Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1995

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 34, NWS Birmingham, AL

February 16, 1995Pickens County, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 16, 1995, 6:21 AM CST for Pickens County, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. It was in force for 48 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 16, 1995, 6:21 AM CST (12:21 UTC)
Expired
Feb 16, 1995, 7:09 AM CST
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Pickens County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 96 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 12:00Z on 1995-02-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 299 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 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 12:00Z on 1995-02-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 320 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 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
299 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-19 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
529 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
64 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
320 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
376 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
4.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBHM 161223 RRA
SVRBHM
ALC107-125-161315-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
621 AM CST THU FEB 16 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  715 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA
 
   ...PICKENS COUNTY...TUSCALOOSA COUNTY
 
AT 621 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED A SEVERE
THUDNERSTORM OVER NORTH PICKENS COUNTY IN THE REFORM AREA. THE STORM WAS
MOVING EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL MOVE OVER NORTHWEST TUSCALOOSA
COUNTY IN THE MOORES BRIDGE AREA DURING THE NEXT 15 MINUTES. ANOTHER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING OVER ALICEVILLE LAKE AREA AND SHOULD
EFFECT THE CARROLLTON AREA BY 645 AM.
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A
STRONG BUILDING.  DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

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 16, 1:30 AM CST, 4 hours 51 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, 3 hours 14 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, 1 hour 21 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.
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 6:13 AM CST, 8 minutes before
ALZ011>029-031>035-039-161315-

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

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA
UNTIL 1000 AM...

AT 613 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM MOVING OVER NORTH PICKENS COUNTY OVER THE COAL FIRE AREA.
THE STORM WILL MOVE OVER REFORM DURING THE NEXT 15 MINUTES.

ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING ACROSS WALKER COUNTY IN THE
OAKMAN AREA.  THIS STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE JASPER...PARISH...AND
CORDOVA AREAS DURING THE NEXT 15 MINUTES.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.  MOTORISTS
SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR SUDDEN REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY IN AREAS
OF HEAVY RAIN. YOU SHOULD WATCH FOR PONDING ON AREA ROADWAYS AND
BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE HYDROPLANING.

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, 5:44 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMadison31 min
Feb 16, 6:07 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJackson, Marshall53 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.