Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1995

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 32, NWS Birmingham, AL

February 16, 1995Madison County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 16, 1995, 5:44 AM CST for Madison County, Alabama. It was in force for 31 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 16, 1995, 5:44 AM CST (11:44 UTC)
Expired
Feb 16, 1995, 6:15 AM CST
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Madison County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 152 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 00:00Z on 1995-02-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 1995-02-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 321 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
535 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
71 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
321 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
327 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 161145 RRA
SVRHSV
ALC089-161215-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
ISSUED BY BIRMINGHAM AL
544 AM CST THU FEB 16 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  615 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...MADISON COUNTY
 
AT 544 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER WEST MADISON COUNTY IN THE MADISON AREA. THE
STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL MOVE OVER THE
REDSTONE ARSENAL DURING THE NEXT 15 MINUTES.
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOTF 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

Special weather statement, Feb 15, 11:58 PM CST, 5 hours 46 minutes before
ALZ011>029-031>035-039-160700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1158 PM CST WED FEB 15 1995

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 500 AM FOR MUCH OF WEST AND NORTHWEST
ALABAMA...

AT 1150 PM DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL AND NORTH ALABAMA.  SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM BIBB COUNTY NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS SHELBY..
TALLADEGA..CLAY..RANDOLPH AND CLEBURNE COUNTIES.  ANOTHER AREA
OF THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED DURING THE PAST HOUR OVER
CULLMAN..BLOUNT AND SAINT CLAIR COUNTIES.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN DETECTED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA DURING
THE PAST HOUR BUT THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING RAPIDLY AND
SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BRIEFLY BECOME SEVERE.

WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG 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.
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 1:30 AM CST, 4 hours 14 minutes before
ALZ011>029-031>035-039-160930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
130 AM CST THU FEB 16 1995

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 500 AM FOR MUCH OF WEST AND NORTHWEST
ALABAMA...

AT 120 AM DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A NARROW BAND OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL AND NORTH ALABAMA.  SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM SHELBY COUNTY NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS
TALLADEGA..CLAY..RANDOLPH AND CLEBURNE COUNTIES.  RAINFALL ESTIMATES
OF 2 INCHES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED OVER CLAY AND CLEBURNE COUNTIES
DURING THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 40
MILES AN HOUR.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN DETECTED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL ALABAMA DURING
THE PAST HOUR...BUT THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DO HAVE THE
POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA FOR
FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 3:07 AM CST, 2 hours 37 minutes before
ALZ011>029-031>035-039-161010-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
307 AM CST THU FEB 16 1995

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHWEST MARION COUNTY HAS
EXPIRED...
...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 500 AM FOR MUCH
OF WEST AND NORTHWEST ALABAMA...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL NORTH ALABAMA...

AT 300 AM DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT MOVED
ACROSS NORTHWEST MARION COUNTY IS KNOW OUT OF THE COUNTY. THIS STORM
HAS CONTINUED NORTHEAST...BUT SHOWERS AND A SECOND POTENTIALLY SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM IS FOLLOWING THAT STORM AND WILL MOVE OVER THE EXACT
SAME LOCATIONS DURING THE NEXT HOUR. NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS ARE
IN EFFECT AT THIS TIME...BUT THIS SECOND STORM IS CAPABLE OF GUSTY
WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN FOR THE NEXT HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA FOR
FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 5:00 AM CST, 44 minutes before
ALZ001>069-162100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
500 AM CST FRI FEB 16 1995

...COLD TEMPERATURES RETURN TO ALABAMA...

AN ARCTIC AIRMASS MOVED INTO NORTH ALABAMA EARLY THIS MORNING AND
WILL REACH COASTAL ALABAMA BY MID-MORNING.  TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL
ONLY RISE INTO THE MIDDLE 30S OVER THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AND INTO THE
UPPER 40S OVER SOUTH ALABAMA.  NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH TODAY
WILL CAUSE WIND CHILLS TO RANGE FROM NEAR 10 DEGREES OVER THE NORTH
TO THE 20S OVER THE SOUTH.  SNOW FLURRIES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE OVER
NORTH ALABAMA TODAY...AND OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA EARLY THIS MORNING.

WINDS WILL WEAKEN TONIGHT AND TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE MIDDLE
AND UPPER TEENS OVER NORTH ALABAMA.  TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE
THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 20S OVER THE SOUTH PART OF THE STATE.  THE COLD
SNAP WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS A WARMING TREND WILL BEGIN ON SATURDAY.
.
YOU SHOULD TAKE PRECAUTIONS AGAINST THE COLD WEATHER TONIGHT SUCH
AS PROTECTING EXPOSED PIPES.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 15, 9:35 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarion40 min
Feb 15, 10:48 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLawrence, Madison, Morgan4 hr
Feb 15, 10:48 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXFranklin4 hr
Feb 15, 11:28 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXJackson3 hr
Feb 16, 2:11 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarion49 min
Feb 16, 2:22 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXFranklin68 min
Feb 16, 2:22 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFranklin68 min
Feb 16, 2:49 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXColbert, Lauderdale56 min
Feb 16, 2:49 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXColbert, Lauderdale56 min
Feb 16, 3:12 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLawrence63 min
Feb 16, 3:12 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLawrence63 min
Feb 16, 3:27 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarion63 min
Feb 16, 3:45 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWinston60 min
Feb 16, 3:54 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningBMXLimestone, Morgan66 min
Feb 16, 3:54 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLimestone, Morgan66 min
Feb 16, 4:01 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXWinston29 min
Feb 16, 4:22 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMadison68 min
Feb 16, 4:25 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman50 min
Feb 16, 5:00 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXMarshall45 min
Feb 16, 5:03 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJackson42 min
Feb 16, 5:22 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMorgan53 min
Feb 16, 5:32 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXDeKalb43 min
Feb 16, 6:07 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJackson, Marshall53 min
Feb 16, 6:21 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPickens, Tuscaloosa48 min
Feb 16, 6:46 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDeKalb29 min
Feb 16, 7:25 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJefferson35 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.