA COUNTIES FLORIDA). SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE OVER SOUTH ALABAMA. A BAND OF RAIN AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA. MOVEMENTS WERE TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Nov 4, 5:52 PM CST, 1 hour 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 550 PM CDT FRI NOV 4 1988 ...ALL COUNTIES IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTH ALABAMA REMAIN UNDER A TORNADO WATCH... TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 460 IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 900 PM. TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 461 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM. AT 550 PM NO RAIN WAS FALLING IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA. IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI...A COUPLE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST THROUGH JONES AND WAYNE COUNTY. NO RAIN WAS FALLING SOUTH OF THE HATTIESBURG AREA. HOWEVER...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN A BAND FROM NEAR MERIDIAN SOUTHWEST TOWARDS MCCOMB. THIS HEAVY WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY SLIDE SOUTHEAST INTO SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH MISSISSIPPI. . THEREFORE...PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN WEATHER CONSCIOUS TONIGHT AS THE HEAVY WEATHER MOVES INTO OUR EAREA. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO DROP OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT AFTER THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH.
Special weather statement, Nov 4, 6:34 PM CST, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL 635 PM CST FRI NOV 4 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 461 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM CST FOR ESCAMBIA... SANTA ROSA...OKLAOOSA...WALTON AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS OF THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE... AT 630 PM CST...THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE IMMEDIATE COASTAL WATERS OF THE WEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE BETWEEN NAVARRE AND FREEPORT. LIGHT RAIN WAS OVER OKALOOSA AND WALTON . A BAND OF RAIN AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI AND WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA. THE LEADING EDGE EXTENDS FROM JUST NORTH OF MONTGOMERY TO HATTIESBURG. MOVEMENTS WERE TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Nov 4, 7:01 PM CST, 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL 700 PM CST FRI NOV 4 1988 TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 460 IS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 900 PM. TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 461 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM. AT 700 PM MOBILE RADAR INDICATED A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM ENETERING WASHINGTON COUNTY ALABAMA. THE THUNDERSTORM LIKELY PRODUCED HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN WAYNE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI. IT WAS LOCATED JUST NORTH OF STATE LINE MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM SHOULD MOVE BETWEEN CHATOM AND MILLRY IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR.
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1988Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.