Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 45, NWS Cheyenne, WY

May 20, 1998Cheyenne County, Nebraska

NWS Cheyenne, WY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 1998, 7:39 PM MDT for Cheyenne County, Nebraska. It was in force for 31 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
May 20, 1998, 7:39 PM MDT (01:39 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 1998, 8:10 PM MDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Cheyenne, WY
Area
Whole counties

County Cheyenne County, NE

The radar

The Cheyenne radar (KCYS), 152 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:40 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
May 20, 8:00 PM MDTHail 1Dalton, NEA storm produced quarter size hail 6 miles east of Dalton. The hail fell for 50 minutes and caused considerable crop damage.

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 nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 151 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, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 1998-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 87 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 1998-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -42 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
87 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-39 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
3075 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-42 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
46 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.

935 
WUUS1 KCYS 210141 RRA
SVRCYS
NEC033-210210-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
739 PM MDT WED MAY 20 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHEYENNE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN CHEYENNE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE

* UNTIL 810 PM MDT

* AT 728 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF SIDNEY... MOVING SOUTHEAST
  AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  DALTON NOW

GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS A TORNADO
WATCH IS IN EFFECT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO
PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.

PAL

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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 20, 1:50 PM MDT, 5 hours 49 minutes before
NEZ001>003-019>021-054-055-WYZ059-060-067-068-070-210100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
150 PM MDT WED MAY 20 1998

...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MUCH OF EASTERN WYOMING UNTIL 7
PM MDT...

THE STORM PREDICTIONS CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF
EASTERN WYOMING AND THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE UNTIL 7 PM MDT.

AT 145 PM MDT...DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR DOUGLAS TO JUST EAST OF WHEATLAND TO
NEAR CHEYENNE.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED 12 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
WHEATLAND.  ANOTHER STRONG STORM WAS LOCATED 20 MILES NORTH OF
CHEYENNE.  THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL
HAIL...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

A WATCH MEANS THAT WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION
OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND NEAR THAT AREA. STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO
FIND THE SAFEST AREA IN YOUR LOCATION.

PEOPLE IN EASTERN WYOMING AND THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
THUNDERSTORMS.  IF A STORM APPROACHES YOUR AREA MOVE TO A SAFE SHELTER
UNTIL IT PASSES.

WCJIN-WYNE-WYSE
LRE
Special weather statement, May 20, 2:59 PM MDT, 4 hours 40 minutes before
NEZ001>003-019>021-054-055-WYZ059-060-067-068-070-202155-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
259 PM MDT WED MAY 20 1998

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING
AND THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...

AT 255 PM MDT DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER MAINLY SOUTHEAST WYOMING.  THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES WEST OF TORRINGTON WYOMING. THE
STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.  ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM
WAS LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF HARRRISON NEBRASKA.  THESE STORMS ARE
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL... STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE TFHUNDERSTORMS TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.

LRE
WCJIN-WYSE-WYNE
Local storm report, May 20, 5:46 PM MDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  CHEYENNE WY
546 PM MDT WED MAY 20 1998

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0540 PM    BAYARD                    NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/20/98   MORRILL

DAUGHERTY
Special weather statement, May 20, 7:25 PM MDT, 14 minutes before
NEZ001>003-019-WYZ059-060-067-068-070-210140-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
725 PM MDT WED MAY 20 1998

...THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 8 PM FOR BANNER...
MORRILL... KIMBALL AND CHEYENE COUNTIES NEBRASKA.

THE TORNADO WATCH EXPIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE NEBRASKA
PANHANDLE...SIOUX...DAWS...SCOTTS BLUFF AND BOX BUTTE.

THE TORNADO WATCH EXPIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN EASTERN
WYOMING...CONVERSE...NIOBRARA...PLATTE...GOSHEN...AND EASTERN
LARAMIE.

PAL
Special weather statement, May 20, 7:25 PM MDT, 14 minutes before
NEZ001>003-019-WYZ059-060-067-068-070-210140-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
725 PM MDT WED MAY 20 1998

...THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 8 PM FOR BANNER...
MORRILL... KIMBALL AND CHEYENE COUNTIES NEBRASKA.

THE TORNADO WATCH EXPIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE NEBRASKA
PANHANDLE...SIOUX...DAWS...SCOTTS BLUFF AND BOX BUTTE.

THE TORNADO WATCH EXPIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN EASTERN
WYOMING...CONVERSE...NIOBRARA...PLATTE...GOSHEN...AND EASTERN
LARAMIE.

PAL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Cheyenne, WY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 6:10 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSMorrill30 min
May 20, 6:29 PM MDTTornado WarningCYSMorrill31 min
May 20, 6:59 PM MDTTornado WarningCYSMorrill31 min
May 20, 7:54 PM MDTTornado WarningCYSCheyenne31 min
May 20, 8:49 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSCheyenne31 min
May 21, 4:57 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSBox Butte48 min
May 21, 5:48 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSBox Butte37 min
May 21, 10:55 AM MDTTornado WarningCYSScotts Bluff, Sioux30 min
May 21, 11:30 AM MDTTornado WarningCYSScotts Bluff35 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Nebraska, 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.