Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1996
Tornado Warning 30, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 6, 1996, 5:31 PM CST for Limestone County, Alabama. It was in force for 59 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Mar 6, 1996, 5:31 PM CST (23:31 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 6, 1996, 6:30 PM CST
- In force
- 59 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Limestone County, AL
The nearest sounding before it
Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 151 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 747 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 87 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -292 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -134 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KHSV 062332 TORHSV ALC083-070030- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL 531 PM CST WED MAR 6 1996 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 630 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTH ALABAMA ...LIMESTONE COUNTY AT 532 PM CST RARAR AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO IN WESTERN LIMESTONE COUNTY WEST NORTHWEST OF RIPLEY. THE POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS MOVING EAST AT AROUND 30 MILES AN HOUR. 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...SEXEK 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, Mar 6, 4:15 PM CST, 1 hour 16 minutes before
ALZALL-GAZ089-090-102-120-FLZ001>015-071000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 415 PM CST (515 PM EST) WED MAR 6 1996 ...RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS ALABAMA...WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA... AND THE WESTERN PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA... EVEN THOUGH A LARGE PORTION OF ALABAMA AND GEORGIA HAS BEEN DEALING WITH SEVERE WEATHER SINCE LAST NIGHT, THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM IS STILL HEADED TOWARDS THE GULF COAST REGION AND SEVERE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING. A STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT OVER WESTERN TENNESSEE AND NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN ALABAMA THIS EVENING, INTO SOUTH ALABAMA AND WEST GEORGIA AFTER MIDNIGHT, AND INTO NORTHWEST FLORIDA THURSDAY MORNING. A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS DEVELOPING ALONG THIS FRONT AND WILL ENTER ALABAMA THIS EVENING AND THEN SPREAD EASTWARD ACROSS REGION. THE THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES IS POSSIBLE WITH ANY OF THE THUNDERSTORMS. PRECAUTIONS FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED AND SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. PERSONS IN MOBILE HOMES SHOULD HAVE A STORM SHELTER OR SECURE BUILDING PLACE TO MOVE TO IN CASE A WARNING IS ISSUED. SEVERAL FATALITIES AND NUMEROUS INJURIES OCCURRED IN A MOBILE HOME PARK EARLY THIS MORNING IN SOUTH ALABAMA. PLEASE KEEP UPDATED ON THIS DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION THROUGH TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING.
Special weather statement, Mar 6, 5:19 PM CST, 12 minutes before
ALZ021-026-027-028-029-070000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 519 PM CST WED MAR 6 1996 THE TORNADO WARNINGS FOR CLEBURNE AND CLAY COUNTIES...AND THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR ST. CLAIR COUNTY...HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN THESE AREAS...THE STORMS HAVE DECREASED TO BELOW SEVERE LEVELS. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF ALABAMA UNTIL 6 PM CST. THE ATMOSPHERE IS STILL QUITE MOIST AND UNSTABLE...AND ADDITIONAL WATCHES WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED LATER TONIGHT.
Special weather statement, Mar 6, 5:21 PM CST, 10 minutes before
ALZ021-026-027-028-029-070000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 519 PM CST WED MAR 6 1996 THE TORNADO WARNINGS FOR CLEBURNE AND CLAY COUNTIES...AND THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR ST. CLAIR COUNTY...HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN THESE AREAS...THE STORMS HAVE DECREASED TO BELOW SEVERE LEVELS. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF ALABAMA UNTIL 6 PM CST. THE ATMOSPHERE IS STILL QUITE MOIST AND UNSTABLE...AND ADDITIONAL WATCHES WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED LATER TONIGHT.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 5, 6:06 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Walker | 54 min |
| Mar 5, 9:04 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marion | 41 min |
| Mar 5, 9:34 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Winston | 41 min |
| Mar 5, 9:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Franklin, Lawrence | 60 min |
| Mar 5, 10:21 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Morgan | 69 min |
| Mar 6, 12:56 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lawrence | 64 min |
| Mar 6, 1:26 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Colbert, Lauderdale | 3 hr |
| Mar 6, 2:15 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Sumter | 45 min |
| Mar 6, 3:44 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Perry | 31 min |
| Mar 6, 3:52 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Dallas | 53 min |
| Mar 6, 3:59 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Chilton | 46 min |
| Mar 6, 4:12 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Autauga | 48 min |
| Mar 6, 4:19 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lowndes | 41 min |
| Mar 6, 4:58 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lowndes | 47 min |
| Mar 6, 5:03 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Montgomery | 57 min |
| Mar 6, 5:11 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Montgomery | 49 min |
| Mar 6, 5:27 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Bullock, Macon | 63 min |
| Mar 6, 5:51 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lee, Russell | 69 min |
| Mar 6, 6:37 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Barbour, Bullock | 38 min |
| Mar 6, 7:31 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 3 hr |
| Mar 6, 8:50 AM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Barbour | 40 min |
| Mar 6, 12:54 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Colbert, Lawrence | 66 min |
| Mar 6, 1:39 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lawrence | 66 min |
| Mar 6, 2:10 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Fayette, Walker | 50 min |
| Mar 6, 2:37 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 53 min |
| Mar 6, 2:52 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount, Jefferson | 38 min |
| Mar 6, 3:14 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Blount, Jefferson | 46 min |
| Mar 6, 3:19 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Walker | 41 min |
| Mar 6, 3:26 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 49 min |
| Mar 6, 4:11 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Talladega | 34 min |
| Mar 6, 4:40 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Talladega | 35 min |
| Mar 6, 4:52 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Clay, Cleburne | 53 min |
| Mar 6, 4:56 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 49 min |
| Mar 6, 4:58 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lauderdale, Limestone | 62 min |
| Mar 6, 5:22 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Madison | 68 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1996Every tornado warning in 1996Tornadoes in 1996
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.