Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Warnings in 1999

Tornado Warning 27, NWS Birmingham, AL

March 3, 1999Autauga County, Alabama

NWS Birmingham, AL issued this tornado warning at Mar 3, 1999, 12:49 AM CST for Autauga County, Alabama. It was in force for 31 min. 2 reports 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
Mar 3, 1999, 12:49 AM CST (06:49 UTC)
Expired
Mar 3, 1999, 1:20 AM CST
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Birmingham, AL
Area
Whole counties

County Autauga County, AL

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 3, 1:04 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 65Prattville, ALJust to the east of State Road (SR) 14 on the southside of Prattville, numerous large trees were uprooted in a residential area.
Mar 3, 1:05 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 60Prattville, ALA shopping center suffered serious damage when strong wind broke large display windows and seriously damaged the roof. A number of businesses were affected with some of the worst damage at a Hibbetts Sporting Store. Just east of the Premiere Place shopping c

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 2, 11:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Birmingham, AL (KBMX), launched 00:00Z, 6.8 hours before the alert went out and 73 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 1999-03-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 25 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Birmingham, AL at 00:00Z on 1999-03-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 99 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
25 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-117 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2113 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
99 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
278 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

999 
WFUS1 KBHM 030648 RRA
TORBHM
ALC001-030720-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1249 AM CST WED MAR 3 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BIRMINGHAM HAS ISSUED...A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  AUTAUGA COUNTY... IN CENTRAL ALABAMA...

* UNTIL 120 AM CST.

* AT 1247 AM CST... WEATHER RADAR DETECTED A TORNADO...JUST NORTH OF
MULBERRY IN SOUTHWEST AUTAUGA COUNTY.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT
AROUND 40 MPH...AND WILL AFFECT THE AUTAUGAVILLE...INDEPENDENCE AND
PRATTVILLE AREAS BETWEEN 1250 AM AND 120 AM.  THIS IS AN UPGRADE TO
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WHICH WAS ALREADY IN EFFECT FOR
AUTAUGA COUNTY.

GO TO THE BASEMENT...OR A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, Mar 2, 8:26 PM CST, 4 hours 23 minutes before
ALZ004>010-013>018-020-024>026-030300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
826 PM CST TUE MAR 2 1999

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...

IN ALABAMA

   ...LAWRENCE... LIMESTONE... MADISON... MORGAN... MARSHALL... JACKSON
   ...DEKALB... FAYETTE... WINSTON... WALKER... CULLMAN... BLOUNT
   ...ETOWAH... CHEROKEE... JEFFERSON... SHELBY... ST. CLAIR

THE AIRMASS OVER THIS REGION HAS BECOME MORE STABLE THIS EVENING.
ONLY GENERAL SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT.
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 8:26 PM CST, 4 hours 23 minutes before
ALZ004>010-013>018-020-024>026-030300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
826 PM CST TUE MAR 2 1999

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...

IN ALABAMA

   ...LAWRENCE... LIMESTONE... MADISON... MORGAN... MARSHALL... JACKSON
   ...DEKALB... FAYETTE... WINSTON... WALKER... CULLMAN... BLOUNT
   ...ETOWAH... CHEROKEE... JEFFERSON... SHELBY... ST. CLAIR

THE AIRMASS OVER THIS REGION HAS BECOME MORE STABLE THIS EVENING.
ONLY GENERAL SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT.
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 9:05 PM CST, 3 hours 44 minutes before
ALZ001>003-011-012-022-023-030340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
905 PM CST TUE MAR 2 1999

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...

IN ALABAMA

   ...LAUDERDALE... COLBERT... FRANKLIN... MARION... LAMAR... PICKENS
   ...TUSCALOOSA
Special weather statement, Mar 2, 9:05 PM CST, 3 hours 44 minutes before
ALZ001>003-011-012-022-023-030340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
905 PM CST TUE MAR 2 1999

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...

IN ALABAMA

   ...LAUDERDALE... COLBERT... FRANKLIN... MARION... LAMAR... PICKENS
   ...TUSCALOOSA

The office that day

Everything else NWS Birmingham, AL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 2, 7:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSumter49 min
Mar 2, 7:54 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXGreene46 min
Mar 2, 8:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale30 min
Mar 2, 8:55 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXBibb60 min
Mar 2, 8:58 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXHale17 min
Mar 2, 9:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXShelby48 min
Mar 3, 12:33 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXAutauga, Chilton, Dallas47 min
Mar 3, 1:01 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXElmore, Lowndes, Montgomery49 min
Mar 3, 1:13 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXTalladega47 min
Mar 3, 1:24 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXClay31 min
Mar 3, 1:27 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMacon, Tallapoosa48 min
Mar 3, 1:37 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXMontgomery33 min
Mar 3, 1:45 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChambers, Lee45 min
Mar 3, 1:46 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXBullock, Macon49 min
Mar 3, 1:57 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXCleburne, Randolph33 min
Mar 3, 1:59 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXPike31 min
Mar 3, 2:03 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXBarbour47 min
Mar 3, 2:09 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMacon31 min
Mar 3, 2:21 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXRussell49 min
Mar 3, 2:29 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXChambers, Lee31 min
Mar 3, 2:45 AM CSTTornado WarningBMXBarbour45 min
Mar 3, 3:12 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXRussell18 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Alabama, 1999Every tornado warning in 1999Tornadoes in 1999

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.