Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 63, NWS Northern Indiana

May 31, 1998Jay County, Indiana

NWS Northern Indiana issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 1998, 4:23 PM EST for Jay County, Indiana. It was in force for 32 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 31, 1998, 4:23 PM EST (21:23 UTC)
Expired: May 31, 1998, 4:55 PM EST
In force: 32 min
Issued by: NWS Northern Indiana
Area: Whole counties

County Jay County, IN

The radar

The Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 118 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:25 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 31, 4:30 PM EST	Hail 1	Portland, IN

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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 31, 12:15 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 152 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1259 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -256 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 874 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 106 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 206 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.

468 
WUUS53 KIWX 312122 RRA
SVRFWA
INC075-312155-

BULLETIN- EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
423 PM EST SUN MAY 31 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTHERN INDIANA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN JAY COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN INDIANA

* UNTIL 455 PM EST

* AT 421 PM EST... DOPPLER RADAR AT NORTH WEBSTER INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES WEST OF REDKEY MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
  35 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS DUNKIRK...REDKEY AND
  NEAR MOUNT PLEASANT BETWEEN 425 PM EST AND 445 PM.

SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AWAY FROM WINDOWS.  SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DESTRUCTIVE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

JAH/TL

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.

NWS Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 31, 10:14 AM EST, 6 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 10:14 AM EST, 6 hours 9 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
1014 AM EST SUN MAY 31 1998

THUNDERSTORMS THE MAIN CONCERN THIS UPDATE. BEST CHANCE OF CONVECTION
OVER SE ZONES INTO EARLY AFTERNOON BUT WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF A
FEW SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS POPPED UP ELSEWHERE AS SECONDARY FRONT
SWEEPS ACROSS THE AREA. ADAP FIELDS INDICATING THE MOST UNSTABLE AIR
FROM NORTHERN INDIANA INTO EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI WHERE ENHANCED
CLOUDINESS IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING PER SATELLITE LOOP. ETA
INDICATING CAPES APPROACHING 3000 J/KG OVER SE ZONES BY 18Z. SEVERAL
PARAMETERS STILL FAVORABLE INTO EARLY AFTERNOON OVER SE HALF OF CWA
FOR STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. WOULD LOWER POPS IN INDIANA ZONES
TO CHANCE AND ADD CHANCE POPS TO MI ZONES ST. JOSEPH TO HILLSDALE
THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON.

1 KM VIS INDICATING A FAIR AMOUNT OF BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS THIS
MORNING WHICH SHOULD KEEP TEMPS ON TRACK TO NEAR CURRENT FORECAST
VALUES IN OH ZONES. TEMPERATURES WILL NEED TO BE ADJUSTED IN
INDIANA ZONES...PROBABLY INTO THE MID 80S. MICHIGAN ZONES WILL LIKELY
NEED TO BE TWEAKED ALSO AS TEMPERATURES HAVE CLIMBED INTO THE LOW 80S
IN SOME LOCATIONS. CAA SHOULD BRING TEMPS DOWN BEFORE MICHIGAN
ZONES CLIMB AJNY HIGHER THAN 85.

.IWX...NONE.

TAL

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 31, 1:48 PM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH WEBSTER INDIANA
148 PM EST SUN MAY 31 1998

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

0105 PM    COLUMBIA CITY             IN   .88 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   WHITLEY

0116 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   1 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0129 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0134 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   WIND DAMAGE
05/31/98   DEFIANCE                       8 TO 10 INCH DIAMETER TREE
                                          LIMBS DOWN

0146 PM    5 W DEFIANCE              OH   .88 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

Local storm report, May 31, 2:08 PM EST, 2 hours 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH WEBSTER INDIANA
208 PM EST SUN MAY 31 1998

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

1240 PM    ALBION                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

1242 PM    ASHLEY                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   STEUBEN

1244 PM    5 W SPENCERVILLE          IN   TORNADO
05/31/98   DE KALB                        LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED
                                          TORNADO ON GROUND JUST N
                                          OF I69 AT MILE MARKER 132
                                          WITH DEBRIS IN THE AIR

1245 PM    KENDALLVILLE              IN   .88 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

1255 PM    AUBURN                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DE KALB

0105 PM    COLUMBIA CITY             IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   WHITLEY

0110 PM    LIGONIER                  IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

0114 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0115 PM    1 W AUBURN                IN   TORNADO
05/31/98   DE KALB                        BARN ROOF OFF WITH
                                          NUMEROUS POWER LINES DOWN.

0116 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   1 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0120 PM    ST JOE                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DE KALB

0120 PM    SPENCERVILLE              IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DE KALB

0129 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0134 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   WIND DAMAGE
05/31/98   DEFIANCE                       8 TO 10 INCH DIAMETER TREE
                                          LIMBS DOWN

0202 PM    1 W GAS CITY              IN   61 MPH TSTM GUST
05/31/98   GRANT

Local storm report, May 31, 2:08 PM EST, 2 hours 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH WEBSTER INDIANA
208 PM EST SUN MAY 31 1998

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

1240 PM    ALBION                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

1242 PM    ASHLEY                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   STEUBEN

1244 PM    5 W SPENCERVILLE          IN   TORNADO
05/31/98   DE KALB                        LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED
                                          TORNADO ON GROUND JUST N
                                          OF I69 AT MILE MARKER 132
                                          WITH DEBRIS IN THE AIR

1245 PM    KENDALLVILLE              IN   .88 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

1255 PM    AUBURN                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DE KALB

0105 PM    COLUMBIA CITY             IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   WHITLEY

0110 PM    LIGONIER                  IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

0114 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0115 PM    1 W AUBURN                IN   TORNADO
05/31/98   DE KALB                        BARN ROOF OFF WITH
                                          NUMEROUS POWER LINES DOWN.

0116 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   1 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0120 PM    ST JOE                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DE KALB

0120 PM    SPENCERVILLE              IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DE KALB

0129 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0134 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   WIND DAMAGE
05/31/98   DEFIANCE                       8 TO 10 INCH DIAMETER TREE
                                          LIMBS DOWN

0202 PM    1 W GAS CITY              IN   70 MPH TSTM GUST
05/31/98   GRANT

Local storm report, May 31, 2:08 PM EST, 2 hours 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH WEBSTER INDIANA
208 PM EST SUN MAY 31 1998

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

1240 PM    ALBION                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

1242 PM    ASHLEY                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   STEUBEN

1244 PM    5 W SPENCERVILLE          IN   TORNADO
05/31/98   DE KALB                        LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED
                                          TORNADO ON GROUND JUST N
                                          OF I69 AT MILE MARKER 132
                                          WITH DEBRIS IN THE AIR

1245 PM    KENDALLVILLE              IN   .88 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

1255 PM    AUBURN                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DE KALB

0105 PM    COLUMBIA CITY             IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   WHITLEY

0110 PM    LIGONIER                  IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

0114 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0115 PM    1 W AUBURN                IN   TORNADO
05/31/98   DE KALB                        BARN ROOF OFF WITH
                                          NUMEROUS POWER LINES DOWN.

0116 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   1 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0120 PM    ST JOE                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DE KALB

0120 PM    SPENCERVILLE              IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DE KALB

0129 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0134 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   WIND DAMAGE
05/31/98   DEFIANCE                       8 TO 10 INCH DIAMETER TREE
                                          LIMBS DOWN

0202 PM    1 W GAS CITY              IN   70 MPH TSTM GUST
05/31/98   GRANT

Local storm report, May 31, 4:02 PM EST, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH WEBSTER INDIANA
402 PM EST SUN MAY 31 1998

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

1240 PM    ALBION                    IN   .88 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

1240 PM    ALBION                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

1242 PM    ASHLEY                    IN   .88 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   STEUBEN

1242 PM    ASHLEY                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   STEUBEN

1244 PM    5 W SPENCERVILLE          IN   TORNADO
05/31/98   DE KALB                        LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED
                                          TORNADO ON GROUND JUST N
                                          OF I69 AT MILE MARKER 132
                                          WITH DEBRIS IN THE AIR

1245 PM    KENDALLVILLE              IN   .88 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

1255 PM    AUBURN                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DE KALB

0105 PM    COLUMBIA CITY             IN   .88 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   WHITLEY

0110 PM    LIGONIER                  IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   NOBLE

0114 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0115 PM    1 W AUBURN                IN   TORNADO
05/31/98   DE KALB                        BARN ROOF OFF WITH
                                          NUMEROUS POWER LINES DOWN.

0116 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   1 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0120 PM    ST JOE                    IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DE KALB

0120 PM    SPENCERVILLE              IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DE KALB

0129 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   DEFIANCE

0134 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   WIND DAMAGE
05/31/98   DEFIANCE                       8 TO 10 INCH DIAMETER TREE
                                          LIMBS DOWN

0150 PM    FAIRMOUNT                 IN   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   GRANT

0200 PM    HARTFORD CITY             IN   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   BLACKFORD

0202 PM    1 W GAS CITY              IN   61 MPH TSTM GUST
05/31/98   GRANT

0209 PM    HICKSVILLE                OH   WIND DAMAGE
05/31/98   DEFIANCE                       3 FT DIAMETER TREE DOWN
                                          TRAFFIC LIGHTS OUT

0214 PM    1 NW LEIPSIC              OH   .75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   PUTNAM

0215 PM    HARTFORD CITY             IN   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   BLACKFORD

0225 PM    GAS CITY                  IN   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/31/98   GRANT

0225 PM    GAS CITY                  IN   TORNADO
05/31/98   GRANT                          POSSIBLE TORNADO NUMEROUS
                                          HOMES AND TREES DAMAGED

Special weather statement, May 31, 4:07 PM EST, 16 minutes before

INZ006>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-OHZ001-002-004-005-015-016-
024-025-312300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
407 PM EST SUN MAY 31 1998

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS CANCELLED FOR MOST OF NORTHERN AND
NORTHEASTERN INDIANA AND NORTHWEST OHIO BUT REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A
SMALL PART OF NORTHEASTERN INDIANA UNTIL 600 PM EST...

THE ONLY COUNTIES STILL INCLUDED IN THIS WATCH INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
IN INDIANA...GRANT...BLACKFORD AND JAY.

PERSONS IN THESE AREA SHOULD STILL REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO..LOCAL RADIO
OR TELEVISION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

TEH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Northern Indiana issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 31, 11:54 AM EST	Tornado Warning	IWX	LaGrange, Steuben	36 min
May 31, 12:14 PM EST	Tornado Warning	IWX	DeKalb	51 min
May 31, 12:17 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IWX	Noble	48 min
May 31, 12:35 PM EST	Tornado Warning	IWX	Noble	50 min
May 31, 12:49 PM EST	Tornado Warning	IWX	Allen	46 min
May 31, 1:05 PM EST	Tornado Warning	IWX	DeKalb	30 min
May 31, 1:07 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IWX	Whitley	48 min
May 31, 1:35 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IWX	Allen	50 min
May 31, 1:39 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IWX	Allen	46 min
May 31, 1:48 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IWX	Grant	62 min
May 31, 1:59 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IWX	Blackford	46 min
May 31, 2:05 PM EST	Tornado Warning	IWX	Blackford, Grant	50 min
May 31, 2:09 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IWX	Jay	51 min
May 31, 2:31 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IWX	Adams, Wells	49 min
May 31, 3:38 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	IWX	Grant	47 min
May 31, 4:15 PM EST	Tornado Warning	IWX	Blackford	35 min
May 31, 4:29 PM EST	Tornado Warning	IWX	Jay	31 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 1998 Every 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.