Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Fort Worth, TX

April 16, 1998Denton County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 16, 1998, 12:38 AM CDT for Denton County, Texas. It was in force for 52 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties.

The facts

Issued
Apr 16, 1998, 12:38 AM CDT (05:38 UTC)
Expired
Apr 16, 1998, 1:30 AM CDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Denton County, TX

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 81 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:40 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 16, 12:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 00:00Z, 5.6 hours before the alert went out and 54 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, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 1998-04-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1195 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, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 1998-04-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 51 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156Sfc1 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
1195 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1250 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
86 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
51 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
103 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFTW 160543
TORFTW
TXC121-160630-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1238 AM CDT THU APR 16 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A

   * TORNADO WARNING FOR
     DENTON COUNTY IN TEXAS
     INCLUDING SANGER...PILOT POINT AND DENTON

   * UNTIL 130 AM CDT

   * AT 1234 AM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A
     DEVELOPING TORNADO 18 MILES NORTHWEST OF KRUM...MOVING ,EAST AT
     50 MILES PER HOUR.

   * OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE KRUM...KRUGERVILLE AND
     AUBREY

THE TORNADO WAS MOVING EAST AT 50 MILES PER HOUR.

LAT...LON 3317 9685 3318 9738 3343 9738 3342 9686

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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 15, 7:53 PM CDT, 4 hours 45 minutes before
TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-160500-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
753 PM CDT WED APR 15 1998

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT OVER THE
EASTERN HALF OF NORTH TEXAS.  THIS SLIGHT RISK AREA IS GENERALLY
ALONG AND EAST OF A GAINESVILLE...MINERAL WELLS...TO COMANCHE LINE...
AND INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ATHENS...DENTON...GREENVILLE...KILLEEN...
PALESTINE...PARIS...SHERMAN...STEPHENVILLE....AND THE DALLAS/FORT
WORTH METROPLEX.

EARLY THIS EVENING...AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WAS LOCATED ON THE RED
RIVER NORTH OF GAINESVILLE.  A DRYLINE...A BOUNDARY SEPARATING MOIST
UNSTABLE AIR ON THE EAST FROM WARM DRY AIR TO THE WEST...EXTENDED
SOUTHWESTWARD FROM THIS LOW...THROUGH MINERAL WELLS AND STEPHENVILLE
...TO NEAR COMANCHE.  ALOFT...AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WAS MOVING
INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING
ALONG THE DRYLINE...AND ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT APPEARS LIKELY AS THE
UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM APPROACHES NORTH TEXAS.

THE DRYLINE SHOULD MOVE EAST ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE LATE NIGHT
HOURS...ENDING THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR NORTH TEXAS.

THE BEST CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE NORTH OF I30 THIS
EVENING...WHERE THE COMBINATION OF CONVERGENCE ALONG THE DRYLINE AND
UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT.  FARTHER SOUTH...A LAYER OF WARM AIR IN THE MID LEVELS
OF THE ATMOSPHERE SHOULD SUPPRESS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT UNTIL
THE ARRIVAL OF THE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM LATER TONIGHT.

THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE FROM LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.  IN ADDITION...THE WIND PROFILE IN
THE LOWEST 5000 FEET SHOULD BE FAVORABLE FOR A FEW STORMS CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING TORNADOES.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...STORM
SPOTTER GROUPS...AND OTHER INTERESTED CONCERNS SHOULD MONITOR THIS
SITUATION AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN
YOUR AREA.  ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED WEST OF A PARIS...CORSICANA
...TO KILLEEN LINE BEFORE 900 PM...AND EAST OF THIS LINE ANYTIME
AFTER 900 PM.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL TELEVISION OR RADIO
STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR LATER STATEMENTS
CONCERNING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

70
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 7:53 PM CDT, 4 hours 45 minutes before
TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-160500-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
753 PM CDT WED APR 15 1998

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT OVER THE
EASTERN HALF OF NORTH TEXAS.  THIS SLIGHT RISK AREA IS GENERALLY
ALONG AND EAST OF A GAINESVILLE...MINERAL WELLS...TO COMANCHE LINE...
AND INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ATHENS...DENTON...GREENVILLE...KILLEEN...
PALESTINE...PARIS...SHERMAN...STEPHENVILLE....AND THE DALLAS/FORT
WORTH METROPLEX.

EARLY THIS EVENING...AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WAS LOCATED ON THE RED
RIVER NORTH OF GAINESVILLE.  A DRYLINE...A BOUNDARY SEPARATING MOIST
UNSTABLE AIR ON THE EAST FROM WARM DRY AIR TO THE WEST...EXTENDED
SOUTHWESTWARD FROM THIS LOW...THROUGH MINERAL WELLS AND STEPHENVILLE
...TO NEAR COMANCHE.  ALOFT...AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WAS MOVING
INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING
ALONG THE DRYLINE...AND ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT APPEARS LIKELY AS THE
UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM APPROACHES NORTH TEXAS.

THE DRYLINE SHOULD MOVE EAST ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE LATE NIGHT
HOURS...ENDING THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR NORTH TEXAS.

THE BEST CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE NORTH OF I30 THIS
EVENING...WHERE THE COMBINATION OF CONVERGENCE ALONG THE DRYLINE AND
UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT.  FARTHER SOUTH...A LAYER OF WARM AIR IN THE MID LEVELS
OF THE ATMOSPHERE SHOULD SUPPRESS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT UNTIL
THE ARRIVAL OF THE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM LATER TONIGHT.

THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE FROM LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.  IN ADDITION...THE WIND PROFILE IN
THE LOWEST 5000 FEET SHOULD BE FAVORABLE FOR A FEW STORMS CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING TORNADOES.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...STORM
SPOTTER GROUPS...AND OTHER INTERESTED CONCERNS SHOULD MONITOR THIS
SITUATION AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN
YOUR AREA.  ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED WEST OF A PARIS...CORSICANA
...TO KILLEEN LINE BEFORE 900 PM...AND EAST OF THIS LINE ANYTIME
AFTER 900 PM.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL TELEVISION OR RADIO
STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR LATER STATEMENTS
CONCERNING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

70

The office that day

Everything else NWS Fort Worth, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 15, 11:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJack, Young43 min
Apr 15, 11:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDStephens43 min
Apr 16, 12:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDMontague, Wise37 min
Apr 16, 12:28 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCooke47 min
Apr 16, 12:35 AM CDTTornado WarningFWDWise40 min
Apr 16, 1:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCollin60 min
Apr 16, 1:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDGrayson62 min
Apr 16, 2:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCollin42 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1998Every tornado warning in 1998Tornadoes 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.