Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 15, 1993Jefferson County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Apr 15, 1993, 2:28 PM CDT for Jefferson County, Alabama. It was in force for 32 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 15, 1993, 2:28 PM CDT (19:28 UTC)
Expired
Apr 15, 1993, 3:00 PM CDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Jefferson County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Centreville/Bibb, AL (KCKL), launched 12:00Z, 7.5 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 12:00Z on 1993-04-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 4 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 1993-04-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 220 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
4 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-351 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1580 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
220 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
218 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 151930
TORBHM
ALC073-152000-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
228 PM CDT THU APR 15 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  300 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
 
   ...NORTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY
 
AT 227 PM A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS REPORTED IN THE GRAYSVILLE AREA
OF JEFFERSON COUNTY MOVING NORTHEAST.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
 
 
&

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 15, 12:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before
ALZ004>008-011-013-151900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1200 PM CDT THU APR 15 1993

    ...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPS OVER WESTERN ALABAMA...

WEATHER RADAR AT 1155 AM INDICATED A NARROW LINE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN.  THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LINE EXTENDED
FROM NEAR MUSCEL SHOALS/COLBERT COUNTY SOUTHWARD THROUGH FAYETTE/FAYETTE
COUNTY AND MOUNT HEBRON/GREENE COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IN THE
LINE WAS LOCATED OVER HEBRON IN WESTERN GREENE COUNTY.  THE STORM
PRODUCED NICKEL SIZED HAIL OVER NORTHERN SUMTER COUNTY JUST AFTER
1130 PM.  THE STORM WEAKENED TO A DEGREE AS IT MOVED INTO GREENE COUNTY.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR QUICK ACTION IF
WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 12:03 PM CDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
ALZ004>008-011-013-151900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1200 PM CDT THU APR 15 1993

    ...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPS OVER WESTERN ALABAMA...

WEATHER RADAR AT 1155 AM INDICATED A NARROW LINE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN.  THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LINE EXTENDED
FROM NEAR MUSCEL SHOALS/COLBERT COUNTY SOUTHWARD THROUGH FAYETTE/FAYETTE
COUNTY AND MOUNT HEBRON/GREENE COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IN THE
LINE WAS LOCATED OVER HEBRON IN WESTERN GREENE COUNTY.  THE STORM
PRODUCED NICKEL SIZED HAIL OVER NORTHERN SUMTER COUNTY JUST AFTER
1130 PM.  THE STORM WEAKENED TO A DEGREE AS IT MOVED INTO GREENE COUNTY.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING 6NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR QUICK ACTION IF
WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 12:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
ALZ004>006-008-009-151845-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1245 PM CDT THU APR 15 1993

    ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM CONTINUES OVER WESTERN ALABAMA...

WEATHER RADAR AT 1240 PM INDICATED A NARROW LINE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN ALABAMA.  THE LINE EXTENDED SOUTHWARD
FROM NEAR NAUVOO/WALKER COUNTY SOUTHWARD THROUGH DEMOPOLIS/MARENGO
COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IN THE LINE WAS LOCATED OVER
NORTHERN TUSCALOOSA AND SOUTHEASTERN FAYETTE COUNTY.

THE STORM PRODUCED SMALL HAIL OVER SOUTHWESTERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY AT
1230 PM.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTH NORTHEAST 30 MILES AN HOUR.  THIS PATH
WILL TAKE THE THUNDERSTORM INTO EXTREME EASTERN FAYETTE AND WESTERN
WALKER COUNTY BY 145 PM.

PERSONS ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR QUICK ACTION IF
WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 12:49 PM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
ALZ004>006-008-009-151845-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1245 PM CDT THU APR 15 1993

    ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM CONTINUES OVER WESTERN ALABAMA...

WEATHER RADAR AT 1240 PM INDICATED A NARROW LINE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN ALABAMA.  THE LINE EXTENDED SOUTHWARD
FROM NEAR NAUVOO/WALKER COUNTY SOUTHWARD THROUGH DEMOPOLIS/MARENGO
COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IN THE LINE WAS LOCATED OVER
NORTHERN TUSCALOOSA AND SOUTHEASTERN FAYETTE COUNTY.

THE STORM PRODUCED SMALL HAIL OVER SOUTHWESTERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY AT
1230 PM.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTH NORTHEAST 30 MILES AN HOUR.  THIS PATH
WILL TAKE THE THUNDERSTORM INTO EXTREME EASTERN FAYETTE AND W>ESTERN
WALKER COUNTY BY 145 PM.

PERSONS ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY FOR QUICK ACTION IF
WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 2:09 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-152015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
209 PM CDT THU APR 15 1993

....TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA UNTIL 800 PM
THIS EVENING....

AT 200 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED A DEVELOPING LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN ALABAMA. THIS LINE STRETCHED FROM
NORTHERN WILCOX COUNTY AND DALLAS COUNTY...NORTHWARD INTO NORTH ALABAMA
AND WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. HEAVY RAINS...STRONG
GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH
THESE STORMS.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE AFFECTING THE CITY OF SELMA
WITHIN HALF AN HOUR.

ALL RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER
CONDITIONS...AND STAY TUNED TO LOCAL TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 2:11 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
ALZ010-011-012-014-017-018-152015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
209 PM CDT THU APR 15 1993

....TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST ALABAMA UNTIL 800 PM
THIS EVENING....

AT 200 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT MONTGOMERY SHOWED A DEVELOPING LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN ALABAMA. THIS LINE STRETCHED FROM
NORTHERN WILCOX COUNTY AND DALLAS COUNTY...NORTHWARD INTO NORTH ALABAMA
AND WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. HEAVY RAINS...STRONG
GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH
THESE STORMS.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE AFFECTING THE CITY OF SELMA
WITHIN HALF AN HOUR.

ALL RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER
CONDITIONS...AND STAY TUNED TO LOCAL TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 15, 12:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene25 min
Apr 15, 1:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Jefferson67 min
Apr 15, 2:31 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLimestone44 min
Apr 15, 3:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTalladega60 min
Apr 15, 4:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCherokee46 min
Apr 15, 4:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCleburne54 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes 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.