Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 23, NWS Lake Charles, LA
NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 21, 1998, 8:55 PM CST for Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 35 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
- Jan 21, 1998, 8:55 PM CST (02:55 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 21, 1998, 9:30 PM CST
- In force
- 35 min
- Issued by
- NWS Lake Charles, LA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Calcasieu Parish, LA
The radar
The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 18 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:55 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, 9:00 PM CST | Hail 0.75 | Sulphur, LA |
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, 2.9 hours before the alert went out and 19 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.
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
482 WUUS1 KLCH 220256 RRA SVRLCH LAC019-220330- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA 855 PM CST WED JAN 21 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES LA HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA ...CALCASIEU PARISH AT 850 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DEQUINCY. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT THE DEQUINCY AREA BETWEEN 855 AND 915 PM. LARGE HAIL IS THE PRIMARY THREAT. THIS THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL WHICH COULD CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. TORRENTIAL RAIN REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THIS STORM. MOTORISTS CAUGHT ON THE OPEN ROAD SHOULD SLOW DOWN OR PULL OVER UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. DO NOT DRIVE INTO LOW-LYING AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT FOR YOUR TO CROSS SAFELY. 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 10 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 7:45 PM CST, 1 hour 10 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 46 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 42 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
ERICKSONLocal storm report, Jan 21, 6:13 PM CST, 2 hours 42 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
ERICKSONLocal storm report, Jan 21, 7:35 PM CST, 1 hour 20 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
ERICKSONLocal storm report, Jan 21, 7:35 PM CST, 1 hour 20 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
ERICKSONLocal storm report, Jan 21, 8:34 PM CST, 21 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
ERICKSONThe office that day
Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 21, 6:08 PM CST | Tornado Warning | LCH | Beauregard, Vernon | 57 min |
| Jan 21, 9:23 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Beauregard | 62 min |
| Jan 21, 9:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Allen | 62 min |
| Jan 21, 9:47 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Jefferson Davis | 63 min |
| Jan 21, 10:24 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Avoyelles | 46 min |
| Jan 21, 10:25 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Beauregard | 65 min |
| Jan 21, 11:01 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Calcasieu, Cameron | 64 min |
| Jan 21, 11:14 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LCH | Beauregard | 2 hr |
| Jan 21, 11:31 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Allen, Jefferson Davis | 64 min |
| Jan 21, 11:50 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LCH | Calcasieu | 2 hr |
| Jan 22, 12:06 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Calcasieu, Cameron | 64 min |
| Jan 22, 1:08 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Jefferson Davis | 47 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 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.