Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 179, NWS Mobile, AL

September 4, 1990Baldwin County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 4, 1990, 4:53 PM CDT for Baldwin County, Alabama. It was in force for 37 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
Sep 4, 1990, 4:53 PM CDT (21:53 UTC)
Expired
Sep 4, 1990, 5:30 PM CDT
In force
37 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Baldwin 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
Sep 4, 5:00 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Baldwin, 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 12:00Z, 9.9 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 1990-09-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1207 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 1990-09-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 75 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
1207 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-92 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1245 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
75 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
80 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMOB 042156
SVRMOB
ALC003-042230-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
453 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOBILE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  530 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
 
   ...WESTERN BALDWIN COUNTY AND MOBILE BAY
 
AT 450 PM...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR FAIRHOPE. IT
WAS LIKELY PRODUCING STRONG WINDS AND HAIL.
 
THE STORM IS MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 20 MPH AND WILL BE MOVING INTO MOBILE
BAY IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES.
 
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, Sep 4, 3:28 PM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before
ALZ016-042200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
325 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 1990

AT 325 PM A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF ORANGE
BEACH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 20 MPH. IT WILL BE
MOVING OVER ORANGE BEACH AND GULF SHORES IN THE NEXT 1/2 HOUR.

ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF BAY
MINETTE. IT WILL BE MOVING OVER BAY MINETTE IN THE NEAR 15 MINUTES.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL.
Special weather statement, Sep 4, 3:37 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
ALZ016-042200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED TYPO IN SECOND PARAGRAPH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
335 PM CDT TUE SEP 4 1990

AT 325 PM A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF ORANGE
BEACH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING SOUTHWEST AT 20 MPH. IT WILL BE
MOVING OVER ORANGE BEACH AND GULF SHORES IN THE NEXT 1/2 HOUR.

ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF BAY
MINETTE. IT WILL BE MOVING OVER BAY MINETTE IN THE NEXT 15 MINUTES.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 4, 5:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile42 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.