Alert archive / Tennessee / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 207, NWS Morristown, TN

July 4, 1997Meigs County, Rhea County, Tennessee

NWS Morristown, TN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 4, 1997, 4:40 PM EDT for Meigs County, Rhea County, Tennessee. It was in force for 65 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
Jul 4, 1997, 4:40 PM EDT (20:40 UTC)
Expired
Jul 4, 1997, 5:45 PM EDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Morristown, TN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Meigs County, TN, Rhea County, TN

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 168 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 1997-07-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 38 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 1997-07-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -74 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
38 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-403 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
932 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
60 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-74 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.

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.

NWS Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 4, 2:30 PM EDT, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 4, 2:30 PM EDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
230 PM EDT FRI JUL 4 1997

SHORT-TERM...DEFINITELY TRICKIEST PART OF FCST WILL BE EARLY PART OF
TNGT.  ADAP SHOWS CAP HOLDING OVER BULK OF MRX CWA...BUT STARTING TO
ERODE OVER NRN MS AND AL.  NO ADDITIONAL DVLPMT OF SFC LOW ON FNTL
BOUNDARY...WHICH HAS MOVED VERY LITTLE AND STILL NOTED NEAR SRN MIDDLE
TN.  MY 12-17Z SFC ANLYS HAVE DEPICTED A TROF ERN KY SW TO NEAR MEM
AND KHPX 88D HAS BEEN SHOWING SOME CONVECTION IN AN E-W BAND ACRS
CNTRL KY MOVG EWD.  GIVEN RECENT SWOMCD...I AM NOT SURE IF WE CAN DROP
POPS FOR WRN AND SRN PARTS OF MY CWA JUST YET.  ELSW...ADAP HAS JUST
SHOWN WEAK LO LVL CONVERGENCE EXTRM NE TN TO KY-VA LINE...WHICH HAS
NOT BEEN STG ENUFF TO OVERCOME STILL WARM TEMPS (CAP) ALOFT.  CRW
PRBLY ON RIGHT TRACK IN A DRY FCST FOR MY SWRN VA COUNTIES TNGT...BUT
WOULD MONITOR EWD PROGRESS OF KY STORMS.  INTERESTING THAT EVEN THOUGH
NEITHER NGM OR ETA PICK UP ON FEATURES MENTIONED ABOVE...BUT BOTH SHOW
WIDE SWATH OF PCPN ACROSS MY CWA TNGT.

LATER PERIODS...GRIDDED DATA ARRIVED AS PARTIAL FILES AND NOT VIEWABLE
THIS AFTN...SO RELYING ON AFOS AND GARP DATA.  FCST APPRS EASY FOR SAT
THRU SUN...WITH FALLING HEIGHTS AND THICKNESSES AS LONGWAVE TROFG
DVLPS OVER MUCH OF ERN U.S. AND RIDGE IS SHUNTED EWD.  HARD TO FIND
ANY FOCUS OR TRIGGER FOR AFTN-EVNG CONVECTION...AND WITH DRYING INDCD
IN LOW LVLS...WOULD KEEP DRY FCSTS GOING.  AGREE WITH CRW THAT PATCHY
DENSE FOG PSBL ESPECIALLY THE USUAL SPOTS SUCH AS TRI FOR SAT NGT.

TEMPWISE...MINS ACCEPTABLE AND QUITE PLEASANT IF MID-UPR 50S PAN OUT
FOR SAT NGT ON PLATEAU AND FAR NE TN/SWRN VA.  GUT FEELING IS THAT
UPR 70S MAY BE TOO COOL FOR TRI SAT GIVEN LOTS OF JULY SUNSHINE.  10

TG

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 4, 11:50 AM EDT, 4 hours 50 minutes before
NCZ060-061-TNZ012>014-034>041-066>074-083>087-099>102-042130-

AREA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
1150 AM EDT FRI JUL 4 1997

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHERN
MIDDLE TENNESSEE JUST INTO SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
THE SLIGHT RISK AREA INCLUDES SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU
EASTWARD INTO THE CHATTANOOGA AREA.

JUST BEFORE NOON...A WEAK COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR MEMPHIS
TENNESSEE SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTHERN PARTS OF ALABAMA AND GEORGIA.
THE AIRMASS ACROSS TENNESSEE NORTH OF THIS BOUNDARY WILL BECOME SLIGHTLY
TO MODERATELY UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON AS TEMPERATURES WARM INTO THE 80S
TO LOWER 90S.  AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING EASTWARD FROM THE MID-
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL COOL TEMPERATURES ALOFT AND MAKE CONDITIONS MORE
FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP...ESPECIALLY IN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

INITIAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE MOST LIKELY OVER MIDDLE TENNESSEE
WITH THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO MOVE RAPIDLY EASTWARD AT 30 TO 40 MPH.
A FEW STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LEVELS WITH DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF
50 MPH POSSIBLE.  TEMPERATURES ALOFT SHOULD REMAIN TOO WARM FOR LARGE HAIL
...BUT HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE COULD OCCUR WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS.

PERSONS PLANNING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES THIS FOURTH OF JULY SHOULD KEEP
ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS.  EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND
SPOTTER PERSONNEL GENERALLY WEST OF A COOKEVILLE TO DAYTON...ATHENS
AND CLEVELAND LINE SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION BY LATE
AFTERNOON.  STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS
FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

TG
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 11:52 AM EDT, 4 hours 48 minutes before
NCZ060-061-TNZ012>014-034>041-066>074-083>087-099>102-042130-

AREA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
1150 AM EDT FRI JUL 4 1997

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHERN
MIDDLE TENNESSEE JUST INTO SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
THE SLIGHT RISK AREA INCLUDES SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU
EASTWARD INTO THE CHATTANOOGA AREA.

JUST BEFORE NOON...A WEAK COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM NEAR MEMPHIS
TENNESSEE SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTHERN PARTS OF ALABAMA AND GEORGIA.
THE AIRMASS ACROSS TENNESSEE NORTH OF THIS BOUNDARY WILL BECOME SLIGHTLY
TO MODERATELY UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON AS TEMPERATURES WARM INTO THE 80S
TO LOWER 90S.  AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING EASTWARD FROM THE MID-
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL COOL TEMPERATURES ALOFT AND MAKE CONDITIONS MORE
FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP...ESPECIALLY IN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

INITIAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE MOST LIKELY OVER MIDDLE TENNESSEE
WITH THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO MOVE RAPIDLY EASTWARD AT 30 TO 40 MPH.
A FEW STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LEVELS WITH DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF
50 MPH POSSIBLE.  TEMPERATURES ALOFT SHOULD REMAIN TOO WARM FOR LARGE HAIL
...BUT HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE COULD OCCUR WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS.

PERSONS PLANNING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES THIS FOURTH OF JULY SHOULD KEEP
ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS.  EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND
SPOTTER PERSONNEL GENERALLY WEST OF A COOKEVILLE TO DAYTON...ATHENS
AND CLEVELAND LINE SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION BY LATE
AFTERNOON.  STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND FORECASTS
FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVIC0E.

TG

The office that day

Everything else NWS Morristown, TN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 4, 4:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCumberland45 min
Jul 4, 4:50 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXRoane25 min
Jul 4, 5:20 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXKnox, Loudon55 min
Jul 4, 5:37 PM EDTTornado WarningMRXJefferson38 min
Jul 4, 5:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXBlount64 min
Jul 4, 5:50 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXHamblen25 min
Jul 4, 5:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXSevier65 min
Jul 4, 6:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXHawkins49 min
Jul 4, 6:19 PM EDTTornado WarningMRXHawkins26 min
Jul 4, 6:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXHamilton65 min
Jul 4, 6:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCocke, Greene62 min
Jul 4, 6:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXBlount, Monroe58 min
Jul 4, 6:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXBradley, Polk66 min
Jul 4, 7:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXClaiborne, Hancock29 min
Jul 4, 7:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXGrainger, Hawkins69 min
Jul 4, 7:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXHamblen50 min
Jul 4, 7:37 PM EDTTornado WarningMRXHawkins38 min
Jul 4, 7:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXGreene63 min
Jul 4, 7:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXScott52 min
Jul 4, 7:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXRussell62 min
Jul 4, 7:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCherokee67 min
Jul 4, 7:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXClay59 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Tennessee, 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.