Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 7, NWS Lubbock, TX

May 8, 1998Lamb County, Texas

NWS Lubbock, TX issued this tornado warning at May 8, 1998, 3:35 PM CDT for Lamb County, Texas. It was in force for 35 min. 3 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
May 8, 1998, 3:35 PM CDT (20:35 UTC)
Expired
May 8, 1998, 4:10 PM CDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Lubbock, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Lamb County, TX

The radar

The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 68 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:22 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
May 8, 3:35 PM CDTHail 1.75Olton, TX
May 8, 3:38 PM CDTTornado F0Olton, TX
May 8, 4:01 PM CDTHail 1.75Olton, 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 8, 1:15 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 12:00Z, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 142 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 12:00Z on 1998-05-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Amarillo Airport, TX at 12:00Z on 1998-05-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 114 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1677 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
79 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
114 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
149 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.

084 
WFUS1 KLBB 082037 RRA
TORLBB

TXC279-082110-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
335 PM CDT FRI MAY 8 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LUBBOCK HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN LAMB COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN TEXAS

* UNTIL 410 PM CDT

* AT 333 PM CDT... SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO IN THE
VICINITY OF OLTON MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* PERSONS IN OLTON TAKE COVER NOW.

GO TO THE BASEMENT OR A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR




&

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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 8, 11:32 AM CDT, 4 hours 3 minutes before
TXZ021>044-081900-

AREA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
1132 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 1998

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY TONIGHT FOR THE LOW ROLLING PLAINS AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHERN PANHANDLE. THE RISK AREA IS GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF A
MEMPHIS TO JAYTON LINE. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AND
SOUTHERN PANHANDLE.

LATE THIS MORNING...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS
ROTATING THROUGH CENTRAL ARIZONA. THE APPROACH OF THIS SYSTEM WAS
RESULTING IN A DEEPENING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE OVER
EASTERN NEW MEXICO. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WAS INCREASING FROM THE GULF
OF MEXICO INTO THE SOUTH PLAINS WITH DEWPOINT TEMPERATURES ALREADY
IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S.

THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE SOUTH PLAINS BY
LATE THIS AFTERNOON. A DRY LINE WILL EXTEND SOUTHWARD FROM THE LOW
WITH A WARM FRONT EXTENDING TO THE EAST TOWARD CHILDRESS. A WARM
LAYER OF AIR ALOFT WILL SUPPRESS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT MUCH OF
THE DAY BUT BY LATE AFTERNOON THIS CAP IS EXPECTED TO BE WEAK ENOUGH
TO ALLOW THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ALONG THESE BOUNDARIES.

MODERATE TO STRONG INSTABILITY COMBINED WITH FAVORABLE LOW LEVEL
WIND SHEAR WILL PROMOTE THE FORMATION OF SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS THE RISK AREAS. THE MAIN THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING DOWNBURST WIND. THERE WILL BE A THREAT OF
TORNADOES TO THE EAST OF THE SURFACE LOW...PRIMARILY IN THE
MODERATE RISK AREA.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS EXPECTED TO BECOME NECESSARY BY LATE THIS
AFTERNOON OR EVENING...ESPECIALLY EAST AND NORTHEAST OF LUBBOCK.

69
Special weather statement, May 8, 11:32 AM CDT, 4 hours 3 minutes before
TXZ021>044-081900-

AREA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
1132 AM CDT FRI MAY 8 1998

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY TONIGHT FOR THE LOW ROLLING PLAINS AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE
SOUTHERN PANHANDLE. THE RISK AREA IS GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF A
MEMPHIS TO JAYTON LINE. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF THE SOUTH PLAINS AND
SOUTHERN PANHANDLE.

LATE THIS MORNING...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS
ROTATING THROUGH CENTRAL ARIZONA. THE APPROACH OF THIS SYSTEM WAS
RESULTING IN A DEEPENING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE OVER
EASTERN NEW MEXICO. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WAS INCREASING FROM THE GULF
OF MEXICO INTO THE SOUTH PLAINS WITH DEWPOINT TEMPERATURES ALREADY
IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S.

THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE SOUTH PLAINS BY
LATE THIS AFTERNOON. A DRY LINE WILL EXTEND SOUTHWARD FROM THE LOW
WITH A WARM FRONT EXTENDING TO THE EAST TOWARD CHILDRESS. A WARM
LAYER OF AIR ALOFT WILL SUPPRESS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT MUCH OF
THE DAY BUT BY LATE AFTERNOON THIS CAP IS EXPECTED TO BE WEAK ENOUGH
TO ALLOW THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ALONG THESE BOUNDARIES.

MODERATE TO STRONG INSTABILITY COMBINED WITH FAVORABLE LOW LEVEL
WIND SHEAR WILL PROMOTE THE FORMATION OF SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS THE RISK AREAS. THE MAIN THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING DOWNBURST WIND. THERE WILL BE A THREAT OF
TORNADOES TO THE EAST OF THE SURFACE LOW...PRIMARILY IN THE
MODERATE RISK AREA.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS EXPECTED TO BECOME NECESSARY BY LATE THIS
AFTERNOON OR EVENING...ESPECIALLY EAST AND NORTHEAST OF LUBBOCK.

69
Special weather statement, May 8, 1:14 PM CDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
TXZ021>044-090115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
114 PM CDT FRI MAY 8 1998

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE SOUTH PLAINS...LOW ROLLING
PLAINS...AND EXTREME SOUTHERN PANHANDLE THROUGH 8 PM CDT...

THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES ALL OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

PARMER...CASTRO...SWISHER...BRISCOE...HALL...CHILDRESS...
BAILEY...LAMB...HALE...FLOYD...MOTLEY...COTTLE...COCHRAN...
HOCKLEY...LUBBOCK...CROSBY...DICKENS...KING...YOAKUM...TERRY...
LYNN...GARZA...KENT AND STONEWALL.

LV
Special weather statement, May 8, 1:14 PM CDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
TXZ021>044-090115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
114 PM CDT FRI MAY 8 1998

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE SOUTH PLAINS...LOW ROLLING
PLAINS...AND EXTREME SOUTHERN PANHANDLE THROUGH 8 PM CDT...

THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDES ALL OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

PARMER...CASTRO...SWISHER...BRISCOE...HALL...CHILDRESS...
BAILEY...LAMB...HALE...FLOYD...MOTLEY...COTTLE...COCHRAN...
HOCKLEY...LUBBOCK...CROSBY...DICKENS...KING...YOAKUM...TERRY...
LYNN...GARZA...KENT AND STONEWALL.

LV

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lubbock, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 8, 3:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBLamb31 min
May 8, 3:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBHale49 min
May 8, 3:39 PM CDTTornado WarningLUBHale31 min
May 8, 3:45 PM CDTTornado WarningLUBHale35 min
May 8, 4:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBSwisher33 min
May 8, 4:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBCrosby, Dickens36 min
May 8, 4:13 PM CDTTornado WarningLUBBriscoe, Floyd32 min
May 8, 4:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBDickens, King49 min
May 8, 4:40 PM CDTTornado WarningLUBDickens50 min
May 8, 4:45 PM CDTTornado WarningLUBBriscoe, Hall50 min
May 8, 5:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBStonewall50 min
May 8, 5:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBKing47 min
May 8, 5:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBHall48 min
May 8, 5:29 PM CDTTornado WarningLUBStonewall51 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.