Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Mobile, AL

February 16, 1990Dale County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this tornado warning at Feb 16, 1990, 10:55 AM CST for Dale County, Alabama. It was in force for 50 min. 2 reports 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
Feb 16, 1990, 10:55 AM CST (16:55 UTC)
Expired
Feb 16, 1990, 11:45 AM CST
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Dale 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
Feb 16, 11:10 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Dale, AL
Feb 16, 11:20 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Dale, 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

Apalachicola Mun, FL (KAQQ), launched 12:00Z, 4.9 hours before the alert went out and 198 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, Apalachicola Mun, FL at 12:00Z on 1990-02-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 265 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Apalachicola Mun, FL at 12:00Z on 1990-02-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 301 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
265 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-94 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
574 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
301 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
295 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMGM 161659
TORMGM
ALC045-161745-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1055 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MONTGOMERY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
          ...DALE
 
A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY FT. RUCKER ON THE GROUND MOVING TOWARD
FT RUCKER. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS T:O COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 16, 7:04 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBCoosa56 min
Feb 16, 7:16 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBAutauga, Elmore59 min
Feb 16, 7:31 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBWilcox59 min
Feb 16, 7:52 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningMOBTallapoosa68 min
Feb 16, 7:52 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBTallapoosa68 min
Feb 16, 8:10 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBAutauga, Elmore, Montgomery65 min
Feb 16, 9:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChambers, Tallapoosa60 min
Feb 16, 9:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBButler60 min
Feb 16, 9:12 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBCrenshaw, Pike63 min
Feb 16, 9:12 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBullock, Macon63 min
Feb 16, 9:12 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBLee63 min
Feb 16, 9:13 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBConecuh62 min
Feb 16, 9:31 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin29 min
Feb 16, 9:53 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBCoffee, Covington67 min
Feb 16, 9:59 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin61 min
Feb 16, 10:12 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBarbour, Dale63 min
Feb 16, 11:13 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBHenry, Houston62 min
Feb 16, 11:13 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBGeneva62 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes 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.