Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 311, NWS Birmingham, AL

May 3, 1997Hale County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 1997, 3:59 AM CDT for Hale County, Alabama. It was in force for 31 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, 3:59 AM CDT (08:59 UTC)
Expired: May 3, 1997, 4:30 AM CDT
In force: 31 min
Issued by: NWS Birmingham, AL
Area: Whole counties

County Hale County, AL

The radar

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:00 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 3, 2:00 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 92 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: 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

The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.

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, 5 hours 9 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, 5 hours 6 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, 5 hours 4 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, 5 hours 3 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, 4 hours 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
                                         NUMEROUS ROADS

Local storm report, May 2, 11:32 PM CDT, 4 hours 27 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.

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, 12:01 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Walker	34 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, 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, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.