Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1992

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 20, 1992Marengo County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 20, 1992, 10:23 AM CDT for Marengo County, Alabama. It was in force for 67 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 20, 1992, 10:23 AM CDT (15:23 UTC)
Expired
Apr 20, 1992, 11:30 AM CDT
In force
67 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Marengo County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 12:00Z, 3.4 hours before the alert went out and 91 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 1992-04-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 11 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, Centreville/Bibb, AL at 12:00Z on 1992-04-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 185 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
11 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-209 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
650 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
185 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
259 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBHM 201524
SVRBHM
ALC091-201630-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1023 AM CDT MON APR 20 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1130 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
 
   ...MARENGO COUNTY
 
AT 1020 AM CDT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING INTO MARENGO COUNTY.
THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH AND SHOULD ENTER WESTERN
MARENGO COUNTY AROUND 10:30 AM CDT. THIS STORM SHOULD AFFECT LINDEN AND
DEMOPOLIS BY ABOUT 1045 AM CDT.
 
 
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, Apr 20, 5:07 AM CDT, 5 hours 16 minutes before
ALZ001>016-FLZ001>004-201500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
505 AM CDT MON APR 20 1992

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ACROSS ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA
LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT...

ALL THE INGREDIENTS ARE COMING INTO PLACE FOR AN OUTBREAK OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS ALABAMA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.  A WARM...
MOIST...UNSTABLE AIRMASS AT THE SURFACE WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT...
STRONG WINDS ALOFT...AND A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL ALL
INTERACT TO LIKELY PRODUCE WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH WILL
LIKELY BECOME SEVERE AND POSSIBLY PRODUCE TORNADOES.

ALTHOUGH ITS STILL A LITTLE TOO SOON TO PINPOINT EXACTLY WHEN AND WHERE
THE STORMS WILL FIRE UP...BEST ESTIMATES ARE THAT WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE
REGION MAY BE AFFECTED BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND ALL OF ALABAMA AND
NORTHWEST FLORIDA TONIGHT.

IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF TORNADOES...DAMAGING WIND...AND LARGE HAIL...
THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BRING HEAVY RAIN. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP
TO 3 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THE ALABAMA/NORTHWEST FLORIDA COAST...
WHILE 1 TO 2 INCH AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE ELSEWHERE.

EVERYONE ACROSS THE REGION IS URGED TO KEEP UPDATED ONE THE WEATHER
SITUATION DEVELOPING TODAY...BY FREQUENTLY TUNING INTO LOCAL NEWS OR
RADIO...OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE'S OWN NOAA WEATHER RADIO.
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 8:42 AM CDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
ALZ004>0009-013-201430-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
840 AM CDT MON APR 20 1992

  ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 158 IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF
     WEST CENTRAL AND SOU
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 9:22 AM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
ALZ004>0009-013-201515-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
920 AM CDT MON APR 20 1992

  ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 158 IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF
     WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA UNTIL 200 PM CDT...

A WARM UNSTABLE AIRMASS WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT ARE PROVIDING
THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP OVER ALABAMA
THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY PRODUCED
WIND DAMAGE OVER PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI EARLIER THIS
MORNING.  MORE STRONG...POSSIBLY SEVERE...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
TO MOVE INTO WEST AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA THIS MORNING.

AT 920 AM THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING CLOSER TO THE ALABAMA
BORDER AND WERE MOVING THROUGH THE MERIDIAN MS AREA.  IT APPEARS THAT
THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE FIRST INTO LAMAR...PICKENS...
SUMTER AND CHOCTAW COUNTIES BETWEEN 930 AND 1030 AM. THESE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL PRODUCE STRONG...POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...
LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY HAIL.  MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...
OR COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS.
BE READY TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF THREATENING WEATHER IS
SIGHTED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 10:10 AM CDT, 13 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-201600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1000AM CDT MON APR 20 1992

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 158 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2PM CDT FOR PARTS
OF ALABAMA...

WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO
WEST ALABAMA AT 10AM CDT. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST
AT ABOUT 40 MPH. AT THE PRESENT RATE OF MOVEMENT STRONG STORMS WILL
BE ENTERING DALLAS AND WILCOX COUNTIES AROUND 11 TO 1130AM CDT.

PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ON THE ALERT. WATCHES
MAY BE REQUIRED FOR OTHER SECTIONS OF SOUTH ALABAMA DURING THE DAY
AS THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS HIGH. STAY TUNED TO LOCAL
RADIO AND TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 20, 10:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene44 min
Apr 20, 10:19 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPickens41 min
Apr 20, 10:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale, Tuscaloosa62 min
Apr 20, 11:12 AM CDTTornado WarningBMXTuscaloosa48 min
Apr 20, 11:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette60 min
Apr 20, 11:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson, Walker61 min
Apr 20, 11:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman58 min
Apr 20, 11:51 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWinston54 min
Apr 20, 12:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby60 min
Apr 20, 12:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLawrence, Morgan64 min
Apr 20, 12:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount54 min
Apr 20, 2:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCherokee32 min
Apr 20, 4:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXClay, Randolph68 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1992Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1992

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.