Alert archive / Tennessee / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1991

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 33, NWS Atlanta, GA

March 27, 1991Grundy County, Marion County, Sequatchie County, Tennessee

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 27, 1991, 8:45 PM CST for Grundy County, Marion County, Sequatchie County, Tennessee. It was in force for 45 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
Mar 27, 1991, 8:45 PM CST (02:45 UTC)
Expired
Mar 27, 1991, 9:30 PM CST
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Grundy County, TN, Marion County, TN, Sequatchie County, TN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 27, 9:00 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Sequatchie, TN
Mar 27, 9:00 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Marion, TN

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

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 130 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1991-03-28Temperature 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1991-03-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -44 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1079 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
70 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-44 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
114 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 KCHA 280244
SVRCHA
GAC083-TNC061-115-153-280330-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHATTANOOGA TENNESSEE
945 PM EST (845 PM CST) WED MAR 27 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHATTANOOGA TENNESSEE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM EST (930 PM CST)
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
 
IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA
 
   ...DADE COUNTY
 
 
IN SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE
 
   ...GRUNDY COUNTY...MARION COUNTY...SEQUATCHIE COUNTY
 
AT 945PM RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST
AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PRODUCED HAIL...WIND
GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 55 MILES AN HOUR...AND HEAVY RAINFALL.
 
 
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, Mar 27, 7:51 PM CST, 54 minutes before
GAZ002-280345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
848 PM EST WED MAR 27 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 78 IS IN EFFECT FOR PART OF NORTH GEORGIA
UNTIL 2 AM EST THIS MORNING.

IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA THE WATCH AREA INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
RABUN...DAWSON AND UNION.

AT 945 PM EST RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST TENNESSEE
AND NORTHEAST ALABAMA BETWEEN CROSSVILLE TENNESSEE AND HUNTSVILLE
ALABAMA. eTHESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO NORTH GEORGIA DURING
THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVER THUNDERSTORMS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA.
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 7:56 PM CST, 49 minutes before
GAZ002-280345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATHENS GA
848 PM EST WED MAR 27 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 78 IS IN EFFECT FOR PART OF NORTH GEORGIA
UNTIL 2 AM EST THIS MORNING.

IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA THE WATCH AREA INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
RABUN...TOWNS AND UNION.

AT 945 PM EST RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST TENNESSEE
AND NORTHEAST ALABAMA BETWEEN CROSSVILLE TENNESSEE AND HUNTSVILLE
ALABAMA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO NORTH GEORGIA DURING
THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVER THUNDERSTORMS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA.
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 8:31 PM CST, 14 minutes before
GAZALL-280400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ATLANTA GA
930 PM EST WED MAR 27 1991

...TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME NORTH GEORGIA UNTIL 2 AM EST...

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR EXTREME NORTHERN SECTIONS OF GEORGIA...
INCLUDING ROME...DALTON...ELLIJAY...BLAIRSVILLE...CLAYTON...AND
SURROUNDING AREAS.

AT 925 PM EST RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EAST TENNESSEE
AND NORTH ALABAMA FROM NEAR KNOXVILLE TO NEAR CHATTANOOGA TO NEAR
BIRMINGHAM. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 50 MPH AND WILL BE
MOVING INTO NORTHWEST GEORGIA OVER THE NEXT HOUR.

DURING THE EVENING THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL
AND TORNADOES WITH SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS BAND.

PEOPLE IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA ARE URGED TO BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A
PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...OR IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY ABREAST OF LATEST DEVELOPMENTS BY
LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR TO REPORTS FROM RADIO
OR TELEVISION.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 27, 9:01 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCMeigs, Rhea44 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Tennessee, 1991Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1991

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.