Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1992

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS Birmingham, AL

February 25, 1992Jefferson County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 25, 1992, 8:30 PM CST for Jefferson County, Alabama. It was in force for 30 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
Feb 25, 1992, 8:30 PM CST (02:30 UTC)
Expired
Feb 25, 1992, 9:00 PM CST
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Jefferson County, AL

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Feb 25, 8:35 PM CSTHail 1Jefferson, 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

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 78 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 00:00Z on 1992-02-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 690 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 00:00Z on 1992-02-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 32 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
690 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-18 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
738 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
60 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
99 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBHM 260231
SVRBHM
ALC073-117-260315-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
830 PM CST TUE FEB 25 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  915 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...JEFFERSON COUNTY...SHELBY COUNTY
 
AT 830 PM CST RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MOVING THROUGH SOUTHERN
JEFFERSON AND NORTHERN SHELBY COUNTIES. QUARTER SIZE HAIL FELL AT THE
BESSEMER AIRPORT. THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
 
 
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEA'VY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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

Local storm report, Feb 25, 7:03 PM CST, 1 hour 27 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
700 PM CST TUE FEB 18 1992

...AT 655 PM CST QUARTER SIZE HAIL FELL AT MOUNDVILLE IN NORTHERN
   HALE COUNTY ALABAMA.  REPORT FROM THE MOUNDVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IN  EFFECT FOR HALE COUNTY FROM
   629 PM CST TO 715 PM CST.
Special weather statement, Feb 25, 7:41 PM CST, 49 minutes before
ALZ008-009-011-260230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
740 PM CST TUE FEB 25 1992

   ...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS EVENING...

WEATHER RADAR AT CENTREVILLE A LARGE AREA OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED
THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA.  THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHERN
HALE AND SOUTHERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTIES HAD WEAKENED GREATLY AFTER PRODUCING
QUARTER-SIZED HAIL IN MOUNDVILLE AND PEA-SIZED HAIL IN TUSCALOOSA.
THEREFORE THE WARNING FOR GREENE...HALE AND SOUTHERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTIES
WAS ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 715 PM.

CURRENTLY WEATHER RADAR SHOWS THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IN EXTREME
SOUTHWEST MARENGO COUNTY MOVING TO THE EAST AT 30 MILES A|N HOUR.
ELSEWHERE RADAR SHOWED JUST LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN OVER WEST AND CENTRAL
ALABAMA.
Local storm report, Feb 25, 7:43 PM CST, 47 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
740 PM CST TUE FEB 25 1992

...AT 655 PM CST HAIL CAUSED SEVERAL CARS TO WRECK ON INTERSTATE 20/59
   IN NORTHERN GREENE COUNTY NEAR THE KNOXVILLE AND UNION COMMUNITIES.
   REPORT WAS FROM THE DEMOPOLIS STATE TROOPERS POST.
   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FOR GREEN COUNTY FROM
   629 PM CST TO 715 PM CST.
Local storm report, Feb 25, 8:14 PM CST, 16 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
815 PM CST TUE FEB 25 1992

...AT 655 PM CST QUARTER SIZE HAIL FELL NEAR MOUNDVILLE ABOUT 2 MILES
   NORTH OF THE TUSCALOOSA/HALE COUNTY LINE IN TUSCALOOSRA COUNTY.
   REPORT WAS FROM THE MOUNDVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FOR TUSCALOOSA COUNTY
   FROM 629 PM CST TO 715 PM CST.
Special weather statement, Feb 25, 8:23 PM CST, 7 minutes before
ALZ008-009-011-260330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
825 PM CST TUE FEB 25 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN CONTINUE ACROSS CENTRAL ALABAMA TONIGHT...

AT 815 PM WEATHER RADAR AT CENTREVILLE SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT TO
MODERATE RAIN COVERING THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL COUNTIES OF ALABAMA.
RADAR ALSO DETECTED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING NORTH-SOUTH THROUGH
JEFFERSON SHELBY AND BIBB COUNTIES.  HAM RADIO OPERATORS...STORM
SPOTTERS AND POLICE REPORTED FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS WITH
THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED BY RADAR IN SOUTHEAST MARENGO
COUNTY NEAR DIXONS MILLS AND IN NORTHERN TALLAPOOSA COUNTY...SOUTH OF NEW
SITE.

ALL OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 30 MILES AN
HOUR.
Special weather statement, Feb 25, 8:30 PM CST, 0 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-260400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
830 PM CST TUE FEB 25 1992

WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
CONTINUING OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA AT 815 PM CST.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER LAKE MARTIN AND LEE COUNTY.
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE EAST OF MONTGOMERY AND NEAR TUSKEGEE. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS WILL OCCUR WITH
THE STRONGER STORMS. ALSO DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STREET FLOODING...
AND POSSIBLE HAIL IS LIKELY.

FURTHER WEST THERE IS A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM DIXON MILLS
NEAR BIRMINGHAM.  THIS LINE IS MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL BE OVER
DALLAS AND WILCOX COUNTIES IN ABOUT ONE HOUR.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 25, 6:29 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Hale, Tuscaloosa46 min
Feb 25, 8:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby45 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.