Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 292, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 2, 1997Jackson County, Marshall County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 1997, 6:53 PM CDT for Jackson County, Marshall County, Alabama. It was in force for 67 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 2, 1997, 6:53 PM CDT (23:53 UTC)
Expired: May 2, 1997, 8:00 PM CDT
In force: 67 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Whole counties

Counties Jackson County, AL, Marshall County, AL

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 2, 7:00 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 55	Scottsboro, AL	Trees and limbs were blown onto power lines causing power outages for over 12 hours in some locations in Scottsboro.
May 2, 7:48 PM CDT	Hail 1.75	Guntersville, AL	Golf ball sized hail covered the ground in Guntersville. The high school roof and parking lot were damaged with. The wheat crop was also damaged.

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 2, 3:00 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 165 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1681 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 176 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 229 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 KHSV 022353 RRA
SVRHSV
ALC071-095-030100-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
653 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONSS...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...JACKSON COUNTY...MARSHALL COUNTY
 
AT 650 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN HUNTSVILLE INDICATED
POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS MARSHALL COUNTY AND IN
JACKSON COUNTY.
 
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.
 
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.

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

Local storm report, May 2, 5:32 PM CDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
532 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

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

0437 PM                              AL   .5 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WINSTON                        PEA-SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN
                                          THE HALEYVILLE AND BEAR
                                          CREEK AREAS. TIME ESTIMATED
0445 PM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   LAMAR                          TREES DOWN AND A FEW POWER
                                          LINES DOWN BETWEEN
                                          SULLIGENT AND VERNON TIME
                                          ESTIMATED

0453 PM    HAMILTON                  AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   MARION                         TREES DOWN IN
                                          HAMILTON...ALSO PEA-SIZED
                                          HAIL REPORTED IN VARIOUS
                                          LOCATIONS AROUND THE CO.

0505 PM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   WINSTON                        TREES DOWN IN DOUBLE
                                          SPRINGS AREA...ALSO DIME
                                          SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN
                                          VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN THE
                                          WESTERN PARTS OF THE CO.

Local storm report, May 2, 5:33 PM CDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
532 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

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

0437 PM                              AL   .5 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WINSTON                        PEA-SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN
                                          THE HALEYVILLE AND BEAR
                                          CREEK AREAS. TIME ESTIMATED
0445 PM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   LAMAR                          TREES DOWN AND A FEW POWER
                                          LINES DOWN BETWEEN
                                          SULLIGENT AND VERNON TIME
                                          ESTIMATED

0453 PM    HAMILTON                  AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   MARION                         TREES DOWN IN
                                          HAMILTON...ALSO PEA-SIZED
                                          HAIL REPORTED IN VARIOUS
                                          LOCATIONS AROUND THE CO.

0505 PM                              AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   WINSTON                        TREES DOWN IN DOUBLE
                                          SPRINGS AREA...ALSO DIME
                                          SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN
                                          VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN THE
                                          WESTTERN PARTS OF THE CO.

Local storm report, May 2, 6:31 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
631 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

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

0540 PM                              AL   .5 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   CULLMAN                        PEA-SIZED HAIL IN
                                          NORTHWEST PART OF THE CO.

0545 PM    HALEYVILLE                AL   .5 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WINSTON                        MARBLE SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          IN HALEYVILLE.

0552 PM                              AL   .75 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   CULLMAN                        DIME SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          IN NORTHWEST CULLMAN CO.

0605 PM    GUIN                      AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   MARION                         TREES DOWN AROUND GUIN
                                          REPORTED BY EMA

0615 PM    HALEYVILLE                AL   .5 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WINSTON                        PEA-SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN
                                          HALEYVILLE

Local storm report, May 2, 6:33 PM CDT, 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
631 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

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

0540 PM                              AL   .5 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   CULLMAN                        PEA-SIZED HAIL IN
                                          NORTHWEST PART OF THE CO.

0545 PM    HALEYVILLE                AL   .5 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WINSTON                        MARBLE SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          IN HALEYVILLE.

0552 PM                              AL   .75 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   CULLMAN                        DIME SIZED HAIL REPORTED
                                          IN NORTHWEST CULLMAN CO.

0605 PM    GUIN                      AL   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/97   MARION                         TREES DOWN AROUND GUIN
                                          REPORTED BY EMA

0615 PM    HALEYVILLE                AL   .5 INCH HAIL
05/02/97   WINSTON                        PEA-SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN
                                          HALEYVILLE

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 2, 3:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Colbert, Lauderdale	62 min
May 2, 3:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Franklin	56 min
May 2, 3:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	63 min
May 2, 4:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette	64 min
May 2, 4:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence	64 min
May 2, 4:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Winston	64 min
May 2, 4:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lauderdale	52 min
May 2, 4:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker	81 min
May 2, 4:47 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Limestone	58 min
May 2, 4:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	35 min
May 2, 4:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Morgan	66 min
May 2, 5:09 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Madison	66 min
May 2, 5:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Winston	35 min
May 2, 5:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette	31 min
May 2, 5:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar	48 min
May 2, 5:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cullman	61 min
May 2, 5:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Marshall	69 min
May 2, 5:39 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Jackson	66 min
May 2, 5:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion	49 min
May 2, 5:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Marion	50 min
May 2, 5:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Marion	34 min
May 2, 6:06 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	DeKalb	69 min
May 2, 6:09 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Winston	51 min
May 2, 6:20 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Franklin, Lawrence	55 min
May 2, 6:20 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Morgan	55 min
May 2, 6:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Marion	47 min
May 2, 6:40 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	BMX	Lamar, Marion	45 min
May 2, 6:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Cherokee	23 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1997 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.