Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 304, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 1997, 12:01 AM CDT for Walker County, Alabama. It was in force for 34 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, 12:35 AM CDT
- In force
- 34 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Walker County, AL
The radar
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:04 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
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, 8:00 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 5.0 hours before the alert went out and 84 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
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBHM 030501 RRA SVRBHM ALC127-030535- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1201 AM CDT SAT MAY 3 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM AL HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1235 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN CENTRAL ALABAMA ...EASTERN WALKER AT 1201 AM CDT...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER EASTERN WALKER COUNTY BETWEEN SUMITON AND JASPER. THIS STORM WILL MOVE TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. 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 FOR 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, 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 ROADSLocal 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 ROADSThe office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 7:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 50 min |
| May 2, 7:13 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cullman | 47 min |
| May 2, 7:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Madison, Morgan | 55 min |
| May 2, 7:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Marshall | 61 min |
| May 2, 7:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jackson | 63 min |
| May 2, 8:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | DeKalb | 57 min |
| May 2, 8:11 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | DeKalb | 49 min |
| May 2, 8:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marshall | 60 min |
| May 2, 8:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 33 min |
| May 2, 8:54 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lamar | 61 min |
| May 2, 9:22 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Fayette | 78 min |
| May 2, 9:37 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Marion | 48 min |
| May 2, 9:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Walker | 64 min |
| May 2, 10:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Lamar | 65 min |
| May 2, 10:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Winston | 32 min |
| May 2, 10:28 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cullman | 62 min |
| May 2, 10:41 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall | 4 hr |
| May 2, 10:47 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Fayette | 63 min |
| May 2, 11:06 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Blount | 49 min |
| May 2, 11:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Walker | 50 min |
| May 2, 11:12 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Cullman, Marion, Walker, Winston | 3 hr |
| May 2, 11:12 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Fayette, Lamar | 3 hr |
| May 2, 11:32 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Marshall | 43 min |
| May 2, 11:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lamar | 49 min |
| May 2, 11:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 49 min |
| May 2, 11:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Etowah | 64 min |
| May 3, 12:01 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | DeKalb, Jackson | 59 min |
| May 3, 12:05 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Fayette | 65 min |
| May 3, 12:15 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Etowah | 45 min |
| May 3, 12:22 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 48 min |
| May 3, 12:24 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount | 66 min |
| May 3, 1:42 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 33 min |
| May 3, 1:45 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount | 50 min |
| May 3, 1:57 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker | 4 hr |
| May 3, 1:57 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Cullman, Winston | 4 hr |
| May 3, 1:57 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Blount | 4 hr |
| May 3, 2:32 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall | 3 hr |
| May 3, 3:27 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 48 min |
| May 3, 3:54 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene | 36 min |
| May 3, 3:59 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Hale | 31 min |
| May 3, 5:06 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Talladega | 49 min |
| May 3, 5:37 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Autauga, Chilton | 63 min |
| May 3, 6:11 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Coosa | 49 min |
| May 3, 6:33 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Elmore, Montgomery | 47 min |
| May 3, 6:33 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tallapoosa | 47 min |
| May 3, 7:40 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lee | 35 min |
| May 3, 7:58 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Russell | 47 min |
| May 3, 8:04 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Macon | 31 min |
| May 3, 8:25 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lee | 30 min |
| May 3, 8:39 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Russell | 46 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.