Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 295, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 2, 1997Madison County, Morgan County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 1997, 7:20 PM CDT for Madison County, Morgan County, Alabama. It was in force for 55 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
May 2, 1997, 7:20 PM CDT (00:20 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 1997, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Madison County, AL, Morgan County, AL

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 2, 3:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 159 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 00:00Z on 1997-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1924 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 1997-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 170 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
1924 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
894 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
170 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
279 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.0
Supercell composite
11.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KHSV 030019 RRA
SVRHSV
ALC089-103-030115-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
720 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  815 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONSS...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...SOUTHERN MADISON COUNTY...MORGAN COUNTY
 
AT 718 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN HUNTSVILLE INDICATED
POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHERN MADISON COUNTY NEAR FARLEY
AND OWENS CROSS ROADS AND IN EASTERN MORGAN COUNTY NEAR COLE SPRINGS
 
THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
 
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED xAREA.  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 48 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 47 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, 49 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, 47 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.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 2, 7:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman50 min
May 2, 7:13 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXCullman47 min
May 2, 7:29 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMarshall61 min
May 2, 7:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXJackson63 min
May 2, 8:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDeKalb57 min
May 2, 8:11 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXDeKalb49 min
May 2, 8:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarshall60 min
May 2, 8:42 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXCherokee33 min
May 2, 8:54 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLamar61 min
May 2, 9:22 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXFayette78 min
May 2, 9:37 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMarion48 min
May 2, 9:56 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXWalker64 min
May 2, 10:20 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXLamar65 min
May 2, 10:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWinston32 min
May 2, 10:28 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXCullman62 min
May 2, 10:41 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXDeKalb, Jackson, Marshall4 hr
May 2, 10:47 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXFayette63 min
May 2, 11:06 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXBlount49 min
May 2, 11:10 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXWalker50 min
May 2, 11:12 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXCullman, Marion, Walker, Winston3 hr
May 2, 11:12 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXFayette, Lamar3 hr
May 2, 11:32 PM CDTTornado WarningBMXMarshall43 min
May 2, 11:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar49 min
May 2, 11:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman49 min
May 2, 11:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXEtowah64 min
May 3, 12:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXDeKalb, Jackson59 min
May 3, 12:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWalker34 min
May 3, 12:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette65 min
May 3, 12:15 AM CDTTornado WarningBMXEtowah45 min
May 3, 12:22 AM CDTTornado WarningBMXCherokee48 min
May 3, 12:24 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount66 min
May 3, 1:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCullman33 min
May 3, 1:45 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBlount50 min
May 3, 1:57 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXFayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker4 hr
May 3, 1:57 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXCullman, Winston4 hr
May 3, 1:57 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXBlount4 hr
May 3, 2:32 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningBMXDeKalb, Jackson, Marshall3 hr
May 3, 3:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTuscaloosa48 min
May 3, 3:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene36 min
May 3, 3:59 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale31 min
May 3, 5:06 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTalladega49 min
May 3, 5:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton63 min
May 3, 6:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCoosa49 min
May 3, 6:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXElmore, Montgomery47 min
May 3, 6:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXTallapoosa47 min
May 3, 7:40 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLee35 min
May 3, 7:58 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXRussell47 min
May 3, 8:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMacon31 min
May 3, 8:25 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLee30 min
May 3, 8:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXRussell46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1997Every 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.