Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 98, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 24, 1997, 10:18 PM CST for Jefferson County, Alabama. It was in force for 42 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
- Jan 24, 1997, 10:18 PM CST (04:18 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 24, 1997, 11:00 PM CST
- In force
- 42 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Jefferson County, AL
The radar
The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 44 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:19 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 nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 43 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 250418 SVRBHM ALC073-250500- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1018 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN CENTRAL ALABAMA ...SOUTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY THROUGH 11 PM. THE SEVERE STORM WAS NEAR BESSEMER AND WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN@. FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
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, 9:15 PM CST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
915 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0545 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZED HAIL REPORTED
IN BESSEMER..HUEYTOWN..AND
TRUSSVILLE
0600 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 CALHOUN DIME SIZE HAIL NEAR
HIGHWAY 78 NEAR TALLEDEGA
BORDER
0605 PM FAYETTE AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 FAYETTE DIME SIZE HAIL COVERING
THE GROUND IN FAYETTE
0610 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON LARGER THAN DIME SIZE HAIL
REPORTED NEAR HIGHWAY 65
AND VALLEYDALE RD
0627 PM VESTAVIA HILLS AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
NWS EMPLOYEE
0652 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WALKER DIME SIZED HAIL NEAR
HIGHWAY 78 AND THE WARRIOR
RIVER
0653 PM AL .88 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 WALKER NICKEL SIZE HAIL NEAR THE
BOLDO COMMUNITY
0700 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 ST CLAIR DIME SIZE HAIL NEAR LOGAN
MARTIN DAMSpecial weather statement, Jan 24, 9:18 PM CST, 1 hour before
ALZ011>014-250400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 918 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997 THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 29: MARION...WINSTON...LAMAR AND FAYETTE.
Special weather statement, Jan 24, 9:19 PM CST, 59 minutes before
ALZ011>014-250400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 918 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997 THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 29: MARION...WINSTON...LAMAR AND FAYETTE.
Local storm report, Jan 24, 9:29 PM CST, 49 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
930 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0330 PM TUSCALOOSA AL 1.25 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 TUSCALOOSA HAIL LARGER THAN HALF
DOLLAR SIZE REPORTED IN
TUSCALOOSA BY PD
0410 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 BLOUNT UNCONFIRMED TORNADO NEAR
BROOKSVILLE..HOMES..TRAIL
ERS DAMAGED AND MANY POWER
LINES DOWN
0720 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 BLOUNT DIME SIZE HAIL AT EXIT 284
ON I-65
0740 PM ANNISTON AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 CALHOUN GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL
REPORTED NEAR ANNISTON BY
SHERIFF
0755 PM ANNISTON AL WIND DAMAGE
01/24/97 CALHOUN FEW TREES DOWN NEAR
ANNISTON REPORTED BY EMA
0850 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED
NEAR BIRMINGPORT
0904 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 TUSCALOOSA DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED
NEAR NORTHPORT
0907 PM AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
REPORTED NEAR HUEYTOWN
0923 PM > AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED
NEAR CENTERPOINTLocal storm report, Jan 24, 9:30 PM CST, 48 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA
930 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0330 PM TUSCALOOSA AL 1.25 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 TUSCALOOSA HAIL LARGER THAN HALF
DOLLAR SIZE REPORTED IN
TUSCALOOSA BY PD
0410 PM AL TORNADO
01/24/97 BLOUNT UNCONFIRMED TORNADO NEAR
BROOKSVILLE..HOMES..TRAIL
ERS DAMAGED AND MANY POWER
LINES DOWN
0720 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 BLOUNT DIME SIZE HAIL AT EXIT 284
ON I-65
0740 PM ANNISTON AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 CALHOUN GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL
REPORTED NEAR ANNISTON BY
SHERIFF
0755 PM ANNISTON AL WIND DAMAGE
01/24/97 CALHOUN FEW TREES DOWN NEAR
ANNISTON REPORTED BY EMA
0850 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED
NEAR BIRMINGPORT
0904 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 TUSCALOOSA DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED
NEAR NORTHPORT
0907 PM AL 1.75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL
REPORTED NEAR HUEYTOWN
0923 PM AL .75 INCH HAIL
01/24/97 JEFFERSON DIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED
NEAR CENTERPOINTSpecial weather statement, Jan 24, 10:02 PM CST, 16 minutes before
ALZ015>017-022>025-031-032-035-250500- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 10 PM CST FRI JAN 24 1997 TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 29 HAS NOW EXPIRED. THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE NO LONGER UNDER ANY WATCHES: CULLMAN...WALKER...BLOUNT ...JEFFERSON...SHELBY...PICKENS...TUSCALOOSA...GREENE...HALE AND BIBB. A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH ACROSS THE CENTRAL SECTIONS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD STILL APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS AND A FEW MORE WARNINGS MAY STILL BE REQUIRED. THESE WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED LOCALLY HERE IN BIRMINGHAM AND SINCE THE AREA AFFECTED IS RATHER SMALL...AN ADDITIONAL WATCH FOR ONE OR 2 HOURS WILL NOT BE ISSUED. ONCE THE FRONT CLEARS THE AREA THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL END. HOWEVER...TORNADO WATCHES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR SECTIONS OF EAST AND ALL OF SOUTH ALABAMA. ADDITIONAL WATCHES AND WARNINGS MAY BE REQUIRED ACROSS THESE AREAS AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH OVERNIGHT.
The 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, 8:41 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 49 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, 10:23 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.