Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Mobile, AL

May 3, 1994Coffee County, Alabama

NWS Mobile, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 1994, 11:33 AM CDT for Coffee County, Alabama. It was in force for 42 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 3, 1994, 11:33 AM CDT (16:33 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 1994, 12:15 PM CDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Mobile, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Coffee County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Eglin AFB/Valpar, FL (KVPS), launched 12:00Z, 4.6 hours before the alert went out and 114 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, Eglin AFB/Valpar, FL at 12:00Z on 1994-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 50 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Eglin AFB/Valpar, FL at 12:00Z on 1994-05-03The 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
50 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-179 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
888 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
185 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
251 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBHM 031633 RRA
SVRMGM
ALC031-031715-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
ISSUED BY BIRMINGHAM AL
1133 AM CDT TUE MAY 3 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST ALABAMA
 
   ...COFFEE COUNTY
 
AT 1115 AM CDT MONTGOMERY RARAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES
EAST OF OPP IN COVINGTON COUNTY MOVING EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR INTO
COFFEE COUNTY. CIVIL DEFENSE IN COVINGTON COUNTY REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL
WITH POWER POLES DOWNED ALONG WITH SOME TREES.
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRObNG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  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

Local storm report, May 3, 9:00 AM CDT, 2 hours 33 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
900 AM CDT TUE MAY 3 1994

TIME             EVENT
858 AM           NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED AT PASCAGOULA BY THE
                 JACKSON COUNTY SHERIFFSh OFFICE.
Local storm report, May 3, 9:26 AM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
926 AM CDT TUE MAY 3 1994

TIME             EVENT
900 AM           GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED JUST OFF MOFFETT
                 ROAD ON HOWELLS FERRY ROAD NEAR THE MOBILE REGIONAL
                 AIRPORT IN CENTRAL MOBILE COUNTY.  REPORTED BY
                 RESIDENT IN THAT AREA.
Local storm report, May 3, 9:26 AM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOBILE AL
926 AM CDT TUE MAY 3 1994

TIME             EVENT
900 AM           GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED JUST OFF MOFFETT
                 ROAD ON HOWELLS FERRY ROAD NEAR THE MOBILE REGIONAL
                 AIRPORT IN CENTRAL MOBILE COUNTY.  REPORTED BY
                 RESIDENT IN THAT AREA.
Special weather statement, May 3, 9:36 AM CDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
FLZ001>010-012-031530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
930 AM CDT TUE MAY 3 1994

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS FROM NORTHERN ESCAMBIA COUNTY FLORIDA
...EXTENDING SOUTHWEST THROUGH CENTRAL BALDWIN COUNTY ALABAMA AND INTO
THE COASTAL WATERS. THE LINE WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH.
THE HEAVIER STORMS IN THE LINE HAS PRODUCED STRONG GUSTY WIND...
TORRENTIAL RAIN...HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES. THE LINE WILL
BE PASSING THROUGH THE WEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE THE NEXT TWO TO THREE
HOURS. PERSONS IN THE WEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND SMALL BOAT OPERATORS
IN THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE WEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE SHOULD WATCH FOR
RAPIDLY CHINGING WEATHER FOR THE WORST.

PERSONS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ANY NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS FOR
THESE CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNED FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
THESE CONDITIONS.
Special weather statement, May 3, 9:37 AM CDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
FLZ001>010-012-031530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
930 AM CDT TUE MAY 3 1994

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS FROM NORTHERN ESCAMBIA COUNTY FLORIDA
...EXTENDING SOUTHWEST THROUGH CENTRAL BALDWIN COUNTY ALABAMA AND INTO
THE COASTAL WATERS. THE LINE WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH.
THE HEAVIER STORMS IN THE LINE HAS PRODUCED STRONG GUSTY WIND...
TORRENTIAL RAIN...HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES. THE LINE WILL
BE PASSING THROUGH THE WEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE THE NEXT TWO TO THREE
HOURS. PERSONS IN THE WEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND SMALL BOAT OPERATORS
IN THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE WEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE SHOULD WATCH FOR
RAPIDLY CHINGING WEATHER FOR THE WORST.

PERSONS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ANY NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS FOR
THESE CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNED FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 3, 10:35 AM CDT, 58 minutes before
FLZ001>010-012-031640-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
1030 AM CDT TUE MAY 3 1994

AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG...EXTENDED FROM THE ALABAMA
COASTAL WATERS NORTHEAST ACROSS THE PENSACOLA AREA AND NORTH SANTA ROSA
COUNTY OF FLORIDA...THEN ON INTO SOUTHEAST ALABAMA. A SEVERE THUNDER-
STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR BALDWIN COUNTY OF ALABAMA...AND THIS
STORM WAS MOVING EAST TOWARDS ESCAMBIA COUNTY OF FLORIDA.

LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY LARGE HAIL CAN
BE EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STORMS AS THEY PASS THROUGH THE
WEST FLORIDA PANHANDLEDURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SMALL BOAT
OPERATORS IN THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE WEST FLORIDA PANHANDLE SHOULD
WATCH FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER.

PERSONS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ANY NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS FOR
THESE CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNED FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 8:51 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile69 min
May 3, 10:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin60 min
May 3, 10:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile51 min
May 3, 11:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBCoffee55 min
May 3, 12:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBDale55 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1994Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1994

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.