Alert archive / Minnesota / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS La Crosse, WI

May 18, 1998Dodge County, Olmsted County, Wabasha County, Minnesota

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 1998, 10:00 PM CDT for Dodge County, Olmsted County, Wabasha County, Minnesota. It was in force for 60 min. 7 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
May 18, 1998, 10:00 PM CDT (03:00 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 1998, 11:00 PM CDT
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Whole counties

Counties Dodge County, MN, Olmsted County, MN, Wabasha County, MN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 18, 10:30 PM CDTHail 0.75West Concord, MN
May 18, 10:32 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 50Elgin, MN
May 18, 10:50 PM CDTHail 0.75Oronoco, MN
May 18, 10:55 PM CDTHail 0.75Rochester, MN
May 18, 11:05 PM CDTHail 0.75Rochester, MN
May 18, 11:06 PM CDTHail 1Rochester, MN
May 18, 11:10 PM CDTHail 1.5Rochester, MN

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
May 18, 4:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 3.0 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 1998-05-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3617 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, Minneapolis, MN at 00:00Z on 1998-05-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 45 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
3617 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-25 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1794 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
55 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.

278 
WUUS1 KLSE 190301 RRA
SVRLSE
MNC039-109-157-190400-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1000 PM CDT MON MAY 18 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  DODGE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA
  OLMSTED COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA
  WABASHA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA

* UNTIL 1100 PM CDT

* AT 1000 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER GOODHUE COUNTY...ABOUT 20
  MILES NORTHWEST OF ROCHESTER. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  CONCORD AT 1013 PM
  ORONOCO AT 1020 PM
  ZUMBRO FALLS AT 1035 PM

THE MAIN THREAT FROM THIS STORM IS LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND.
GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS

SHEA/RIECK

The office that day

Everything else NWS La Crosse, WI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 11:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXOlmsted45 min
May 18, 11:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXFillmore, Winona58 min
May 18, 11:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXOlmsted29 min
May 19, 12:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXHouston67 min
May 19, 1:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXDodge, Olmsted59 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Minnesota, 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.