Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1992

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 20, 1992Clay County, Randolph County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 20, 1992, 4:52 PM CDT for Clay County, Randolph County, Alabama. It was in force for 68 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 20, 1992, 4:52 PM CDT (21:52 UTC)
Expired
Apr 20, 1992, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
68 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Clay County, AL, Randolph County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 150 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 202153
SVRBHM
ALC027-111-202300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
452 PM CDT MON APR 20 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  600 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...EASTERN CLAY COUNTY...RANDOLPH COUNTY
 
AT 445 PM RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN RANDOLPH AND
EASTERN CLAY COUNTIES. THIS STORM IS MOVING NORTHEAST 35 MPH. THE STORM
WILL AFFECT THE TOWNS OF MOTLEY AND ROANOKE WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR.
 
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOKWS.  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, Apr 20, 2:03 PM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before
ALZ001>018-202000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
200 PM CDT MON APR 20 1992

...TORNADO WATCH CANCELLED FOR MUCH OF NORTH...WEST...AND CENTRAL
   ALABAMA...

...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM CDT FOR THE COUNTIES
   OF CHEROKEE...ETOWAH...SAINT CLAIR...CALHOUN...CLEBURNE...
   TALLADEGA...CLAY...RANDOLPH...COOSA...TALLAPOOSA...CHAMBERS...LEE...
   AUTAUGA...ELMORE...LOWNDES...MONTGOMERY...MACON...RUSSELL...AND
   BULLOCK COUNTIES.

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 700 PM CDT FOR MUCH OF SOUTH ALABAMA
   INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...BALDWIN...MOBILE...MONROE...
   CONECUH...ESCAMBIA...BUTLER...CRENSHAW...COVINGTON...PIKE...COFFEE
  ^ GENEVA...BARBOUR...DALE...HENRY...AND HOUSTON COUNTIES.
Local storm report, Apr 20, 4:02 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
4 PM CDT MON APR 20 1992

3 20PM CDT...LOWNDES COUNTY...HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN AT FT. DEPOSIT
REPORT FROM HAM RADIO.
3 05PM CDT...BUTLER COUNTY...TREES DOWN WEST OF GREENVILLE
3 05PM CDT...BUTLER COUNTY...HIGHWAY 54 5 MILES WEST OF GREENVILLE...
2 HOUSES DAMAGED...REPORT FROM BUTLER COUNTY EOC.
3 29PM CDT...TREES DOWN 19 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF MONTGOMERY NEAR
LOGAN...REPORT FROM DPS
3 50PM PCDT...WINDS ESTIMATED AT 50 MPH IN EAST MONTGOMERY ON ATLANTA
HIGHWAY...REPORT FROM HAM RADIO
3 20 TO 3 50PM DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED POSSIBLE TORNADO IN SOUTHWEST
MONTGOMEY COUNTY.
PETTIT
Local storm report, Apr 20, 4:08 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
405PM CDT MON APR 20 1992

3 30PM CDT...TORNADO NEAR DAVENPORT...TREES SNAPPED OFF AT GROUND...
POWER LINES DOWN...REPORT FROM HAM RADIO...LOCATION MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
PETTIT
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 4:18 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
ALZ007-011-2022300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
420 PM CDT MON APR 20 1992

...TORNADO WATCH HAS EXPIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
   CHEROKEE...ETOWAH...ST CLAIR...CALHOUN...CLEBURNE AND TALLEDEGA

...HOWEVER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST
   ALABAMA UNTIL 9 O'CLOCK THIS EVENING...CHAMBERS...CLAY...COOSA...
   RANDOLPH AND TALLAPOOSA.

AT 420 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LONG LINE OF STRONG THUNDER-
STORMS WHICH EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL COOSA SOUTHWARD THROUGH ELMORE
AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES.  THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING TO
THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT
THE COMMUNTIES OF ALEXANDER CITY...DADEVILLE...ASHLAND AND LINEVILLE
BEFORE 5 O'CLOCK.

RESIDENTS IN THESE COUNTIES CAN EXPECT VERY STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...
TORRENTIAL RAIN AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL.   RESIDENTS SHOULD MOVE INSIDE
TO A STRONG BUILDING SHOULD THRfEATENING WEATHER APPEAR.  REMAIN ALERT
FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 4:20 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
ALZ007-011-2022300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED SECOND HEADLINE...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
420 PM CDT MON APR 20 1992

...TORNADO WATCH HAS EXPIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
   CHEROKEE...ETOWAH...ST CLAIR...CALHOUN...CLEBURNE AND TALLEDEGA

...HOWEVER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST
   ALABAMA UNTIL 9 O'CLOCK THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
   CHAMBERS...CLAY...COOSA...RANDOLPH AND TALLAPOOSA.

AT 420 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LONG LINE OF STRONG THUNDER-
STORMS WHICH EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL COOSA SOUTHWARD THROUGH ELMORE
AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES.  THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING TO
THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT
THE COMMUNTIES OF ALEXANDER CITY...DADEVILLE...ASHLAND AND LINEVILLE
BEFORE 5 O'CLOCK.

RESIDENTS IN THESE COUNTIES CAN EXPECT VERY STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...
TORRENTIAL RAIN AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL.  k RESIDENTS SHOULD MOVE INSIDE
TO A STRONG BUILDING SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPEAR.  REMAIN ALERT
FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
Local storm report, Apr 20, 4:42 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
4 35PM CDT MON APR 20 1992

3 40PM CDT...TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN AT FLORALA...COVINGTON COUNTY
REPORT FROM HAM RADIO OPERATOR.
4 34PM CDT...QUARTER SIZE HAIL AT JACKSON GAP IN TALLAPOOSA COUNTY
REPORT FROM HAM OPERATOR
4 28PM CDT...TREES DOWN IN TALLASSEE IN ELMORE COUNTY
4 30PM C DT...TREES DOWN IN REELTOWN IN TALLAPOOSA COUNTY
PETTIT

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, 10:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarengo67 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

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.