Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Nashville, TN

April 15, 1994Macon County, Tennessee

NWS Nashville, TN issued this tornado warning at Apr 15, 1994, 11:24 AM CDT for Macon County, Tennessee. It was in force for 36 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 15, 1994, 11:24 AM CDT (16:24 UTC)
Expired
Apr 15, 1994, 12:00 PM CDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Nashville, TN
Area
Whole counties

County Macon County, TN

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 4.4 hours before the alert went out and 69 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 1994-04-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1649 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 1994-04-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 295 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
1649 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-27 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
684 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
295 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
304 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.7
Supercell composite
13.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBNA 151626
TORBNA
TNC111-151700-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
1124 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NASHVILLE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL NOON CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE
 
   ...MACON COUNTY
 
AT 1120 AM CDT...THE PUBLIC REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD IN THE NORTHERN
PART OF MACON COUNTY. RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
THROUGH MACON COUNTY.
 
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, 9:56 AM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
TNZ005>010-023>033-056>065-075>078-093>097-151555-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE  TN
950 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF MIDDLE
TENNESSEE UNTIL NOON AND FOR THE REMAINDER OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE
UNTIL 3 PM CDT...

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ENTERING THE NORTHWEST CORNER
OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE AT 930 AM CDT.  THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WERE JUST NORTH OF ELKTON IN TODD COUNTY KENTUCKY.

THE LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AND WILL
ENTER NORTHWEST MIDDLE TENNESSEE WITHIN THE HOUR.

NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN EASTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE
FROM WOODBURY TO SPARTA AND SOUTHEAST TOWARD CHATTANOOGA.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

THE ATMOSPHERE OVER MIDDLE TENNESSEE REMAINS MOIST AND UNSTABLE
WITH LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR THAT IS CONDUCIVE FOR SEVERE WEATHER.

IF YOU LIVE IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE KEY A WEATHER EYE ON THE SKY.

AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING
SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.
TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR
THE LATEST WEAT0HER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 10:56 AM CDT, 28 minutes before
TNZ005>010-023>033-056>065-075>078-093>097-151700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE  TN
1055 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE UNTIL 3 PM CDT...

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...SOME PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS AND
SMALL HAIL WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR WITH THE
LEADING EDGE EXTENDING FROM 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BOWLING GREEN
KENTUCKY TO JUST NORTH OF NASHVILLE TO 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
JACKSON IN WEST TENNESSEE.

REPORTS OF SMALL HAIL WERE RECEIVED FROM THE CLARKSVILLE AREA
DURING THE LAST HALF HOUR.

THE ENVIRONMENT OVER MIDDLE TENNESSEE REMAINS MOIST AND UNSTABLE
WITH THE LOW LEVEL WIND FIELD FAVORABLE FOR ENHANCEMENT OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND DEVELOPEMENT OF TORNADOES.

PEOPLE IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE SHOULD KEEP A WEATHER EYE ON THE SKY.

IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF A
STORM APPROACHES.  MOTORISTS( SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR REDUCED
VISIBILITIES DURING DOWNPOURS OF RAIN.  STREETS MAY FLOOD QUICKLY.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Nashville, TN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 15, 11:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXHickman, Maury, Williamson66 min
Apr 15, 12:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXDavidson, Wilson58 min
Apr 15, 12:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXHickman, Maury, Williamson59 min
Apr 15, 1:01 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXDavidson, Williamson3 hr
Apr 15, 1:01 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXWilson3 hr
Apr 15, 1:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXRutherford68 min
Apr 15, 3:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXWilliamson60 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes 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.