Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 258, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 18, 1998, 10:58 AM CDT for Jefferson County, Alabama. It was in force for 62 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
- Apr 18, 1998, 10:58 AM CDT (15:58 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 18, 1998, 12:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 62 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Jefferson County, AL
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 11:17 AM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Bessemer, AL | A large hail storm moved over Jefferson County, dropping hail ranging from dime size to golf ball size. Leaves were knocked off some trees. In the Birmingham area, hail was reported at McAdory, Lipscomb, Bessemer, Midfield, Pratt City, and throughout the cit |
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 nearest sounding before it
Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 12:00Z, 4.0 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1180 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 76 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 98 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 114 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
406 WUUS1 KBHM 181559 RRA SVRBHM ALC073-181700- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1058 AM CDT SAT APR 18 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... JEFFERSON COUNTY... IN CENTRAL ALABAMA * UNTIL 1200 PM CDT * AT 1055 AM CDT... A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING LARGE HAIL WAS SHOWN...BY WEATHER RADAR AND REPORTED BY SPOTTERS. THIS STORM WAS NEAR ABERNANT AND WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. * THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT...MCCALLA...MCADORY AND BESSEMER THROUGH 1120 AM AND THEN MOVE INTO THE BIRMINGHAM METRO AREA. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE LIKELY. GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE... SEEK REFUGE FROM THE STORM IN A STRONG BUILDING. BOATERS ON AREA LAKES SHOULD TAKE SHELTER. DAMAGING WIND... LARGE HAIL... VERY HEAVY RAIN... AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE ALL LIKELY. DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES OR OTHER ISOLATED TALL OBJECTS. THESE ATTRACT LIGHTNING. DO NOT 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
Special weather statement, Apr 18, 6:00 AM CDT, 4 hours 58 minutes before
ALZ001>050-181600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 600 AM CDT SAT APR 18 1998 ...MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PARTS OF NORTH ALABAMA TODAY... A LOW PRESSURE AREA IS FORECAST TO FORM NEAR THE GULF COAST AND MOVE NORTH THROUGH EAST MISSISSIPPI AND WEST ALABAMA TODAY. MOIST GULF AIR WILL INVADE RAPIDLY FROM THE SOUTH WHILE A STRONG SYSTEM IN THE UPPER AIR APPROACHES FROM TEXAS AND MEXICO. THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY WILL BE OVER NORTH AND WEST ALABAMA. CONDITIONS COULD BECOME FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER AS EARLY AS 9 OR 10 AM AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. OVER EAST AND CENTRAL ALABAMA...PLACES LIKE ALEXANDER CITY...AUBURN... MONTGOMERY AND SELMA...SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON BUT THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE DURING THE NIGHT TONIGHT. OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS ALABAMA COULD SEE STORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN TORNADOES. PERSISTANT HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO CAUSE FLOODING TODAY...GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM FORT PAYNE TO CULLMAN TO FAYETTE. STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD EXPECT ACTIVATION SOMETIME TODAY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 18, 6:00 AM CDT, 4 hours 58 minutes before
ALZ001>050-181600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 600 AM CDT SAT APR 18 1998 ...MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PARTS OF NORTH ALABAMA TODAY... A LOW PRESSURE AREA IS FORECAST TO FORM NEAR THE GULF COAST AND MOVE NORTH THROUGH EAST MISSISSIPPI AND WEST ALABAMA TODAY. MOIST GULF AIR WILL INVADE RAPIDLY FROM THE SOUTH WHILE A STRONG SYSTEM IN THE UPPER AIR APPROACHES FROM TEXAS AND MEXICO. THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY WILL BE OVER NORTH AND WEST ALABAMA. CONDITIONS COULD BECOME FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER AS EARLY AS 9 OR 10 AM AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. OVER EAST AND CENTRAL ALABAMA...PLACES LIKE ALEXANDER CITY...AUBURN... MONTGOMERY AND SELMA...SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON BUT THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE DURING THE NIGHT TONIGHT. OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS ALABAMA COULD SEE STORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN TORNADOES. PERSISTANT HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO CAUSE FLOODING TODAY...GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM FORT PAYNE TO CULLMAN TO FAYETTE. STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD EXPECT ACTIVATION SOMETIME TODAY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 18, 10:30 AM CDT, 28 minutes before
ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-182300- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1030 AM CDT SAT APR 18 1998 ...MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PARTS OF NORTH ALABAMA... A LOW PRESSURE AREA IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS EAST MISSISSIPPI AND WEST ALABAMA TODAY. MOIST GULF AIR WILL INVADE RAPIDLY FROM THE SOUTH WHILE A STRONG SYSTEM IN THE UPPER AIR APPROACHES FROM TEXAS AND MEXICO. THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING AS A WARM FRONT OVER SOUTH ALABAMA MOVES NORTHWARD. INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BRING VERY UNSTABLE AIR NORTHWARD INTO THE REGION. OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS ALABAMA AND WEST-CENTRAL GEORGIA COULD SEE STORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN TORNADOES. PERSISTENT HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO CAUSE FLOODING TODAY...GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM FORT PAYNE TO CULLMAN TO FAYETTE. STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD EXPECT ACTIVATION SOMETIME TODAY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 18, 10:30 AM CDT, 28 minutes before
ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-182300- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1030 AM CDT SAT APR 18 1998 ...MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT... ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PARTS OF NORTH ALABAMA... A LOW PRESSURE AREA IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS EAST MISSISSIPPI AND WEST ALABAMA TODAY. MOIST GULF AIR WILL INVADE RAPIDLY FROM THE SOUTH WHILE A STRONG SYSTEM IN THE UPPER AIR APPROACHES FROM TEXAS AND MEXICO. THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING AS A WARM FRONT OVER SOUTH ALABAMA MOVES NORTHWARD. INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BRING VERY UNSTABLE AIR NORTHWARD INTO THE REGION. OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS ALABAMA AND WEST-CENTRAL GEORGIA COULD SEE STORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND EVEN TORNADOES. PERSISTENT HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO CAUSE FLOODING TODAY...GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM FORT PAYNE TO CULLMAN TO FAYETTE. STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD EXPECT ACTIVATION SOMETIME TODAY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 9:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Pike | 34 min |
| Apr 17, 9:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Barbour | 47 min |
| Apr 17, 11:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lowndes, Montgomery | 50 min |
| Apr 18, 1:38 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Sumter | 62 min |
| Apr 18, 9:05 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Sumter | 45 min |
| Apr 18, 9:47 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene | 33 min |
| Apr 18, 10:38 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 32 min |
| Apr 18, 12:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 45 min |
| Apr 18, 12:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 45 min |
| Apr 18, 5:13 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Calhoun | 32 min |
| Apr 18, 5:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tuscaloosa | 46 min |
| Apr 18, 5:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Dallas | 18 min |
| Apr 18, 5:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 48 min |
| Apr 18, 5:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Chilton | 46 min |
| Apr 18, 6:03 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Chilton | 47 min |
| Apr 18, 6:15 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Jackson | 4 hr |
| Apr 18, 6:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 49 min |
| Apr 18, 6:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Jackson | 50 min |
| Apr 18, 6:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Dallas | 50 min |
| Apr 18, 6:26 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Cherokee | 19 min |
| Apr 18, 6:35 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Blount, Marshall | 4 hr |
| Apr 18, 6:48 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Perry | 62 min |
| Apr 18, 6:52 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Shelby | 63 min |
| Apr 18, 6:53 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | DeKalb | 47 min |
| Apr 18, 6:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Etowah | 49 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Alabama, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998
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.