Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 25, NWS Fort Worth, TX

October 2, 1998Hopkins County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Oct 2, 1998, 1:19 PM CDT for Hopkins County, Texas. It was in force for 26 min. 1 report came from 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, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Oct 2, 1998, 1:19 PM CDT (18:19 UTC)
Expired
Oct 2, 1998, 1:45 PM CDT
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Hopkins County, TX

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 170 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:22 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
Oct 2, 1:33 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 65Sulphur Spgs, TXPowerlines were blown down by strong thunderstorm winds.

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

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 12:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 160 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 12:00Z on 1998-10-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 116 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 12:00Z on 1998-10-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 141 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
116 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-131 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1310 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
141 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
137 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.

490 
WFUS1 KFTW 021823 RRA
TORFTW
TXC223-021845-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
119 PM CDT FRI OCT 2 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A

   * TORNADO WARNING FOR
     HOPKINS COUNTY IN TEXAS
     INCLUDING SULPHUR SPRINGS

   * UNTIL 145 PM CDT

   * AT 119 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A
     DEVELOPING TORNADO 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF SULPHUR SPRINGS...MOVING
     EAST SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES PER HOUR.

   * OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE MARTIN SPRINGS

   * TORNADO WILL BE
     NEAR SULPHUR SPRINGS AROUND 135 PM CDT
     
THIS STORM PRODUCED A TORNADO NEAR COMMERCE AROUND 1:00 PM.  THE PART 
OF THE STORM LIKELY TO PRODUCE THE TORNADO IS NOW APPROACHING 
SULPHUR SPRINGS FROM THE NORTHWEST.  ANY TORNADO WITH THIS STORM 
WILL LIKELY BE OBSCURED BY RAIN.  SEEK SHELTER NOW

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW
SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 3326 9571 3310 9576 3302 9550 3320 9543

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, Oct 2, 11:48 AM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-022100-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1148 AM CDT FRI OCT 2 1998

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR ALL OF NORTH
CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  THE SLIGHT RISK AREA
INCLUDES THE CITIES OF STEPHENVILLE...SHERMAN...HILLSBORO...WACO...
TEMPLE...PALESTINE AND THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH METROPLEX. DAMAGING
WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS.

AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART
OF NORTH TEXAS HAS LEFT AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT WILL BECOME A FOCUS
FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATER TODAY. AT MIDDAY...THIS BOUNDARY
IS SITUATED EAST TO WEST ACROSS NORTH TEXAS...FROM NEAR ABILENE..TO
SOUTH OF THE DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX...AND THEN TO NEAR PARIS.
NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY TEMPERATURES REMAIN COOL...WHILE TO THE
SOUTH...TEMPERATURES ARE WARMING AND ADDING TO THE INSTABILITY OF THE
ATMOSPHERE.

IN ADDITION...THE DRY LINE...EXTENDING FROM NEAR AMARILLO TO LUBBOCK
TO MIDLAND...IS PUSHING EAST WITH THE APPROACH OF THE UPPER LEVEL
SYSTEM.

AS AFTERNOON HEATING PROGRESSES...AN AREA OF INSTABILITY ALOFT WILL
MOVE INTO THE AREA...FURTHER DESTABILIZING THE ATMOSPHERE...
ESPECIALLY NEAR THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. THIS WILL RESULT IN
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING IN THE WESTERN SECTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS. THE GREATEST THREAT
OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BEGIN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF THE DRY LINE
AND THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN MOVE EAST DURING THE
EVENING.

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 ACROSS THE SLIGHT RISK AREA
AFTER 300 PM.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL
TELEVISION OR RADIO STATIOTNS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR
LATER STATEMENTS CONCERNING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER
THREAT.

THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR INTERNET WEB PAGE AT
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/
Special weather statement, Oct 2, 11:48 AM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-022100-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1148 AM CDT FRI OCT 2 1998

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR ALL OF NORTH
CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  THE SLIGHT RISK AREA
INCLUDES THE CITIES OF STEPHENVILLE...SHERMAN...HILLSBORO...WACO...
TEMPLE...PALESTINE AND THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH METROPLEX. DAMAGING
WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS.

AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART
OF NORTH TEXAS HAS LEFT AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT WILL BECOME A FOCUS
FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATER TODAY. AT MIDDAY...THIS BOUNDARY
IS SITUATED EAST TO WEST ACROSS NORTH TEXAS...FROM NEAR ABILENE..TO
SOUTH OF THE DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX...AND THEN TO NEAR PARIS.
NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY TEMPERATURES REMAIN COOL...WHILE TO THE
SOUTH...TEMPERATURES ARE WARMING AND ADDING TO THE INSTABILITY OF THE
ATMOSPHERE.

IN ADDITION...THE DRY LINE...EXTENDING FROM NEAR AMARILLO TO LUBBOCK
TO MIDLAND...IS PUSHING EAST WITH THE APPROACH OF THE UPPER LEVEL
SYSTEM.

AS AFTERNOON HEATING PROGRESSES...AN AREA OF INSTABILITY ALOFT WILL
MOVE INTO THE AREA...FURTHER DESTABILIZING THE ATMOSPHERE...
ESPECIALLY NEAR THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. THIS WILL RESULT IN
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING IN THE WESTERN SECTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS. THE GREATEST THREAT
OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BEGIN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF THE DRY LINE
AND THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN MOVE EAST DURING THE
EVENING.

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 ACROSS THE SLIGHT RISK AREA
AFTER 300 PM.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL
TELEVISION OR RADIO STATIOTNS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR
LATER STATEMENTS CONCERNING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER
THREAT.

THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR INTERNET WEB PAGE AT
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 2, 12:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHunt24 min
Oct 2, 12:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDelta, Hopkins47 min
Oct 2, 1:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDRains, Van Zandt60 min
Oct 2, 1:37 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDHopkins23 min
Oct 2, 4:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDallas39 min
Oct 2, 4:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDYoung43 min
Oct 2, 5:17 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDYoung28 min
Oct 2, 5:27 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDJack48 min
Oct 2, 5:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCollin, Denton54 min
Oct 2, 5:43 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDYoung17 min
Oct 2, 5:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDStephens55 min
Oct 2, 6:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDYoung59 min
Oct 2, 6:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJack61 min
Oct 2, 6:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDStephens43 min
Oct 2, 6:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDWise66 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.