Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 22, NWS Lake Charles, LA

January 21, 1998Jefferson County, Texas

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 21, 1998, 8:50 PM CST for Jefferson County, Texas. It was in force for 55 min. 2 reports 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: Jan 21, 1998, 8:50 PM CST (02:50 UTC)
Expired: Jan 21, 1998, 9:45 PM CST
In force: 55 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Whole counties

County Jefferson County, TX

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:49 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
Jan 21, 9:40 PM CST	Hail 0.75	Hamshire, TX
Jan 21, 9:50 PM CST	Hail 1	Fannett, TX

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
Jan 21, 8:00 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 96 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: 1567 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 528 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 120 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 168 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.3
Supercell composite: 6.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

451 
WUUS1 KLCH 220251 RRA
SVRLCH
TXC245-220345-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
850 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES LA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 945 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS

   ...JEFFERSON COUNTY

AT 845 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN CHAMBERS COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
25 MPH TOWARD JEFFERSON COUNTY.

THIS STORM WILL REACH HAMSHIRE BY 900 PM...FANNETT BY 910 PM...
AND BEAUMONT BY 920 PM.

LARGE HAIL IS THE PRIMARY THREAT.

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM. FOR YOUR PROTECTION...SEEK SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY IN A STRONG BUILDING. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM...SUCH
AS A CLOSET OR BATHROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR
BUSINESS. DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.

ERICKSON

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 Lake Charles, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jan 21, 7:45 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 7:45 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes before

SOUTHEAST TEXAS..SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
745 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998

SEVERE TSRA CONTINUES OVER EAST TEXAS...GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED
EARLIER IN TYLER COUNTY.

00Z LCH SOUNDING SHOWING 2000 CAPES WITH -7 LIS.  WITH CURRENT LOW
LEVEL WIND PROFILE...NE-E MOVING CELLS SHOULD HAVE 0-3KM HELICITIES
RUNNING 180-200 RANGE. PRECIPITATION FILLING IN OVER EAST-CENTRAL TX.
FLASHFLOODING WILL BE A POSSIBILITY...ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHERN ZONES.
MORE OF A SEVERE THREAT WILL CONTINUE OVER COASTAL SECTIONS WITH THE
BETTER LOW LEVEL INFLOW.

FORECAST LOOKS GOOD AT THIS POINT...KEEP FAA TONIGHT FOR ENTIRE AREA.
MAY WANT TO BUMP UP LOWS FOR TONIGHT GIVEN CURRENT TEMPS AND
FRONTAL POSITION.

12

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 21, 6:09 PM CST, 2 hours 41 minutes before

LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-220345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
609 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR SOUTHEAST
   TEXAS...SOUTHWEST...SOUTHCENTRAL AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA...

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND
   PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA....

NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER EAST TEXAS
THIS EVENING...IN RESPONSE TO A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
MOVING INTO THE AREA.  A SURFACE BOUNDRY WAS LOCATED OVER
SOUTHCENTRAL TEXAS...EXTENDING NORTHEAST NEAR SHREVEPORT LOUISIANA.
AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WARM...MOIST AIR WAS BEING PUMPED IN FROM
THE GULF OF MEXICO.  THIS HAS SET THE STAGE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR FLASH FLOODING.

THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY MOVE EASTWARD THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT WITH THE
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER SOUTHEAST
TEXAS...MOVING INTO SOUTHERN LOUISIANA. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL
BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THE THREAT FOR
TORNADOES AND FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. RAINFALL TOTALS WILL
AVERAGE AROUND TWO INCHES WITH LOCALLY THREE INCHES POSSIBLE.

RESIDENTS ARE URGED MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STAY
TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA SOURCE FOR THE
LATEST ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.
DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT AT NIGHT TO TELL HOW MUCH WATER IS ON ROADS.
MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE THROUGH WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.

Local storm report, Jan 21, 6:13 PM CST, 2 hours 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
613 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998

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

530 PM     9 W KIRBYVILLE            TX   0.75 INCH HAIL
01/21/98   JASPER                         LOCALS REPORT DIME SIZE HAIL.

600 PM     NEWTON                    TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
01/21/98   NEWTON                         REPORTED BY SHERIFF OFFICE

ERICKSON

Local storm report, Jan 21, 6:13 PM CST, 2 hours 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
613 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998

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

530 PM     9 W KIRBYVILLE            TX   0.75 INCH HAIL
01/21/98   JASPER                         LOCALS REPORT DIME SIZE HAIL.

600 PM     NEWTON                    TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
01/21/98   NEWTON                         REPORTED BY SHERIFF OFFICE

ERICKSON

Local storm report, Jan 21, 7:35 PM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
735 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998

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

645 PM     5 N NEWTON                TX   0.75 INCH HAIL
01/21/98   NEWTON                         REPORTED BY SHERIFF OFFICE

ERICKSON

Local storm report, Jan 21, 7:35 PM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
735 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998

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

645 PM     5 N NEWTON                TX   0.75 INCH HAIL
01/21/98   NEWTON                         REPORTED BY SHERIFF OFFICE

ERICKSON

Local storm report, Jan 21, 8:34 PM CST, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
834 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998

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

815 PM     WOODVILLE                 TX   0.75 INCH HAIL
01/21/98   TYLER                          REPORTED BY SHERIFF OFFICE

ERICKSON

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jan 21, 6:33 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Newton	32 min
Jan 21, 7:57 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Tyler	58 min
Jan 21, 9:11 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Jasper, Tyler	34 min
Jan 21, 9:44 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Jefferson	61 min
Jan 21, 9:46 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Newton	49 min
Jan 21, 10:32 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Orange	63 min
Jan 21, 10:53 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Jefferson	2 hr
Jan 21, 10:55 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Jefferson	65 min
Jan 21, 11:24 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Orange	2 hr
Jan 22, 1:53 AM CST	Flash Flood Warning	LCH	Jefferson	2 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 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.