Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1995

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 142, NWS Birmingham, AL

April 20, 1995Blount County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 20, 1995, 11:19 PM CDT for Blount County, Alabama. It was in force for 56 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 20, 1995, 11:19 PM CDT (04:19 UTC)
Expired
Apr 21, 1995, 12:15 AM CDT
In force
56 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Blount County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 91 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, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 1995-04-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1059 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, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 1995-04-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 175 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
1059 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
943 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
175 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
177 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
4.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBHM 210419
SVRBHM
ALC009-210515-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1119 PM CDT THU APR 20 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...BLOUNT COUNTY
 
AT 1118 PM CDT...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING INTO WESTERN
BLOUNT COUNTY. THIS LINE WILL BE AFFECTING THE SLOAN...BLOUNT SPRINGS
AREAS BY 1130 PM...AND THE BLOUTSVILLE AND ONEONTA AREAS BY 1145 PM.
 
MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
 
 
 
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSBTORMS 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, Apr 20, 5:57 PM CDT, 5 hours 22 minutes before
ALZ036>038-040>043-210100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MONTGOMERY AL
557 PM CDT THU APR 20 1995

....TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT TILL 1100 CDT....

AT 545 PM CDT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN MONTGOMERY
INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM EMBEDDED WITHIN A AREA OF RAINSHOWERS 25 MILES
WEST OF MONTGOMERY MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 25 TO 30 MILES PER HOUR.

STRONG GUSTY WIND...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH
THESE STORMS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 8:00 PM CDT, 3 hours 19 minutes before
ALZALL-210200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
800 PM CDT THU APR 20 1995

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 238 HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF NORTH AND WEST
ALABAMA UNTIL 200 AM CDT.  SINCE THIS WATCH REPLACED TORNADO WATCH
NUMBER 237...A TORNADO WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...CLEBURNE...CLAY...RANDOLPH...COOSA...TALLAPOOSA...CHAMBERS
...AUTAUGA...AND ELMORE.
Local storm report, Apr 20, 10:35 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1030 PM CDT THU APR 20 1995

TIME(CDT)      .....CITY LOCATION.....  STATE      ...EVENT/REMARKS...
               ....COUNTY LOCATION....

351 PM         3 W SULLIGENT            AL         QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED
4/20/95        LAMAR

422 PM         BETWEEN GUIN & WINFIELD  AL         FUNNEL CLOUD SPOTTED AT HWY
4/20/95        MARION                              129 & 78 BETWEEN GUIN AND
                                                   WINFIELD.  REPORTED BY
                                                   MARION CTY EMA.
432 PM         GUIN                     AL         DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
4/20/95        MARION                              MARION CTY EMA.

432 PM         NORTHERN MARION CTY      AL         UNCONFIRMED TORNADO
4/20/95        MARION                              REPORTED BY MARION CTY EMA.
715 PM         BEAR CREEK               AL         POWER LINES DOWN REPORTED
4/20/95        MARION                              BY HAMILTON STATE.

828 PM         VERNON                   AL         TRAILERS OVERTURNED AND
4/20/95        LAMAR                               A TREE REPORTED DOWNED ON
                                                   VEHICLES.

858 PM         VERNON                   AL         4 INJURED PERSONS AND
4/20/95        LAMAR                               POWER OUTAGE REPORTED BY
                                                   RETIRED NWS EMPLOYEE.

903 PM         WHITEHOUSE AREA          AL         POWERLINES AND TREES
4/20/95        MARION                              DOWNED IN WHITEHOUSE AREA
                                                   ON HIGHWAY 129.
900 PM         NEAR HALEYVILLE          AL         TORNADO SPOTTED
4/20/95        WINSTON/MARION                      NEAR HALEYVILLE

911 PM        HALEYVILLE               AL         LARGE HAIL REPORTED.  ALSO
4/20/95       WINSTON                             TREES AND POWER LINES
                                                  DOWNED.

903 PM        WHITEHOUSE AREA          AL         TRAILER OVERTURNED WITH
4/20/95       MARION                              POSSIBLE INJURIES.

825 PM        VERNON                   AL         7 INJURIES IN VERNON
4/20/95       LAMAR

900 PM        WHITEHOUSE/HALEYVILLE    AL         15 INJURIES NEAR WHITEHOUSE
4/20/95       MARION                              AND HALEYVILLE.  REPORTED
                                                  BY MARION CTY EMA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 20, 7:38 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLamar52 min
Apr 20, 7:38 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXPickens16 min
Apr 20, 7:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFranklin67 min
Apr 20, 8:05 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXFayette, Marion55 min
Apr 20, 8:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXColbert, Lawrence55 min
Apr 20, 8:26 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXColbert, Lawrence64 min
Apr 20, 8:28 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLamar32 min
Apr 20, 8:39 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLauderdale56 min
Apr 20, 8:51 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXFranklin44 min
Apr 20, 8:53 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXWinston67 min
Apr 20, 8:57 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLamar33 min
Apr 20, 8:58 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMarion32 min
Apr 20, 9:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPickens66 min
Apr 20, 9:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette64 min
Apr 20, 9:21 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLawrence69 min
Apr 20, 9:41 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLimestone64 min
Apr 20, 9:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene, Sumter58 min
Apr 20, 9:52 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMorgan68 min
Apr 20, 9:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman, Walker, Winston62 min
Apr 20, 9:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTuscaloosa62 min
Apr 20, 10:14 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXFayette46 min
Apr 20, 10:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPickens42 min
Apr 20, 10:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTuscaloosa, Walker31 min
Apr 20, 10:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman63 min
Apr 20, 10:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMorgan17 min
Apr 20, 11:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale55 min
Apr 20, 11:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb, Jefferson63 min
Apr 20, 11:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby58 min
Apr 20, 11:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSt. Clair55 min
Apr 21, 12:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChilton55 min
Apr 21, 12:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXEtowah55 min
Apr 21, 12:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarengo, Perry63 min
Apr 21, 12:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCalhoun, Talladega57 min
Apr 21, 12:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDeKalb, Jackson68 min
Apr 21, 12:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCherokee45 min
Apr 21, 1:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChilton40 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1995Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1995

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.