Alert archive / Kentucky / Tornado Warnings in 1997

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Wilmington, OH

July 2, 1997Mason County, Kentucky

NWS Wilmington, OH issued this tornado warning at Jul 2, 1997, 9:11 PM EDT for Mason County, Kentucky. 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
Jul 2, 1997, 9:11 PM EDT (01:11 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 1997, 10:00 PM EDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, OH
Area
Whole counties

County Mason County, KY

The radar

The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:12 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 2, 9:45 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 50Maysville, KYSeveral trees down.

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
Jul 2, 6:15 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 93 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, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 00:00Z on 1997-07-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1249 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 00:00Z on 1997-07-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 153 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1249 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-137 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1159 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
153 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
255 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KILN 030112 RRA
TORILN
KYC161-030200-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
911 PM EDT WED JUL 2 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON OH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN NORTHEASTERN KENTUCKY

   ...MASON COUNTY
 
A TORNADO WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN MASON COUNTY. THE TOWN
OF MAYSVILLE IS IN THE DIRECT PATH OF THIS STORM. TORNADOES HAVE
BEEN REPORTED IN CLERMONT AND BROWN COUNTIES.

THIS STORM IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...A BASEMENT OR STORM CELLAR
OFFERS THE BEST PROTECTION. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY
FURNITURE. A GOOD 
ALTERNATIVE SHELTER IS AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A
CLOSEST ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...OR CUSHIONS TO
COVER YOUR BODY. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

DISTEFANO

&

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.

NWS Wilmington, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Jul 2, 8:07 PM EDT, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 2, 8:07 PM EDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before
FORECAST COORDINATION MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
807 PM EDT WED JUL 02 1997

NOT MUCH TIME TO LOOK AT ANYTHING. LDS INDICATES LGT W/ PREFRNTL
TROF...NOTHING W/ FNT. TOR WATCH FOR CENTRAL/SRN OH/NRN KY CONTS TIL 11
PM. LOOKS LIKE MSTLY CLR SKIES OVRNITE...WINDS STAY UP...NO FOG.

FARINA

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 3:51 PM EDT, 5 hours 20 minutes before
OHZ015-016-024>026-034-042>046-051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-
088-KYZ091>093-INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-030400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
352 PM EDT (252 PM EST WED JUL 2 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ACROSS OHIO...EASTERN INDIANA...AND
   EXTREME NORTHERN KENTUCKY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

A VIGOROUS STORM SYSTEM ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES WAS DRAGGING A COLD
FRONT ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  AREAS OF STRONG TO
LOCALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED.  THE ATMOSPHERE AHEAD OF
THESE STORMS WAS EXTREMEMLY UNSTABLE. THUS..THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
INTENSIFY AS THEY MOVE EASTWARD.

THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO ENTER WEST-CENTRAL OHIO...EAST CENTRAL
INDIANA...AND THE WESTERN MIAMI VALLEY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS
AND THEN MOVE INTO CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN OHIO DURING THE EVENING HOURS.

DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS
LATER TONIGHT.  HOWEVER....ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY
IN WEST-CENTRAL OHIO.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR UPDATES.

WILKINSON
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 5:12 PM EDT, 3 hours 59 minutes before
INZ050-058-059-066-OHZ015-016-024>026-034-035-042>046-051>056-
060>065-070>074-022310-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
512 PM EDT (410 PM EST) WED JUL 2 1997

...TORNADO WATCH FOR THE WHITEWATER VALLEY OF INDIANA AND WESTERN
   OHIO NORTH OF CINCINNATI UNTIL 8 PM EDT...

...TORNADO WATCH FOR CENTRAL OHIO UNTIL 11 PM EDT...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO CROSS WEST CENTRAL OHIO AND
INDIANA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF
DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES.

THE TORNADO WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT NORTH OF A LINE FROM HAMILTON TO
GREENFIELD TO CHILLICOTHE.

REMEMBER THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS
INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. IF TORNADO WARNINGS ARE ISSUED...MOVE TO
YOUR BASEMENT...UNDER A STAIRCASE OR STRONG WORKBENCH. IF YOU DO
NOT HAVE A BASEMENT...MOVE INTO A STRONG INTERIOR ROOM OF YOUR
HOUSE. MOBILE HOMES DO NOT OFFER ENOUGH PROTECTION FROM TORNADO
WINDS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON
THESE TORNADO WATCHES.

FARINA
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 6:07 PM EDT, 3 hours 4 minutes before
KYZ089>100-OHZ077>082-088-030310-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
607 PM EDT WED JUL 2 1997

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHERN OHIO AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY THROUGH 11
   PM EDT...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED
TORNADOES CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH EASTERN INDIANA AND WESTERN
OHIO. THESE STORMS WILL DEVELOP SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE EVENING
CLIPPING PARTS OF SOUTHERN OHIO AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY.

REMEMBER THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS
INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. IF TORNADO WARNINGS ARE ISSUED...TAKE
COVER INSIDE YOUR BASEMENT OR STRONG INTERIOR ROOM OF YOUR HOUSE.
MOBILE HOMES DO NOT OFFER ENOUGH PROTECTION FROM TORNADO WINDS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION
CONCERING THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

FARINA
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 6:08 PM EDT, 3 hours 3 minutes before
KYZ089>100-OHZ077>082-088-030310-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
607 PM EDT WED JUL 2 1997

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHERN OHIO AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY THROUGH 11
   PM EDT...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED
TORNADOES CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH EASTERN INDIANA AND WESTERN
OHIO. THESE STORMS WILL DEVELOP SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE EVENING
CLIPPING PARTS OF SOUTHERN OHIO AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY.

REMEMBER THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS
INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. IF TORNADO WARNINGS ARE ISSUED...TAKE
COVER INSIDE YOUR BASEMENT OR STRONG INTERIOR ROOM OF YOUR HOUSE.
MOBILE HOMES DO NOT OFFER ENOUGH PROTECTION FR&OM TORNADO WINDS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION
CONCERING THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

FARINA
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 8:22 PM EDT, 49 minutes before
INZ050-058-059-066-OHZ015-016-024>026-034-035-042>044-051>053-
060>062-030125-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
822 PM EDT (722 PM EST) WED JUL 2 1997

...TORNADO WATCH FOR THE MIAMI AND WHITEWATER VALLEYS AND WEST
   CENTRAL OHIO HAS EXPIRED...

THE TORNADO WATCH FOR THE MIAMI...WHITEWATER VALLEYS AND WEST
CENTRAL OHIO HAS EXPIRED. THE THREAT OF TORNADOES HAS ENDED. WIDELY
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL EXPECTED THIS EVENING AS A COLD
FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION.

FARINA

The office that day

Everything else NWS Wilmington, OH issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 2, 8:29 PM EDTTornado WarningILNBracken51 min
Jul 2, 10:44 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningILNLewis2 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kentucky, 1997Every tornado warning in 1997Tornadoes 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.