Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 1, 1990Fayette County, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 1, 1990, 6:58 PM CDT for Fayette County, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. It was in force for 47 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
May 1, 1990, 6:58 PM CDT (23:58 UTC)
Expired
May 1, 1990, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Fayette County, AL, Tuscaloosa 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
May 1, 7:18 PM CDTHail 1.75Fayette, 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

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 259 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 1990-05-01Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 1990-05-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 212 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
3616 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
212 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
242 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 020000
SVRBHM
ALC057-125-020045-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
658 PM CDT TUE MAY 1 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...FAYETTE COUNTY...TUSCALOOSA COUNTY
 
AT 658 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN SOUTHERN FAYETTE
COUNTY NEAR NEWTONVILLE. THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING EAST NEAR 30
MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY DURING
THE NEXT HALF HOUR.
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

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, May 1, 3:25 PM CDT, 3 hours 33 minutes before
ALZ004-005-012130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
225 PM CDT TUE MAY 1 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

STRONG THUNDESTORMS WERE MOVING INTO LAMAR COUNTY OF NORTHWEST ALABAMA
AT 225 PM CDT. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

MARBLE SIZE HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM ACROSS THE
STATELINE IN MISSISSIPPI EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON.

PERSONS IN LAMAR COUNTY CAN EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND
HAIL. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO PICKENS...WINSTON...AND FAYETTE
COUNTIES BEFORE 4 PM CDT.

RESIDENTS OF NORTHWEST ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPAkRED TO SEEK SHELTER IS THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHES.
Special weather statement, May 1, 4:09 PM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before
ALZ004-005-012200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
406 PM CDT TUE MAY 1 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS NORTHWEST ALABAMA...

STRONG THUNDESTORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH LAMAR...MARION AND NORTHERN
WINSTON COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA...MOVING TO THE EAST AT AROUND
30 MPH.

MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE THUNDER STORMS ACROSS THE
STATELINE IN MISSISSIPPI EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON. ALSO MARBLE-SIZED HAIL
WAS REPORTED NEAR HALEYVILLE.

PERSONS IN LAMAR...MARION...WINSTON AS WELL AS WALKER COUNTIES NEED TO
REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STAYED TUNED
FOR LATER STATEMENTS.
Local storm report, May 1, 5:57 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
556 PM CDT TUE MAY 1 1990

330 PM...MARBLE SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN MARION COUNTY IN NORTHWEST
         ALABAMA JUST WEST OF HALEYVILLE.

420 PM...GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN EXTREME NORTHWEST LAMAR
         COUNTY NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI STATE LINE BY LAMAR COUNTY EMA.

520 PM...MARBLE SIZED AND LARGER HAIL REPORTED TO HAVE COVERED THE
         GROUND NEAR DODGE CITY IN SOUTHERN CULLMAN COUNTY AT; THE
         INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE 65 AND HIGHWAY 69. REPORT RECEIVED
         FROM CULLMAN COUNTY EMA AT 550 PM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
         IN EFFECT FOR CULLMAN COUNTY 2131-2230Z.
Special weather statement, May 1, 6:20 PM CDT, 38 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-012245-

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
620 PM CDT TUE MAY 1 1990

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL
ALABAMA UNTIL 11 PM CDT.

AT 615 PM CDT...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS NORTH
ALABAMA...MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM NEAR COLUMBUS MISSISSIPPI
TO BIRMINGHAM TO GADSDEN.  AT 615 PM...SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS WERE
LOCATED IN EXTREME SOUTHERN BLOUNT COUNTY...AND IN EASTERN WALKER
COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORM IN EASTERN WALKER COUNTY WILL BE MOVING INTO
NORTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HALF HOUR.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN FAYETTE COUNTY...AND IN
EASTERN MISSISSIPPI JUST WEST OF LAMAR COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS IN
EASTERN MISSISSIPPI WILL LIKELY AFFECT PARTS OF LAMAR AND NORTHERN
PICKENS COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HOUR.
<

THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...BRIEF BUT
HEAVY RAINFAL_L...AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL AS THEY MOVE EAST AROUND 30 MILES
AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, May 1, 6:22 PM CDT, 36 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-012245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED FOR HEADER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
620 PM CDT TUE MAY 1 1990

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL
ALABAMA UNTIL 11 PM CDT.

AT 615 PM CDT...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS NORTH
ALABAMA...MAINLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM NEAR COLUMBUS MISSISSIPPI
TO BIRMINGHAM TO GADSDEN.  AT 615 PM...SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS WERE
LOCATED IN EXTREME SOUTHERN BLOUNT COUNTY...AND IN EASTERN WALKER
COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORM IN EASTERN WALKER COUNTY WILL BE MOVING INTO
NORTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HALF HOUR.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN FAYETTE COUNTY...AND IN
EASTERN MISSISSIPPI JUST WEST OF LAMAR COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS IN
EASTERN MISSISSIPPI WILL LIKELY AFFECT PARTS OF LAMAR AND NORTHERN
PICKENS COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS..c.BRIEF BUT
HEAVY RAINFALL...AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL AS THEY MOVE EAST AROUND 30 MILES
AN HOUR.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 1, 2:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLimestone60 min
May 1, 2:15 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMadison40 min
May 1, 2:25 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLawrence30 min
May 1, 2:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJackson, Marshall52 min
May 1, 2:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDeKalb47 min
May 1, 4:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar48 min
May 1, 4:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarion, Winston59 min
May 1, 4:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman59 min
May 1, 6:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson65 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.