Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1995

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 83, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 20, 1995Cherokee County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 20, 1995, 9:45 PM CST for Cherokee County, Alabama. It was in force for 60 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 20, 1995, 9:45 PM CST (03:45 UTC)
Expired
Mar 20, 1995, 10:45 PM CST
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Cherokee County, AL

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 136 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 1995-03-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 1995-03-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 121 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-37 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1917 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
121 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
205 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 210344 RRA
SVRBHM
ALC019-210445-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
945 PM CST MON MAR 20 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1045 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...CHEROKEE COUNTY
 
AT 945 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR SAND ROCK.
THIS STORM WILL BE MOVING INTO THE GAYLESVILLE-CENTRE AREAS BY 10 PM.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERI6OR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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, Mar 20, 8:20 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before
ALZ011>029-031>035-039-210325-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
820 PM CST MON MAR 20 1995

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST ALABAMA UNTIL
MIDNIGHT...

AT 820 PM CST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED AN INTENSE
THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHEAST FRANKLIN COUNTY THAT HAS PRODUCED PEA SIZED
HAIL NEAR RUSSELVILLE.  THIS STORM WILL BE MOVING TO JUST NORTH OF
HALEYVILLE BY 830 PM.

CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER ITAWAMBA COUNTY MISSISSIPPI NEAR FULTON
WILL BE MOVING INTO WESTERN MARION COUNTY BY 830 PM ALSO.  PRESENTLY
THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM APPEARS TO BE IN WESTERN ITAWAMBA COUNTY.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

STRONG GUSTY WIND...DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...VERY
HEAVY RAINFALL AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH
THESE STORMS.
Local storm report, Mar 20, 8:44 PM CST, 1 hour 1 minute before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
845 PM CST MON MAR 20 1995

STORM REPORT FOR MONDAY MARCH 20 1995.

840 PM CST...DIME AND NICKLE SIZE HAIL IN THE COMMUNITY OF
             PEBBLE IN WIVNSTON COUNTY...AT THE INTERSECTION
             OF HWYS 195 AND 243.  REPORTED BY COUNTY EMA.
Local storm report, Mar 20, 8:45 PM CST, 1 hour before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
845 PM CST MON MAR 20 1995

STORM REPORT FOR MONDAY MARCH 20 1995.

840 PM CST...DIME AND NICKLE SIZE HAIL IN THE COMMUNITY OF
             PEBBLE IN WINSTON COUNTY...AT THE INTERSECTION
             OF HWYS 195 AND 243.  REPORTED BY COUNTY EMA.
Special weather statement, Mar 20, 8:59 PM CST, 46 minutes before
ALZ011>039-210400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
859 PM CST MON MAR 20 1995

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST ALABAMA UNTIL
MIDNIGHT...

AT 859 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHOWED A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER
NORTH ALABAMA MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE
INTO CULLMAN...WALKER...FAYETTE...AND LAMAR COUNTIES BETWEEN 9 AND 10
PM.  THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL.

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.
Special weather statement, Mar 20, 9:35 PM CST, 10 minutes before
ALZ001>007-210415-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
935 PM CST MON MAR 20 1995

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA HAVE BEEN CLEARED
FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 126.  THESE COUNTIES
ARE NO LONGER IN THE WATCH.

LAUDERDALE..LIMESTONE..COLBERT..LAWRENCE..FRANKLIN..MORGAN.
Special weather statement, Mar 20, 9:38 PM CST, 7 minutes before
ALZ001>007-210415-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
935 PM CST MON MAR 20 1995

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA HAVE BEEN CLEARED
FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 126.  THESE COUNTIES
ARE NO LONGER IN THE WATCH.

LAUDERDALE..LIMESTONE..COLBERT..LAWRENCE..FRANKLIN..MORGAN.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 20, 7:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFranklin60 min
Mar 20, 7:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLimestone55 min
Mar 20, 8:20 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMadison55 min
Mar 20, 8:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarion32 min
Mar 20, 8:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWinston41 min
Mar 20, 8:50 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMorgan55 min
Mar 20, 9:03 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJackson32 min
Mar 20, 9:03 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarshall57 min
Mar 20, 9:13 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman47 min
Mar 20, 9:17 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDeKalb48 min
Mar 20, 9:21 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette, Marion, Walker69 min
Mar 20, 9:51 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSt. Clair54 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.