Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 48, NWS Hastings, NE

July 6, 1998Dawson County, Nebraska

NWS Hastings, NE issued this tornado warning at Jul 6, 1998, 4:31 PM CDT for Dawson County, Nebraska. It was in force for 34 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
Jul 6, 1998, 4:31 PM CDT (21:31 UTC)
Expired
Jul 6, 1998, 5:05 PM CDT
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Whole counties

County Dawson County, NE

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 131 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:30 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
Jul 6, 4:45 PM CDTTornado F0Lexington, NE

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

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 72 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 12:00Z on 1998-07-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 967 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 12:00Z on 1998-07-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 54 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
967 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-226 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1761 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
54 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
77 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.

094 
WFUS1 KGRI 062132 RRA
TORGRI
NEC047-062205-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
431 PM CDT MON JUL 6 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR PEOPLE IN...
  NORTHEASTERN DAWSON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA

* UNTIL 505 PM CDT

* AT 428 PM... DOPPLER RADAR AND SPOTTER REPORTS INDICATED A TORNADO
  5 MILES SOUTH OF EDDYVILLE OR 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF LEXINGTON...
  MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  SUMNER BY 440 PM

IF YOU ARE IN A MULTIPLE STORY BUILDING...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR
ROOM AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

GRIFFITH

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.

NWS Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Jul 6, 2:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 6, 2:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
247 PM CDT MON JUL 6 1998

...MAIN CHALLENGE IS TIMING/LOCATION OF THUNDERSTORMS...

IN PAST 30 MINUTES THUNDERSTORMS HAVE FIRED OVER N CENTRAL NEBRASKA
ALONG AND NEAR FRONT WHICH EXTENDS FROM SURFACE LOW 40 N LBF EAST TO
BETWEEN ONL AND ANW...THEN TO NEAR OFK.  SURFACE TROF/COOL FRONT
EXTENDS FROM LOW SW TO NEAR GLD.  GRI DEWPOINT STILL 77 WITH MID 70S
OVER REST OF CWA.  AWIPS LAPS DATA SHOWS CAPES UP TO 5800 J/KG WITH MAX
FROM OKX-LXN...AND CIN NEARLY DOWN TO ZERO OVER WRN HALF OF STATE.

MODELS SIMILAR WITH QPF THROUGH 36 HOURS...AND ALL AGREE ON A HEAVY
RAIN EVENT FOR THE NE HALF OF CWA OVERNIGHT.  NOT SURPRISING GIVEN SUCH
HIGH PRECIPITAL WATER VALUES...OVER 2 INCHES IN NE NEBRASKA.  THE
PROPAGATION COMPONENT OF THE CORFIDI VECTORS IS RATHER WEAK WITH LACK
OF LOW LEVEL JET...THUS WITH THE MEAN THICKNESS AND WIND PATTERNS
GENERALLY FROM W TO E TONIGHT EXPECT MUCH OF THE NRN DEVELOPMENT TO
STAY N OF I-80.  AS FRONTAL BOUNDARY SLOWLY DROPS S OVERNIGHT AND
SHORTWAVE PULLS OUT OF HIGH PLAINS...COULD EASILY SEE A TRAINING OF
STORMS ALONG FRONTAL BOUNDARY...PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS OVER NE CWA
COUNTIES AND INTO OMA CWA.

WILL COVER ALL OF CWA WITH POPS TONIGHT WITH ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT
OVER SW NEBRASKA.  LIGHTNING DATA ALREADY SHOWING INCREASED DEVELOPMENT
OVER NW KS ON SRN EDGE OF SURFACE TROF.

THEN TUE NT THE FRONT SHOULD HANG UP NEAR KS/NE BORDER AND WILL AGAIN
MENTION POPS WITH THIS FEATURE.

HIGHS TUE AND WED SHOULD BE A BIT COOLER THAN TODAYS ESPECIALLY ON N
SIDE OF FRONT...AND POSSIBLE LINGERING MORNING SHOWERS. COMPROMISE OF
FAN/FWC USED BUT BOTH WERE SIMILAR.

GRI BB 071/092/067/089/065 432

NIETFELD

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 6, 11:43 AM CDT, 4 hours 48 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-070500-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1143 AM CDT MON JUL 6 1998

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PART OF
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION....SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ACROSS PARTS OF
CENTRAL NEBRASKA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.

SYNOPSIS....

VERY UNSTABLE AIR WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING
OVER CENTRAL NEBRASKA...WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S AND DEWPOINT
TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 70S.  A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM
NORTHERN IOWA TO ALONG THE NEBRASKA/SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER...AND IS
EXPECTED TO REMAIN THERE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS.

A WEAK AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE WILL MOVE INTO THE
DAKOTAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH WILL HELP TRIGGER THUNDERSTORMS
NEAR THE WARM FRONT OVER NORTHERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTH DAKOTA.  THESE
STORMS SHOULD THEN MOVE EAST OR SOUTHEAST...ACROSS THAT PART OF CENTRAL
NEBRASKA GENERALLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80.  BECAUSE THE AIR IS SO
UNSTABLE...THE STORMS MAY QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE.  LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS.

DDN
Special weather statement, Jul 6, 11:43 AM CDT, 4 hours 48 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-070500-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1143 AM CDT MON JUL 6 1998

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PART OF
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION....SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ACROSS PARTS OF
CENTRAL NEBRASKA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.

SYNOPSIS....

VERY UNSTABLE AIR WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING
OVER CENTRAL NEBRASKA...WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S AND DEWPOINT
TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 70S.  A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM
NORTHERN IOWA TO ALONG THE NEBRASKA/SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER...AND IS
EXPECTED TO REMAIN THERE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS.

A WEAK AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE WILL MOVE INTO THE
DAKOTAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH WILL HELP TRIGGER THUNDERSTORMS
NEAR THE WARM FRONT OVER NORTHERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTH DAKOTA.  THESE
STORMS SHOULD THEN MOVE EAST OR SOUTHEAST...ACROSS THAT PART OF CENTRAL
NEBRASKA GENERALLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80.  BECAUSE THE AIR IS SO
UNSTABLE...THE STORMS MAY QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE.  LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS.

DDN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Hastings, NE issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 6, 4:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDGreeley38 min
Jul 6, 5:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDBuffalo, Dawson42 min
Jul 6, 5:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDPhelps33 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 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.