Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 55, NWS Hastings, NE

October 4, 1998Thayer County, Nebraska

NWS Hastings, NE issued this tornado warning at Oct 4, 1998, 4:13 PM CDT for Thayer County, Nebraska. It was in force for 62 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Oct 4, 1998, 4:13 PM CDT (21:13 UTC)
Expired
Oct 4, 1998, 5:15 PM CDT
In force
62 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Whole counties

County Thayer County, NE

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:14 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
Oct 4, 3:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 164 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1998-10-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1998-10-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 65 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
557 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
65 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
114 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

780 
WFUS1 KGRI 042114 RRA
TORGRI
NEC169-042215-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
413 PM CDT SUN OCT 4 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR PEOPLE IN...
  THAYER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA

* UNTIL 515 PM CDT

* AT 410 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  STORM WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR BYRON OR 30 MILES NORTH OF
  CONCORDIA KANSAS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  DESHLER BY 425 PM
  HEBRON BY 430 PM
  BELVIDERE BY 440 PM

TAKE SHELTER IN A BASEMENT OR A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS

DEE/RCB

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 Oct 4, 3:27 PM CDT, 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 4, 3:27 PM CDT, 46 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
327 PM CDT SUN OCT 4 1998

...MAIN CONCERNS INCLUDE POPS...AND THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN TONIGHT...

CONVECTION RAPIDLY DEVELOPING ACROSS ERN 2/3 OF CWFA PAST HOUR...BUT
SURFACE DRYLINE APPEARS TO BE PUSHING FAR ENOUGH INTO PHILLIPS AND
ROOKS COUNTIES AND THEN NORTH INTO THE LEXINGTON/HOLDREGE AREAS THAT
DEVELOPMENT THERE LOOKING LESS LIKELY TONIGHT.  HOWEVER -20 H5 AIR
SHOULD MOVE OVER TONIGHT...SO MAY KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE IN THE WEST.

WILL COVER THIS EVENING WITH CURRENT ACTIVITY AND WORD
APPROPRIATELY...THEN FOR OVERNIGHT WILL STILL KEEP CHANCE POPS WITH
SUCH STEEP LAPSE RATES PROGGED.

OTHERWISE GENERALLY WENT WITH AVN SOLUTION...WHICH SHOWS AN OVERALL
DRY PATTERN FOR MONDAY BEHIND THE SURFACE FRONT AND IN THE DRY
SOUTHERN SECTOR WITH RESPECT TO THE UPPER LOW.  STILL RATHER CLOUDY
AND A FEW INSTABILITY SHOWERS MAY BE FOUND~ WITH THE COLD TEMPS ALOFT
AND RESIDUAL MOISTURE...BUT OVERALL SYNOPTIC OMEGA VALUES INDICATE
SUBSIDENCE.

AFD DELAYED DUE TO SEVERE WEATHER.

.GID...NONE.

NIETFELD

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 4, 11:49 AM CDT, 4 hours 24 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-051200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1149 AM CDT SUN OCT 4 1998

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

SPOTTER ACTIVATION....SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED
ACROSS PARTS OF THE REGION TODAY INTO THIS EVENING.

SYNOPSIS....

SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
THIS AFTERNOON OVER CENTRAL KANSAS...AND THEN MOVE NORTH INTO
SOUTHERN NEBRASKA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER NORTHWEST KANSAS WILL MOVE
NORTHEAST TODAY...BRINGING A WARM FRONT NORTH INTO SOUTHERN NEBRASKA
BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  SEVERAL INGREDIENTS FOR THE RAPID
DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE STORMS WILL COME TOGETHER AS THIS OCCURS.
DESPITE THE CLOUD COVER AND COOL TEMPERATURES...VERY STRONG WIND
SHEAR AND INCREASING INSTABILITY WILL COMBINE WITH A STRONG JET
STREAM TO RESULT IN LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND POSSIBLY EVEN
A FEW TORNADOES.

THE STORMS SHOULD INITIALLY FORM NEAR INTERSTATE 70 AFTER
2 PM...THEN MOVE NORTH OR NORTHEAST AT 40 TO 50 MPH.  SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS COULD REACH AS FAR NORTH AS INTERSTATE 80 BY 4 PM
AND THEN TRACK INTO THE ORD AND GREELEY AREAS EARLY THIS EVENING.
THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE IN NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS...WHERE MORE MOISTURE WILL BE AVAILABLE.

DDN
Special weather statement, Oct 4, 11:49 AM CDT, 4 hours 24 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-051200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1149 AM CDT SUN OCT 4 1998

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

SPOTTER ACTIVATION....SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED
ACROSS PARTS OF THE REGION TODAY INTO THIS EVENING.

SYNOPSIS....

SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
THIS AFTERNOON OVER CENTRAL KANSAS...AND THEN MOVE NORTH INTO
SOUTHERN NEBRASKA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER NORTHWEST KANSAS WILL MOVE
NORTHEAST TODAY...BRINGING A WARM FRONT NORTH INTO SOUTHERN NEBRASKA
BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  SEVERAL INGREDIENTS FOR THE RAPID
DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE STORMS WILL COME TOGETHER AS THIS OCCURS.
DESPITE THE CLOUD COVER AND COOL TEMPERATURES...VERY STRONG WIND
SHEAR AND INCREASING INSTABILITY WILL COMBINE WITH A STRONG JET
STREAM TO RESULT IN LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND POSSIBLY EVEN
A FEW TORNADOES.

THE STORMS SHOULD INITIALLY FORM NEAR INTERSTATE 70 AFTER
2 PM...THEN MOVE NORTH OR NORTHEAST AT 40 TO 50 MPH.  SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS COULD REACH AS FAR NORTH AS INTERSTATE 80 BY 4 PM
AND THEN TRACK INTO THE ORD AND GREELEY AREAS EARLY THIS EVENING.
THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE IN NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS...WHERE MORE MOISTURE WILL BE AVAILABLE.

DDN
Special weather statement, Oct 4, 2:20 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-051200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
220 PM CDT SUN OCT 4 1998

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

SPOTTER ACTIVATION....SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED
ACROSS PARTS OF THE REGION TODAY INTO THIS EVENING.

SYNOPSIS....

SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO
DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON OVER CENTRAL KANSAS...AND THEN MOVE NORTH
INTO SOUTHERN NEBRASKA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER NORTHWEST KANSAS WILL MOVE
NORTHEAST TODAY...BRINGING A WARM FRONT NORTH INTO SOUTHERN NEBRASKA
BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  SEVERAL INGREDIENTS FOR THE RAPID
DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE STORMS WILL COME TOGETHER AS THIS OCCURS.
DESPITE THE CLOUD COVER AND COOL TEMPERATURES...VERY STRONG WIND
SHEAR AND INCREASING INSTABILITY WILL COMBINE WITH A STRONG JET
STREAM TO RESULT IN LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND POSSIBLY EVEN
A FEW TORNADOES.

THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EAST
OF A LINE FROM OSBORNE KANSAS...TO KEARNEY...TO ORD.

DDN
Special weather statement, Oct 4, 2:20 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-051200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
220 PM CDT SUN OCT 4 1998

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

SPOTTER ACTIVATION....SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED
ACROSS PARTS OF THE REGION TODAY INTO THIS EVENING.

SYNOPSIS....

SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO
DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON OVER CENTRAL KANSAS...AND THEN MOVE NORTH
INTO SOUTHERN NEBRASKA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER NORTHWEST KANSAS WILL MOVE
NORTHEAST TODAY...BRINGING A WARM FRONT NORTH INTO SOUTHERN NEBRASKA
BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  SEVERAL INGREDIENTS FOR THE RAPID
DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE STORMS WILL COME TOGETHER AS THIS OCCURS.
DESPITE THE CLOUD COVER AND COOL TEMPERATURES...VERY STRONG WIND
SHEAR AND INCREASING INSTABILITY WILL COMBINE WITH A STRONG JET
STREAM TO RESULT IN LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND POSSIBLY EVEN
A FEW TORNADOES.

THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EAST
OF A LINE FROM OSBORNE KANSAS...TO KEARNEY...TO ORD.

DDN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 4, 1:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDDawson41 min
Oct 4, 1:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDDawson40 min
Oct 4, 1:39 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDDawson51 min
Oct 4, 2:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDWebster47 min
Oct 4, 2:42 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDWebster33 min
Oct 4, 4:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHamilton37 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.