Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1993

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 31, 1993Greene County, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 31, 1993, 1:14 AM CST for Greene County, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. It was in force for 46 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 31, 1993, 1:14 AM CST (07:14 UTC)
Expired
Mar 31, 1993, 2:00 AM CST
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Greene County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 00:00Z, 7.2 hours before the alert went out and 54 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 1993-03-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 56 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 1993-03-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 19 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
56 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-77 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1139 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
19 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-36 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 KBHM 310715
SVRBHM
ALC125-063-310800-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
114 AM CST WED MAR 31 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  200 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...TUSCALOOSA COUNTY
 
IN SOUTH ALABAMA
 
   ...NORTHERN GREENE COUNTY
 
AT 112 AM CST...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED A LINE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS FROM JUST EAST OF ECHOLA AND ELROD TO NEAR LEWISTON IN
GREENE COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN
HOUR AND WILL MOVE OVER THE TUSCALOOSA AREA AROUND 130 AM.
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS APLSO 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 30, 7:35 PM CST, 5 hours 39 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-013-310300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
734 PM CST TUE MAR 30 1993

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME WEST AND SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
UNTIL 1200 MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...

AT 730 PM CST...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS CONTINUED TO SHOW A BAND OF RAIN
AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF ALABAMA...ESPECIALLY IN THE
SOUTHERN TWO THIRDS OF THE STATE. THE STRONGEST STORMS IN ALABAMA WERE
IN A BAND FROM THE STATE LINE NEAR MERIDIAN MISSISSIPPI...INTO SOUTH
CENTRAL ALABAMA.

STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS CONTINUED TO PUSH THROUGH MUCH OF MISSISSIPPI...
AND THOSE WILL START MOVING INTO WESTERN ALABAMA IN THE NEXT ONE TO TWO
HOURS. ALL STORMS MAY PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINS...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
LARGE HAIL...AND POSSIBLY TORNADOS.

THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...AND EVERYONE ACROSS THE
STATE SHOULD KEEP UP TO DATE ON THE LATEST WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS BY
LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL TELEVSION OR RADIO STATIONS
THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.
Special weather statement, Mar 30, 10:12 PM CST, 3 hours 2 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-310615-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1012 PM CST TUE MAR 30 1993

.....SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER SOUTHCENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 1000 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED NUMEROUS SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA. THE HEAVIEST
THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS BULLOCK...PIKE...AND SOUTHERN
CRENSHAW COUNTIES AND WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND
POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL.

MANY OF THESE AREAS HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED HEAVY RAINFALL...AND
ADDITIONAL RAINS MAY CAUSE SOME FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AND PLACES
WITH POOR DRAINAGE.

NO WATCHES OR WARNINGS ARE CURRENTLY IN EFFECT ACROSS THE REGION...BUT
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE FUTURE WATCHES OR
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 31, 12:05 AM CST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-013-310700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1204 AM CST WED MAR 31 1993

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA
UNTIL 600 AM CST...

AT 1204 AM CST...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS CONTINUED TO SHOW A
LARGE AREA OF RAIN MIXED WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS.  THE STRONGEST
STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR REFORM IN NORTH PICKENS COUNTY...OVER SOUTH FAYETTE
COUNTY NEAR BERRY...AND OVER THE BIRMINGHAM METROPOLITAN AREA.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

IF YOU ARE DRIVING ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS
MORNING...YOU CAN EXPECT REDUCED VISIBILITIES WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS AND
STANDING WATER ON ROADS ACROSS THE MENTIONED AREA.
A COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE STATE FROM THE WEST.  WITH A
MOIST...UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE STATE...THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER
WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MOST ALABAMA THIS MORNING.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO MONITOR YOU LOCAL NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO
OR TELEVISION BROADCASTS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 31, 12:51 AM CST, 23 minutes before
ALZ010-014-017-310745-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
1249 AM CST WED MAR 31 1993

...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH
ALABAMA UNTIL 600 AM CST...

AT 1232 AM...WEATHER RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
AND RAINSHOWERS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH ALABAMA.  THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN LOWNDES COUNTY MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT
35 MILES AN HOUR.  THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO INDICATED IN COVINGTON COUNTY
NEAR ANDALUSIA AND OPP AND WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN
HOUR.

RESIDENTS IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Mar 31, 12:55 AM CST, 19 minutes before
ALZ004>009-011-013-310800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1255 AM CST WED MAR 31 1993

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA
UNTIL 600 AM CST...

AT 1255 AM CST...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN
MIXED WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED
IN PICKENS COUNTY NEAR ALICEVILLE AND REFORM...AND IN MARENGO COUNTY
BETWEEN DEMOPOLIS AND LINDEN.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

IF YOU ARE DRIVING ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA THIS
MORNING...YOU CAN EXPECT REDUCED VISIBILITIES WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS AND
STANDING WATER ON ROADS ACROSS THE MENTIONED AREA.
A COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE STATE FROM THE WEST.  WITH A
MOIST...UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE STATE...THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER
WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MOST ALABAMA THIS MORNING.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO MONITOR YOU LOCAL NOAA WEAT"HER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO
OR TELEVISION BROADCASTS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 30, 6:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale35 min
Mar 30, 10:46 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPerry29 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1993Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1993

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.