Alert archive / Tennessee / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 261, NWS Morristown, TN

May 31, 1998Anderson County, Claiborne County, Union County, Tennessee

NWS Morristown, TN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 1998, 11:30 PM EDT for Anderson County, Claiborne County, Union County, Tennessee. It was in force for 60 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
May 31, 1998, 11:30 PM EDT (03:30 UTC)
Expired
Jun 1, 1998, 12:30 AM EDT
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS Morristown, TN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Anderson County, TN, Claiborne County, TN, Union County, TN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 31, 11:55 PM EDTThunderstorm WindClairfield, TN

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 31, 9:45 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 3.5 hours before the alert went out and 243 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1998-06-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3629 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1998-06-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 156 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
3629 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1064 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
156 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
302 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
5.1
Supercell composite
21.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMRX 010330 RRA
SVRMRX
TNC001-025-049-129-173-010430-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
1130 PM EDT (1030 PM CDT) SUN MAY 31 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  ANDERSON COUNTY IN EASTERN TENNESSEE
  CLAIBORNE COUNTY IN EASTERN TENNESSEE
  FENTRESS COUNTY IN EASTERN TENNESSEE
  MORGAN COUNTY IN EASTERN TENNESSEE
  UNION COUNTY IN EASTERN TENNESSEE

* UNTIL 1230 AM EDT (1130 PM CDT)

* AT 1127 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PALL MALL IN FENTRESS COUNTY TO NEAR CLAIRFIELD
  IN CLAIBORNE... MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  WARTBURG AROUND 1145 PM EDT
  OAK RIDGE AND MAYNARDVILLE AROUND 1150 PM EDT

GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS! A TORNADO
WATCH IS IN EFFECT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO
PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.

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 Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 31, 8:25 PM EDT, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 8:25 PM EDT, 3 hours 5 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
825 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 1998

MODIFIED BNA SOUNDING RATHER LETHAL THIS EVE WITH CAPE ARND 2800 AND
HELICITY ARND 300.  WITH THIS PROFILE...SUPERCELL STORMS MAY DEVELOP
ALTHOUGH MAIN THREAT APPEARS TO BE DOWNBURST WIND AND HAIL.  INITIAL
LINE OF STORMS MOVG ALONG OUTFLOW WL REACH SW VA ZONES ARND 02Z AND
LATER WHILE DEVELOPMENT WL OCCUR AFT MIDNITE MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF
THE FA WITH TE EXCEPTION OF EXTREME NE TN ZONES.  STORMS WL REACH THIS
AREA ARND 03-04Z.  DONT EXPECT CD FNT ON PLATEAU UNTIL 08Z.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 10:25 PM EDTTornado WarningMRXCampbell50 min
May 31, 10:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXClaiborne62 min
May 31, 10:43 PM EDTTornado WarningMRXClaiborne47 min
May 31, 10:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXScott63 min
May 31, 11:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCampbell65 min
May 31, 11:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXFentress, Morgan60 min
May 31, 11:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXScott66 min
Jun 1, 12:12 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningMRXCampbell, Scott3 hr
Jun 1, 12:19 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXGrainger61 min
Jun 1, 12:28 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXAnderson62 min
Jun 1, 12:33 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXClaiborne47 min
Jun 1, 12:35 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCampbell50 min
Jun 1, 12:45 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXHamblen, Jefferson65 min
Jun 1, 12:45 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXKnox65 min
Jun 1, 1:00 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCocke, Sevier65 min
Jun 1, 1:00 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXBlount65 min
Jun 1, 1:30 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningMRXAnderson, Knox3 hr
Jun 1, 2:02 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningMRXBlount3 hr
Jun 1, 2:18 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXMeigs, Rhea32 min
Jun 1, 2:20 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXMeigs, Rhea30 min
Jun 1, 2:58 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXMcMinn47 min
Jun 1, 4:24 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningMRXBlount, Knox3 hr

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.