Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 111, NWS Birmingham, AL

June 22, 1990St. Clair County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 22, 1990, 4:27 PM CDT for St. Clair County, Alabama. It was in force for 48 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 22, 1990, 4:27 PM CDT (21:27 UTC)
Expired
Jun 22, 1990, 5:15 PM CDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County St. Clair 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, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 122 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 1990-06-22Temperature 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 12:00Z on 1990-06-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -153 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
0 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-153 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-118 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 KBHM 222127
SVRBHM
ALC115-222215-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
427 PM CDT FRI JUN 22 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  515 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...ST.CLAIR COUNTY
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS EXTENDED THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING DUE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS IN THE
WESTERN PORTION OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY. STRONG WIND AND HAIL HAVE BEEN
REPORTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
 
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, Jun 22, 1:11 PM CDT, 3 hours 16 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-221530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
110 PM CDT FRI JUN 22 1990

     ...SHOWERS RAPIDLY RE-DEVELOPING ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 105 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS
DEVELOPING RAPIDLY ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA.  SHOWERS WERE INDICATED
IN CULLMAN...WALKER...LAMAR...AND PICKENS COUNTIES.  A SLOW EASTWARD
MOVEMENT WAS OBSERVED.

AFTER THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA
THIS MORNING...THE ATMOSPHERE WAS MOMENTARILY STABILIZED - THAT MEANS
THAT FOR SEVERAL HOURS CONIDITIONS IMPROVED WITH LITTLE LIKELIHOOD
OF THUNDERSTORMS.  HOWEVER...NOW THAT SEVERAL HOURS HAVE PASSED...
THE SUN'S HEATING HAS BEGUN TO DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE ALLOWING
FOR THE FORMATION OF LOW LEVEL CUMULUS CLOUDS.  FURTHERMORE SHOWERS
HAD BEGUN TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY ACROSS CENTRAL AND WESTERN ALABAMA AS
DESCRIBED ABOVE.

EVERYONE IN CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD BE ALERT TyO RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.  THOSE OUTSIDE...WHETHER WORKING OR ENJOYING
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES...SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING AT THE FIRST SOUND OF THUNDER.  THIS ACTION
COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE.
Special weather statement, Jun 22, 2:39 PM CDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-221530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
239 PM CDT FRI JUN 22 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA TIL 9 PM...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
UNTIL 9 PM THIS FRIDAY EVENING.  THUNDERSTORMS HAD BEGUN TO FORM
ACROSS MANY COUNTIES OF CENTRAL ALABAMA.  ADDITIONALLY...THUNDERSTORMS
HAD BEGUN FORMING IN MISSISSIPPI AND ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO
ALABAMA LATER THIS EVENING.

AT 238 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS
FORMING QUICKLY IN CENTRAL ALABAMA.  THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS
WERE INDICATED IN BLOUNT COUNTY...NORTHWEST JEFFERSON COUNTY...
JUST WEST OF TUSCALOOSA ON THE TUSCALOOSA-PICKENS COUNTY LINE...AND
IN LAMAR COUNTY.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

EVERYONE IN CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON THE LATEST
WEATHER CONDITIONS.  THOSE OUTSIDE...WHETHER WORKING OR ENJOYINkG
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES...SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING AT THE FIRST SOUND OF THUNDER.
Special weather statement, Jun 22, 3:13 PM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-222130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
310 PM CDT FRI JUN 22 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA TIL 9 PM...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
UNTIL 9 PM THIS FRIDAY EVENING.  THUNDERSTORMS HAD FORMED ACROSS MANY
COUNTIES OF CENTRAL ALABAMA.  ADDITIONALLY...THUNDERSTORMS WERE
FORMING IN MISSISSIPPI AND ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO ALABAMA LATER
THIS EVENING.

AT 310 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THE HEAVIEST
THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN NORTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY...SOUTHEAST
BLOUNT COUNTY...NORTHERN ST. CLAIR COUNTY...LAMAR AND FAYETTE
COUNTIES...AND PICKENS COUNTY.  THE THUNDERSTORMS IN PICKENS AND LAMAR
COUNTIES WERE PARTICULARLY STRONG ACCORDING TO RADAR.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF STRONG WIND AND LARGE HAIL...THE
MOVEMENT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MAKE FLASH FLOODING A REAL
THREAT TOO.  AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE EAST...NEWLY FORMED
THUNDERSTORMS TO THE WEST WILL MOVE EAST ALSO BRINGING MORE HEAVY
RAINS OVER THE AREAS WHERE RAIN HAS ALREADY OCCURRED.  PEOPLE
DRIVING CARS IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS
ABOUT DRIVING INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY.

EVERYONE IN CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON THE LATEST
WEATHER CONDITIONS.  THOSE OUTSIDE...WHETHER WORKING OR ENJOYING
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES...SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING AT THE FIRST SOUND OF THUNDER.
Special weather statement, Jun 22, 3:40 PM CDT, 47 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-222245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
340 PM CDT FRI JUN 22 1990

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ALABAMA
UNTIL 9 PM THIS FRIDAY EVENING.  THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS
MANY COUNTIES OF CENTRAL ALABAMA.  ADDITIONALLY...THUNDERSTORMS HAD
FORMED IN MISSISSIPPI AND ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO ALABAMA LATER
THIS EVENING.

AT 338 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS
IN ST CLAIR COUNTY...SOUTHERN ETOWAH COUNTY MOVING IN TO NORTHERN
CALHOUN COUNTY...AND IN A BAND FROM WALKER COUNTY ACROSS FAYETTE COUNTY
INTO LAMAR COUNTY.  ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN
SOUTHWEST CLEBURNE COUNTY.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

REPORTS FROM SOUTHERN ETOWAH COUNTY INDICATED ONE STRONG
THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN THE COMMUNITY OF
SOUTHSIDE.

IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF STRONG WIND AND LARGE HAIL...THE
MOVEMENT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MAKE FLASH FLOODING A REAL
THREAT TOO.  AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE EAST...NEWLY FORMED
THUNDERSTORMS TO THE WEST WILL MOVE EAST BRINGING MORE HEAVY
RAIN OVER THE AREA WHERE RAIN HAD ALREADY OCCURRED.  PEOPLE
DRIVING CARS IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS
ABOUT DRIVING INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY.

EVERYONE IN CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON THE LATEST
WEATHER CONDITIONS.  THOSE OUTSIDE...WHETHER WORKING OR ENJOYING
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES...SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL BUILDING AT THE FIRST SOUND OF THUNDER.
Local storm report, Jun 22, 4:09 PM CDT, 18 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
 408 PM CDT FRI JUN 22 1990

405 PM CDT...GOLF BALL HAIL REPORTED AT STATE TROOPERS POST AT
             TUSCALOOSA.
405 PM CDT...PEA SIZE HAIL AND 40 MPH WINDS EAST OF ARGO IN ST CLAIR
             COUNTY.

                                                                      ]
Local storm report, Jun 22, 4:27 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
425 PM CDT FRI JUN 22 1990

408 PM ...45 MPH WINDS AT BRANCHVILLE IN ST CLAIR COUNTY.
418 PM ...NICKEL SIZE HAIL IN HUFFMAN ON EAST EDGE OF BIRMINGHAM.
418 PM ...TOPS BLOWN OUT OF TREES IN WOODLAND FOREST AREA OF SOUTHERN
             TUSCALOOSA COUNTY.
420 PM ...14 INCH DIAMETER TREE BROKEN OFF TWO FT ABOVE THE GROUND
          8 MILES NORTHEAST OF LEEDS IN ST CLAIR COUNTY.

          ALL REPORTS THROUGH BIRMINGHAM AREA RADIO CLUB (BARC)

                                                                      ]

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 22, 6:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar23 min
Jun 22, 3:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSt. Clair34 min
Jun 22, 4:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Tuscaloosa43 min
Jun 22, 4:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson42 min
Jun 22, 4:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Hale37 min
Jun 22, 5:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson29 min
Jun 22, 5:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby40 min
Jun 22, 5:47 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXHale28 min
Jun 22, 5:55 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXPerry35 min
Jun 22, 6:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarengo48 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990

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.