Alert archive / Tennessee / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Memphis, TN

April 8, 1998Chester County, Tennessee

NWS Memphis, TN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 8, 1998, 9:03 AM CDT for Chester County, Tennessee. It was in force for 32 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
Apr 8, 1998, 9:03 AM CDT (14:03 UTC)
Expired
Apr 8, 1998, 9:35 AM CDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Whole counties

County Chester County, TN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 8, 9:20 AM CDTHail 0.75Henderson, TN
Apr 8, 9:34 AM CDTThunderstorm WindMasseyville, TNSeveral sheds had tin blown off of them. Several trees were knocked down.

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
Apr 8, 7:45 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 2.1 hours before the alert went out and 138 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 1998-04-08Temperature 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°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 1998-04-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 170 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
2519 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
87 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
170 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
224 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

903 
WUUS1 KMEM 081404 RRA
SVRMEM
TNC023-081435-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
903 AM CDT WED APR 8 1998


THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS TN HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 935 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN WESTERN TENNESSEE

   ...CHESTER COUNTY


AT 901 AM CDT... DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN WESTERN CHESTER COUNTY MOVING EAST
AT 40 MPH. THIS STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS HENDERSON AROUND 915 AM.


.A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH
LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 8, 4:51 AM CDT, 4 hours 12 minutes before
ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017-
020>024-030-031-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>054-088>092-081520-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
451 AM CDT WED APR 8 1998

  ...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE OVER THE MID SOUTH TODAY...

THIS OUTLOOK COVERS THE COUNTY WARNING AREA OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN MEMPHIS TENNESSEE..INCLUDING WEST
TENNESSEE..NORTH MISSISSIPPI..EAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI
BOOTHEEL.

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS NORTH MISSISSIPPI
TODAY..AND A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS WEST TENNESSEE
AND PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS.

AN INTENSE LOW PRESSURE AREA OVER THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL
MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD AND CONTINUE TO CAUSE INCREASING SOUTHERLY
WINDS OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES.
AS A RESULT MORE HUMID AIR WILL BE BROUGHT INTO THE MID SOUTH AREA.
TOGETHER WITH COLD AIR AND VERY STRONG WINDS ALOFT...THE ATMOSPHERE
WILL BECOME VERY UNSTABLE AND THEREFORE VERY FAVORABLE FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY.

THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN TEXAS WILL SPREAD
EASTWARD ACROSS LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS THIS MORNING AND
INTO MISSISSIPPI. THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER IN THE
MID SOUTH IS EXPECTED TO BE ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI THIS
AFTERNOON. HOWEVER..THERE IS STILL A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS WEST TENNESSEE AND PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS.

LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH ANY SEVERE STORMS
ACROSS THE MID SOUTH TODAY..WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW
TORNADOES..ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTH MISSISSIPPI.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES..EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS..STORM
SPOTTER GROUPS..AND OTHER INTERESTED CONCERNS SHOULD MONITOR THE
LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 8, 4:51 AM CDT, 4 hours 12 minutes before
ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017-
020>024-030-031-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>054-088>092-081520-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
451 AM CDT WED APR 8 1998

  ...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE OVER THE MID SOUTH TODAY...

THIS OUTLOOK COVERS THE COUNTY WARNING AREA OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN MEMPHIS TENNESSEE..INCLUDING WEST
TENNESSEE..NORTH MISSISSIPPI..EAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI
BOOTHEEL.

THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS NORTH MISSISSIPPI
TODAY..AND A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS WEST TENNESSEE
AND PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS.

AN INTENSE LOW PRESSURE AREA OVER THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL
MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD AND CONTINUE TO CAUSE INCREASING SOUTHERLY
WINDS OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES.
AS A RESULT MORE HUMID AIR WILL BE BROUGHT INTO THE MID SOUTH AREA.
TOGETHER WITH COLD AIR AND VERY STRONG WINDS ALOFT...THE ATMOSPHERE
WILL BECOME VERY UNSTABLE AND THEREFORE VERY FAVORABLE FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY.

THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN TEXAS WILL SPREAD
EASTWARD ACROSS LOUISIANA AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS THIS MORNING AND
INTO MISSISSIPPI. THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER IN THE
MID SOUTH IS EXPECTED TO BE ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI THIS
AFTERNOON. HOWEVER..THERE IS STILL A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS WEST TENNESSEE AND PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS.

LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH ANY SEVERE STORMS
ACROSS THE MID SOUTH TODAY..WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW
TORNADOES..ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTH MISSISSIPPI.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES..EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS..STORM
SPOTTER GROUPS..AND OTHER INTERESTED CONCERNS SHOULD MONITOR THE
LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 8, 7:24 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGFayette, Shelby46 min
Apr 8, 9:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHardeman33 min
Apr 8, 9:34 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGChester31 min
Apr 8, 9:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGShelby36 min
Apr 8, 9:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGFayette51 min
Apr 8, 10:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHardeman49 min
Apr 8, 10:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGChester, McNairy48 min
Apr 8, 11:09 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHenry, Weakley46 min
Apr 8, 11:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHardin, Henderson32 min
Apr 8, 5:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHardin33 min
Apr 8, 5:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHardin18 min
Apr 8, 6:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLake, Obion33 min
Apr 8, 6:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGTipton48 min
Apr 8, 6:34 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGShelby36 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Tennessee, 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.