Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 303, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 3, 1997DeKalb County, Jackson County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 1997, 12:01 AM CDT for DeKalb County, Jackson 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
May 3, 1997, 12:01 AM CDT (05:01 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 1997, 1:00 AM CDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

Counties DeKalb County, AL, Jackson 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, 8:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 5.0 hours before the alert went out and 179 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.

437 
WUUS1 KHSV 030500 RRA
SVRHSV
ALC049-071-030600-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1201 AM CDT SAT MAY 3 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HUNTSVILLE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  100 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONSS...
 
IN NORTH ALABAMA
 
   ...DEKALB COUNTY...JACKSON COUNTY
 
AT 12 MIDNIGHT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR GRANT WAS MOVING TOWARDS THE
EAST NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH AND SHOULD MOVE INTO WESTERN DE KALB COUNTY
NEAR KILPATRICK AND WHITON.  THIS STORM HAS HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING
3/4 INCH HAIL AND SHOWS NO SIGN OF WEAKENING.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
 
 
 
&

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, 10:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
1050 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

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

0941 PM    COVIN                     AL   TORNADO
05/02/97   FAYETTE                        POWER PLANT OPERATOR
                                          SAW A TORNADO ABOUT
                                          3 MILES WEST OF FAYETTE.

1020 PM    CARBON HILL               AL   67 MPH WIND GUST
05/02/97   WALKER                         RECORDED BETWEEN CARBON
                                          HILL AND JASPER.  REPORT
                                          FROM AMATEUR RADIO
                                          OPERATORS.
Local storm report, May 2, 10:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
1050 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

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

0941 PM    COVIN                     AL   TORNADO
05/02/97   FAYETTE                        POWER PLANT OPERATOR
                                          SAW A TORNADO ABOUT
                                          3 MILES WEST OF FAYETTE.

1020 PM    CARBON HILL               AL   67 MPH WIND GUST
05/02/97   WALKER                         RECORDED BETWEEN CARBON
                                          HILL AND JASPER.  REPORT
                                          FROM AMATEUR RADIO
                                          OPERATORS.
Local storm report, May 2, 10:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
1055 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

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

1040 PM    COLD SPRINGS              AL   FUNNEL CLOUDS
05/02/97   CULLMAN                        FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS
                                          FUNNEL CLOUDS.

1045 PM    MOUNT OLIVE               AL   QUARTER SIZE HAIL
05/02/97   LAMAR                          FELL AT MOUNT OLIVE
                                          6 MILES NORHT OF
                                          MILLPORT.   TREES
                                          BENT TO GROUND.
Local storm report, May 2, 10:56 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
1055 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

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

1040 PM    COLD SPRINGS              AL   FUNNEL CLOUDS
05/02/97   CULLMAN                        FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTS
                                          FUNNEL CLOUDS.

1045 PM    MOUNT OLIVE               AL   QUARTER SIZE HAIL
05/02/97   LAMAR                          FELL AT MOUNT OLIVE
                                          6 MILES NORHT OF
                                          MILLPORT.   TREES
                                          BENT TO GROUND.
Local storm report, May 2, 11:30 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
1130 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

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

1100 PM    HANCEVILLE                AL   GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
05/02/97   CULLMAN

1100 PM    SIMCOE                    AL   QUARTER SIZE HAIL
05/02/97   CULLMAN

1100 PM
05/02/97   CULLMAN                   AL  FLASH FLOODING
                                         NUMEROUS ROADS
Local storm report, May 2, 11:32 PM CDT, 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
1130 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 1997

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

1100 PM    HANCEVILLE                AL   GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
05/02/97   CULLMAN

1100 PM    SIMCOE                    AL   QUARTER SIZE HAIL
05/02/97   CULLMAN

1100 PM
05/02/97   CULLMAN                   AL  FLASH FLOODING
                 f                        NUMEROUS ROADS

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, 7:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMadison, Morgan55 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 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.