Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 16, NWS North Platte, NE

March 28, 1998Cherry County, Nebraska

NWS North Platte, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 28, 1998, 9:52 PM MST for Cherry County, Nebraska. It was in force for 63 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
Mar 28, 1998, 9:52 PM MST (04:52 UTC)
Expired
Mar 28, 1998, 10:55 PM MST
In force
63 min
Issued by
NWS North Platte, NE
Area
Whole counties

County Cherry County, NE

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 79 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:53 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
Mar 28, 10:15 PM MSTHail 0.75Cody, 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 00:00Z, 4.9 hours before the alert went out and 163 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 00:00Z on 1998-03-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 172 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 00:00Z on 1998-03-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 256 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
172 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-33 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
665 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
256 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
406 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
5.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLBF 290455 RRA
SVRLBF
NEC031-290555-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1052 PM CST (952 PM MST) SAT MAR 28 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTH PLATTE NE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1155 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA

   ...NORTHERN CHERRY COUNTY

AT 1049 PM CST...A 10 MILE WIDE LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS
INDICATED BY NORTH PLATTE DOPPLER RADAR 46 MILES WEST OF VALENTINE
OR 11 MILES WEST OF CODY TO 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CODY MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

DAMAGING HAIL AND/OR DESTRUCTIVE WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR...
  CODY                         BY 1100 PM CST
  NENZEL                       BY 1115 PM CST

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE STORM IN A
STRONG BUILDING.  DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  STAY
INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

MICHELS/SPRINGER

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 North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Mar 28, 1:47 PM MST, 8 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 28, 1:47 PM MST, 8 hours 5 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
247 PM CST SAT MAR 28 1998

...FORECAST PROBLEM WILL BE POSSIBLE SVR WX...POPS AND SNOW LATER ON IN
FORECAST PERIOD...

PRECIP THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON BEING KICKED OFF BY SHORTWAVE
IN WY THAT MOVES NORTH INTO SD BY 00Z TONIGHT. NEXT IN A TRAIN OF
SHORTWAVES MOVES INTO WESTERN NEBRASKA BY 12Z SUN. AS THIS SHORTWAVE
EJECTS OUT OF 500 LOW OVER SW U.S. THERE IS DIFFERENT PLACEMENT WITH
THE VORT MAX WITH NGM FURTHEST NORTH OVER WY...NEB LINE WEST OF BFF AND
ETA HAS VORT OVER KS...NEB...COL BORDER. BY 36 HOURS...ETA IS FURTHEST
EAST WITH VORT NEAR BKX WHILE NGM HAS VORT TO THE WEST AND NORTH OF
VTN. DIFFERENCES ARE STILL THERE BY 48 HOURS WITH NGM HAVING CLOSED 500
LOW NEAR FAR WHILE ETA HAS CLOSED LOW OVER NE ARIZ. AVN MODEL IS
SIMILAR TO NGM WITH PLACEMENT OF THE SHORTWAVE. AM NOT SURE RIGHT NOW
WHICH MODEL IS CORRECT EXCEPT FEEL NGM IS TOO FAR NORTH WITH ITS USUAL
BIAS.

POSSIBLE SEVERE WX TONIGHT IS FIRST CONCERN. LATEST LOOK AT SATELLITE
SHOWING CLOUDS BEGINNING TO SLOWLY BREAK UP AND KLNX RADAR SHOWING NEW
BATCH OF THUNDERSTORMS FROMING IN KIMBALL AND CHEYENNE COUNTIES AND
CONFIRMED BY SATELLITE. 18Z SFC FRONT STRECHED ALONG KS...NEB BORDER
THRU AKO TO LARAMIE. DELTA T FROM 700-500 GREATER THAN 20 TONIGHT
OVERSPREADING ALL OF CWA WITH LI FROM ETA IN 0 TO -4 RANGE WITH LLJ
ALSO SETTING UP TONIGHT OVER CWA. ORIGINALLY DID NOT BUY INTO SVR WX
THREAT...BUT CANNOT BE RULED OUT WITH STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES.
INSTABILITY ON SUNDAY WRAPS BACK AROUND WITH DRY SLOT OVER EASTERN CWA.
Q VECTOR CONVERGENCE IS NOT ORGANIZED THROUGH FORECAST PERIOD
THOUGH...BUT THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY TONIGHT WITH DECENT PVA COMING INTO
CWA FROM SECOND SHORTWAVE AND NGM LOOKS TOO LOW FOR POPS TONIGHT AND
WILL GO CLOSER TO FAN.

NEXT PROBLEM IS SNOW IN WESTERN NEBRASKA SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY.
1000-500 THICKNESS OF 546 AND OTHER CRITICAL THICKNESSES COOL SUNDAY
NIGHT AND EDGE INTO NW NEB BY 00Z AND THEN OVERSPREADS CWA DURING
NIGHT. CRITICAL THICKNESSES DO NOT ARRIVE IN LBF UNTIL AFTER 06Z. THIS
WOULD INDICATE POSSIBILITY FOR SOME SNOW AND 850 TEMPS DO COOL DOWN TO
0 OR BELOW LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. AGREE WITH OAX WITH SPS CONCERNING SNOW
POSSIBILITIES IN WESTERN NEBRASKA AND RAIN...SNOW MIX LINE SHOULD GET
INTO ONL...ANW AREAS LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. TOO EARLY TO TELL SNOW AMOUNTS
YET...BUT LESS THAN 6 INCHES LOOKS LIKELY IN THE STORM WRAPAROUND.

FOR TEMPS...USED 850 TEMPS MIXED TO SFC FOR HIGH ON SUNDAY AND UNDERCUT
GUIDANCE ON MONDAY FOR COOLER AIR USING AVN 850 TEMPS.

GOING FORECAST LOOKS GOOD TONIGHT...BUT WOULD RECOMMEND LOWS IN MID 40S
FOR ANW...ONL ZONE AND UPPING POPS IN OGA...IML ZONE TO 40 AND 40 POPS
FOR BBW ZONE.

PRELIMINARY GUIDANCE FOR COORDINATION ONLY.  OFFICIAL FORECASTS ARE
CONTAINED WITHIN PRODUCT OMAZFPNE.

CCF
LBF BS 043/062 031/041 025 705344  ANW EO 044/057 032/041 025 705334
OGA BS 043/062 031/041 025 704344  ONL EO 045/057 034/042 026 705334
IML BS 044/063 032/043 026 704344  BBW EO 044/061 033/041 025 705234
VTN ES 043/057 030/039 024 705345

MICHELS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 28, 8:32 PM MST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  NORTH PLATTE NE
932 PM CST SAT MAR 28 1998

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

0910 PM    20S MULLEN                NE   0.75 INCH HAIL
03/28/98   HOOKER

0925 PM    18SSE MULLEN              NE   1.00 INCH HAIL
03/28/98   HOOKER

M. MUTCHLER
Local storm report, Mar 28, 8:32 PM MST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  NORTH PLATTE NE
932 PM CST SAT MAR 28 1998

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

0910 PM    20S MULLEN                NE   0.75 INCH HAIL
03/28/98   HOOKER

0925 PM    18SSE MULLEN              NE   1.00 INCH HAIL
03/28/98   HOOKER

M. MUTCHLER
Local storm report, Mar 28, 8:43 PM MST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  NORTH PLATTE NE
943 PM CST SAT MAR 28 1998

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

0935 PM    20S SENECA                NE   0.75 INCH HAIL
03/28/98   THOMAS                         HAIL COMPLETELY COVERED
                                          THE GROUND

M. MUTCHLER
Local storm report, Mar 28, 8:43 PM MST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  NORTH PLATTE NE
943 PM CST SAT MAR 28 1998

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

0935 PM    20S SENECA                NE   0.75 INCH HAIL
03/28/98   THOMAS                         HAIL COMPLETELY COVERED
                                          THE GROUND

M. MUTCHLER
Local storm report, Mar 28, 9:51 PM MST, 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  NORTH PLATTE NE
1051 PM CST SAT MAR 28 1998

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

1033 PM    7N HALSEY                 NE   0.75 INCH HAIL
03/28/98   THOMAS

1043 PM    5SSE PURDUM               NE   1.00 INCH HAIL
03/28/98   BLAINE

M. MUTCHLER
Local storm report, Mar 28, 9:51 PM MST, 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  NORTH PLATTE NE
1051 PM CST SAT MAR 28 1998

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

1033 PM    7N HALSEY                 NE   0.75 INCH HAIL
03/28/98   THOMAS

1043 PM    5SSE PURDUM               NE   1.00 INCH HAIL
03/28/98   BLAINE

M. MUTCHLER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 28, 5:52 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFGarden63 min
Mar 28, 6:15 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFArthur, Keith65 min
Mar 28, 6:28 PM MSTTornado WarningLBFArthur62 min
Mar 28, 7:22 PM MSTTornado WarningLBFMcPherson63 min
Mar 28, 7:26 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFSheridan64 min
Mar 28, 7:31 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFArthur49 min
Mar 28, 8:15 PM MSTTornado WarningLBFHooker35 min
Mar 28, 8:22 PM MSTTornado WarningLBFThomas63 min
Mar 28, 9:13 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFBlaine, Brown, Cherry62 min
Mar 28, 9:13 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFThomas62 min
Mar 28, 9:38 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFSheridan62 min
Mar 28, 10:13 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFBrown, Rock62 min
Mar 28, 10:56 PM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFRock49 min
Mar 29, 12:24 AM MSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCherry46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Nebraska, 1998Every 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.