Alert archive / Florida / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 162, NWS Tampa Bay, FL
NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 31, 1997, 3:29 PM EST for Hillsborough County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, Florida. It was in force for 61 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
- Oct 31, 1997, 3:29 PM EST (20:29 UTC)
- Expired
- Oct 31, 1997, 4:30 PM EST
- In force
- 61 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tampa Bay, FL
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Hillsborough County, FL, Pasco County, FL, Pinellas County, FL
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 3:45 PM EST | Thunderstorm Wind | Tarpon Spgs, FL | Thunderstorm winds downed several large trees at a petting zoo on East Lake Drive. |
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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 1:45 PM EST | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 12:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 39 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
- 1009 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -17 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 577 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 17 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 146 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 197 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 3.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KTBW 312030 RRA SVRTBW FLC057-101-103-FLZ504-505-312130- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 329 PM EST FRI OCT 31 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 430 PM EST FOR ...PASCO COUNTY ...NORTHERN PINELLAS COUNTY ...NORTHERN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ...AND INCLUDING THE GULF WATERS FROM HUDSON TO THE MOUTH OF TAMPA BAY AT 325 PM EST... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN RUSKIN INDICATED A LINE OF DEVELOPING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM JUST WEST OF HOLIDAY TO 10 MILES WEST OF CLEARWATER. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST 25 MPH. ANOTHER DEVELOPING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING INTO SOUTHEASTERN PASCO COUNTY BETWEEN WESLEY CHAPEL AND ZEPHYRHILLS. THIS THUNDERSTORM IS MOVIN TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. A THIRD SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS DEVELOPING IN THE NORTHWESTERN PART OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM...BUT BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. BY DEFINITI&ON...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE WINDS OF 58 MPH OR GREATER AND/OR DIME SIZE HAIL OR LARGER. IF THIS STORM APPROACHES YOUR AREA...GO INDOORS AND STAY UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.
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 Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Oct 31, 2:13 PM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 31, 2:13 PM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY-RUSKIN, FL 210 PM EST FRI OCT 31 1997 AS EXPECTED...A WILD DAY DEVELOPING WX WISE...BUT SITU UNFOLDING A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN ORIG EXPECTED. SHWS/TSTMS HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ALNG THE WARM FRNTL BNDRY...FM JUST S OF TPA...THEN WNW INTO CENT GLF MEX. AS WARM FRNT MOVES N...SO WILL THE SHWS/TSTMS. PERSISTENT SUPERCELL DEVELOPED ALNG WRM FRNT OFF SRQ CST...THEN MOVED NE INTO SARASOTA AND MANATEE CO PRODUCING TOR AND SOME DAMAGE. AFT COORD WITH SPC...TOR WATCH ISSUED FOR MOST OF FA EXCEPT LEVY AND CITRUS. TONIGHT...MODELS MOVE UPR VORT NE ACROSS N GLF AND ACROSS THE FA LATE TONIGHT EARLY SAT MRNG WITH BEST UVV OVR FA BEFORE MIDNIGHT. ALTHO SFC LOW OVR N GLF SEEMS TO BE DEVELOPING SLOWLY...A WELL DEFINED NE/SW LINE OF SHWS/TSTMS HAS DEVELOPED ALNG WARM FRNT BNDRY INTO CENT GLF. EXPECT THIS LINE TO GRAD KINK INTO S-SHAPE CONFIGURATION AS SFC LOW OVR NE GLF STRENGTHENS. EXPECT BEST COVERAGE OF RAINFALL OVR N 1/3 OF FA TONIGHT N OF WARM FRNT. SQUALLINE/TROF FEATURE MAY STILL DEVELOP S OF SURFACE LOW THIS EVENG...MOVING INTO WCENT/SW FL BY 7-9 PM. UPR DYNAMIC STILL PRETTY IMPRESSIVE WITH COUPLED JETS...BUT SFC CONVERGENCE NOT PROGD TO BE VERY STRNG. THUS...NOT VERY CONFIDENT ON POSSIBILITY OF SVR WX THIS EVENG. SAT...UPR VORTICITY MOVES NE OUT OF FA...BUT UPR TROF STILL REMAINS OVR CENT GLF. SFC COLD FRNT MOVING INTO NW PANHANLDE LATER IN THE DAY. FLOW REMAINS SW...BUT STRENTHENS TO 15 TO 20 MPH AHEAD OF FRNT. CUD BE SOME MINOR CSTL FLOODING IF WINDS VERIFY AT SUSTAINED SSW ARND 20 MPH. ANOTHER CHC FOR SHWS/TSTMS WITH FRNT SAT NIGHT...BUT NOT LIKELY SVR THREAT AS UPR DYNAMICS REMAINS WELL NORTH. MINS STILL EXPECTED TO BE WARM SAT NIGHT AS FRNT NOT YET PUSHED THROUGH. SUN...SFC COLD FRNT MOVING FM NW TO SE. AFT A WARM START...TEMPS EXPECTED TO FALL AS COOL AIR FILTERS S. SKIES LIKELY CONTINUE VARIABLY CLDY...ESPEC ALNG CSTL SECTIONS WITH WNW WINDS BLOWING FRbM GLF. BKV 67/81 68/73 +122 TPA 68/82 69/74 8222 FMY 71/86 72/80 4222 MORALES
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Oct 31, 10:10 AM EST, 5 hours 19 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-504-505-312100- WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA RUSKIN FL 1010 AM EST FRI OCT 31 1997 ...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON... A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPING SOUTH OF LOUISIANA WILL TRACK EAST NORTHEAST TO NEAR THE BIG BEND BY THIS EVENING. UPPER LEVEL WINDS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE SYSTEM TO INTENSIFY AND A SQUALL LINE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON FROM THE WESTERN PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA INTO THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALREADY DEVELOPING OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO AND WILL EXPAND IN COVERAGE AND MOVE OVER WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BEFORE NOON. LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...A SQUALL LINE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO AND THEN MOVE EAST... AFFECTING WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA BETWEEN 6 PM AND 10 PM. HOWEVER... EXACT TIMING IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT AT THIS TIME. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH...FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL. CONDITIONS MAY ALSO BECOME FAVORABLE FOR A FEW SHORT LIVED TORNADOES TO DEVELOP. AS TONIGHT IS HALLOWEEN...PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO AVOID BEING CAUGHT OUTSIDE DURING THUNDERSTORMS. LIGHTNING IS THE NUMBER ONE WEATHER RELATED CAUSE OF DEATH IN FLORIDA. RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TV FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND FURTHER STATEMENTS. PELATTI/MORALES
Special weather statement, Oct 31, 10:14 AM EST, 5 hours 15 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-504-505-312100- WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA RUSKIN FL 1010 AM EST FRI OCT 31 1997 ...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON... A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPING SOUTH OF LOUISIANA WILL TRACK EAST NORTHEAST TO NEAR THE BIG BEND BY THIS EVENING. UPPER LEVEL WINDS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE SYSTEM TO INTENSIFY AND A SQUALL LINE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON FROM THE WESTERN PANHANDLE OF FLORIDA INTO THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALREADY DEVELOPING OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO AND WILL EXPAND IN COVERAGE AND MOVE OVER WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BEFORE NOON. LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...A SQUALL LINE IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO AND THEN MOVE EAST... AFFECTING WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA BETWEEN 6 PM AND 10 PM. HOWEVER... EXACT TIMING IS DIFFICULT TO PREDICT AT THIS TIME. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH...FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND SMALL HAIL. CONDITIONS MAY ALSO BECOME FAVORABLE FOR A FEW SHORT LIVED TORNADOES TO DEVELOP. AS TONIGHT IS HALLOWEEN...PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO AVOID BEING CAUGHT OUTSIDE DURING THUNDERSTORMS. LIGHTNING IS THE NUMBER ONE WEATHER RELATED CAUSE OF DEATH IN FLORIDA. RESIDENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TV FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND FURTHER STATEMENTS. PELATTI/MORALES
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 11:36 AM EST | Tornado Warning | TBW | Manatee, Sarasota | 29 min |
| Oct 31, 12:14 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Manatee, Sarasota | 51 min |
| Oct 31, 12:48 PM EST | Tornado Warning | TBW | Manatee | 47 min |
| Oct 31, 1:56 PM EST | Tornado Warning | TBW | Hillsborough | 29 min |
| Oct 31, 2:09 PM EST | Tornado Warning | TBW | Polk | 46 min |
| Oct 31, 2:50 PM EST | Tornado Warning | TBW | Polk | 45 min |
| Oct 31, 3:44 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Polk | 31 min |
| Oct 31, 4:30 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Hillsborough | 45 min |
| Oct 31, 4:40 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Pinellas | 50 min |
| Oct 31, 5:31 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Polk | 49 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Florida, 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.