Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 87, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 24, 1997, 8:41 PM CST for Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. It was in force for 49 min. 1 report 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
- Jan 24, 1997, 8:41 PM CST (02:41 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 24, 1997, 9:30 PM CST
- In force
- 49 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Tuscaloosa County, AL
The radar
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:41 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 9:04 PM CST | Hail 0.75 | Northport, AL |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 3:30 PM CST | Tornado Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 70 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
- 966 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -6 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 568 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 53 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 494 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 542 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.9
- Supercell composite
- 11.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBHM 250241 RRA SVRBHM ALC125-250330- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 841 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA ...TUSCALOOSA COUNTY CLUSTERS OF MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER A LARGE PART OF TUSCALOOSA COUNTY THROUGH 930 PM. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS NEAR KELLERMAN AT 840 PM...BUT MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER GREENE COUNTY WILL MOVE UP INTO SOUTHERN TUSCALOOSA COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 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 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, Jan 24, 2:52 PM CST, 5 hours 49 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
251 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0205 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 MARION 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
REPORTED 9 MILES EAST OF
HAMILTON THAT COMPLETELY
COVERED THE GROUND
0225 PM BEAR CREEK AL 1 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 MARION QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED
IN BEAR CREEK BY STORM
SPOTTER
0235 PM HALEYVILLE AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN
HALEYVILLE BY EMALocal storm report, Jan 24, 3:14 PM CST, 5 hours 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
314 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0250 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON 2 INCH DIAMETER SIZE HAIL
JUST WEST OF DOUBLE
SPRINGS
0307 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
REPORTED NEAR ADDISON
0310 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON EMA REPORTS 2 INCH
DIAMETER HAIL ALONG THE
ENTIRE STORM PATH IN
EASTERN WINSTON COUNTYLocal storm report, Jan 24, 3:15 PM CST, 5 hours 26 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
314 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0250 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON 2 INCH DIAMETER SIZE HAIL
JUST WEST OF DOUBLE
SPRINGS
0307 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
REPORTED NEAR ADDISON
0310 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON & EMA REPORTS 2 INCH
DIAMETER HAIL ALONG THE
ENTIRE STORM PATH IN
EASTERN WINSTON COUNTYLocal storm report, Jan 24, 4:30 PM CST, 4 hours 11 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
430 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0215 PM DELMAR AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WINSTON 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL NEAR
DELMAR
0327 PM AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 CULLMAN GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
REPORTED NEAR JONES CHAPEL
0327 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 CULLMAN TORNADO NEAR JONES CHAPEL
NO DAMAGE REPORTS
0335 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 WINSTON NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
LINES DOWN NEAR MORELAND
WITH 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL
COVERING THE GROUND
0417 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 MARION DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED SW
OF HALEYVILLE IN MARION
CO.Local storm report, Jan 24, 5:35 PM CST, 3 hours 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
535 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0335 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 CULLMAN UNCONFIRMED TORNADO IN
WESTERN CULLMAN CO...AT
LEAST 7 HOMES DAMAGED
0423 PM MIDFIELD AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZED HAIL IN
MIDFIELD...REPORTED BY
SHERIFF
0444 PM VESTAVIA HILLS AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL IN VESTAVIA
HILLS REPORTED BY NWS
EMPLOYEE
0453 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON 50 CENT PIECE SIZED HAIL
REPORTED NEAR LIBERTY PARK
AND HIGHWAY 459
0455 PM AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
REPORTED NEAR HOMEWOOD
0500 PM AL 1 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 SHELBY QUARTER SIZED HAIL
REPORTED IN MEADOWBROOK
0518 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 TUSCALOOSA UNCONFIRMED TORNADO NEAR
THE COTTONDALE
AREA...BROOKWOOD AREA AT
LEAST 3 HOMES DAMAGED
0518 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED
NEAR LEEDSLocal storm report, Jan 24, 5:37 PM CST, 3 hours 4 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
535 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0335 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 CULLMAN UNCONFIRMED TORNADO IN
WESTERN CULLMAN CO...AT
LEAST 7 HOMES DAMAGED
0423 PM MIDFIELD AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZED HAIL IN
MIDFIELD...REPORTED BY
SHERIFF
0444 PM VESTAVIA HILLS AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL IN VESTAVIA
HILLS REPORTED BY NWS
EMPLOYEE
0453 PM AL 2 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON 50 CENT PIECE SIZED HAIL
REPORTED NEAR LIBERTY PARK
AND HIGHWAY 459
0455 PM AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
REPORTED NEAR HOMEWOOD
0500 PM AL 1 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 SHELBY QUARTER SIZED HAIL
REPORTED IN MEADOWBROOK
0518 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 TUSCALOOSA UNCONFIRMED TORNADO NEAR
THE COTTONDALE
AREA...BROOKWOOD AREA AT
LEAST 3 HOMES DAMAGED
0518 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED
NEAR LEEDSThe office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 6:10 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Franklin | 65 min |
| Jan 24, 6:14 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Walker | 61 min |
| Jan 24, 6:17 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Winston | 43 min |
| Jan 24, 6:20 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Morgan | 55 min |
| Jan 24, 6:23 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cleburne | 52 min |
| Jan 24, 6:30 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Franklin | 60 min |
| Jan 24, 6:32 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 43 min |
| Jan 24, 6:35 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jackson | 55 min |
| Jan 24, 6:38 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Talladega | 37 min |
| Jan 24, 6:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lawrence | 60 min |
| Jan 24, 6:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marshall | 60 min |
| Jan 24, 6:54 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 51 min |
| Jan 24, 6:54 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 51 min |
| Jan 24, 6:59 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Marshall | 61 min |
| Jan 24, 7:01 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount | 44 min |
| Jan 24, 7:09 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Morgan | 66 min |
| Jan 24, 7:09 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | DeKalb | 66 min |
| Jan 24, 7:11 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun | 64 min |
| Jan 24, 7:31 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Limestone, Madison | 59 min |
| Jan 24, 7:31 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Blount | 44 min |
| Jan 24, 7:37 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Calhoun, Cleburne | 53 min |
| Jan 24, 7:41 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Walker | 49 min |
| Jan 24, 7:46 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Pickens, Tuscaloosa | 59 min |
| Jan 24, 7:53 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Etowah | 52 min |
| Jan 24, 7:55 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jackson | 65 min |
| Jan 24, 8:01 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 59 min |
| Jan 24, 8:01 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 59 min |
| Jan 24, 8:09 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | St. Clair | 36 min |
| Jan 24, 8:12 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | DeKalb | 63 min |
| Jan 24, 8:24 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount | 51 min |
| Jan 24, 8:28 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 47 min |
| Jan 24, 8:33 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Walker | 57 min |
| Jan 24, 8:35 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Sumter | 40 min |
| Jan 24, 8:51 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb | 69 min |
| Jan 24, 8:51 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby | 69 min |
| Jan 24, 8:51 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Hale | 69 min |
| Jan 24, 8:59 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 31 min |
| Jan 24, 9:03 PM CST | Tornado Warning | BMX | Blount, St. Clair | 27 min |
| Jan 24, 9:12 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Sumter | 48 min |
| Jan 24, 9:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Etowah | 30 min |
| Jan 24, 9:56 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb, Hale, Shelby | 64 min |
| Jan 24, 9:56 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Sumter | 64 min |
| Jan 24, 9:56 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun, St. Clair, Talladega | 64 min |
| Jan 24, 10:18 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 42 min |
| Jan 24, 10:23 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cleburne | 67 min |
| Jan 24, 10:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marengo | 45 min |
| Jan 24, 11:01 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Chilton | 44 min |
| Jan 24, 11:29 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Autauga | 31 min |
| Jan 24, 11:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Perry | 28 min |
| Jan 24, 11:36 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Dallas | 54 min |
| Jan 25, 12:09 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Autauga | 51 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.