Alert archive / Alabama / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 615, NWS Birmingham, AL
NWS Birmingham, AL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 20, 1998, 5:02 PM CDT for Winston County, Alabama. It was in force for 48 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
- Jul 20, 1998, 5:02 PM CDT (22:02 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 20, 1998, 5:50 PM CDT
- In force
- 48 min
- Issued by
- NWS Birmingham, AL
- Area
- Whole counties
County Winston County, AL
The radar
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:03 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 5:15 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 50 | Arley, AL | Several trees were down in the southern Arley area. |
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, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 121 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
- 9 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -292 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1164 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 12 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -3 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -4 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KBHM 202202 RRA SVRBHM ALC075-093-133-202250- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 502 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... LAMAR COUNTY... IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA MARION COUNTY... IN NORTHERN ALABAMA WINSTON COUNTY... IN NORTHERN ALABAMA * UNTIL 550 PM CDT * AT 500 PM CDT... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE SHOWN...BY WEATHER RADAR FROM THE WINFIELD INTO BEAR CREEK. ANOTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS SHOWN OVER WINSTON COUNTY IN THE GRAYSON AREA. THE STORMS WERE MOVING WEST AT 5 TO 10 MPH. * THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT MOST LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTIES. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE LIKELY. GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS!
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, Jul 20, 11:49 AM CDT, 5 hours 13 minutes before
ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-210445- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1149 AM CDT MON JUL 20 1998 THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY IN TENNESSEE AND WILL MOVE INTO NORTH ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA BY MID- AFTERNOON. THERE WILL BE A THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WITH SOME OF THE STORMS. STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TV AND RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS LATER TODAY. THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHWEST ALABAMA..^. SEE PRODUCT BHMSPSMOB. FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA... LOOK AT MIASPSTLH. FOR MORE WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT OUR INTERNET SITE ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT HTTP://WWW.ACESAG.AUBURN.EDU/DEPARTMENT/NWS/
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 11:49 AM CDT, 5 hours 13 minutes before
ALZ001>050-GAZ089-090-102-120-210445- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH/CENTRAL AL AND WEST CENTRAL GA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL 1149 AM CDT MON JUL 20 1998 THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY IN TENNESSEE AND WILL MOVE INTO NORTH ALABAMA THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA BY MID- AFTERNOON. THERE WILL BE A THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WITH SOME OF THE STORMS. STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TV AND RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS LATER TODAY. THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHWEST ALABAMA..^. SEE PRODUCT BHMSPSMOB. FOR SOUTHEAST ALABAMA... LOOK AT MIASPSTLH. FOR MORE WEATHER INFORMATION VISIT OUR INTERNET SITE ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT HTTP://WWW.ACESAG.AUBURN.EDU/DEPARTMENT/NWS/
Local storm report, Jul 20, 4:53 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM
453 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1998
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0210 PM ALABASTER AL .75 INCH HAIL
07/20/98 SHELBY DIME SIZED HAIL
0245 PM WEST BLOCTON AL WIND DAMAGE
07/20/98 BIBB TREES DOWNED AND SHINGLES
BLOWN OFF ROOFS
0250 PM DUKE AL WIND DAMAGE
07/20/98 CALHOUN SEVERAL TREES DOWN IN
REEDS MILL AND DUKE AREAS
0315 PM ASHLAND AL WIND DAMAGE
07/20/98 CLAY SMALL TREE DOWN ON HOUSE
WITH MINOR ROOF DAMAGE
0350 PM HORTON AL WIND DAMAGE
07/20/98 MARSHALL SEVERAL CHICKEN HOUSES AND
MANY TREES DOWNEDLocal storm report, Jul 20, 4:53 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM
453 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1998
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0210 PM ALABASTER AL .75 INCH HAIL
07/20/98 SHELBY DIME SIZED HAIL
0245 PM WEST BLOCTON AL WIND DAMAGE
07/20/98 BIBB TREES DOWNED AND SHINGLES
BLOWN OFF ROOFS
0250 PM DUKE AL WIND DAMAGE
07/20/98 CALHOUN SEVERAL TREES DOWN IN
REEDS MILL AND DUKE AREAS
0315 PM ASHLAND AL WIND DAMAGE
07/20/98 CLAY SMALL TREE DOWN ON HOUSE
WITH MINOR ROOF DAMAGE
0350 PM HORTON AL WIND DAMAGE
07/20/98 MARSHALL SEVERAL CHICKEN HOUSES AND
MANY TREES DOWNEDThe office that day
Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 12:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Jefferson | 34 min |
| Jul 20, 2:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Shelby | 34 min |
| Jul 20, 2:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Madison | 32 min |
| Jul 20, 2:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Etowah, Marshall | 48 min |
| Jul 20, 2:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Perry | 35 min |
| Jul 20, 2:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Clay | 32 min |
| Jul 20, 3:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Bibb, Hale, Tuscaloosa | 33 min |
| Jul 20, 3:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Shelby | 32 min |
| Jul 20, 3:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Fayette | 36 min |
| Jul 20, 3:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Greene, Hale, Tuscaloosa | 46 min |
| Jul 20, 3:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Dallas, Lowndes | 32 min |
| Jul 20, 3:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Cullman | 33 min |
| Jul 20, 3:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Randolph | 36 min |
| Jul 20, 3:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marshall, Morgan | 35 min |
| Jul 20, 3:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Talladega | 36 min |
| Jul 20, 4:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Fayette | 35 min |
| Jul 20, 4:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Dallas | 46 min |
| Jul 20, 4:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Walker | 35 min |
| Jul 20, 4:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Calhoun | 35 min |
| Jul 20, 4:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marion, Winston | 47 min |
| Jul 20, 4:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Chambers | 33 min |
| Jul 20, 4:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lee | 33 min |
| Jul 20, 5:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lamar, Marion | 48 min |
| Jul 20, 5:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Marengo | 35 min |
| Jul 20, 5:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Tallapoosa | 35 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.