Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 11, NWS Morristown, TN

April 8, 1998Fentress County, Scott County, Tennessee

NWS Morristown, TN issued this tornado warning at Apr 8, 1998, 1:00 PM CDT for Fentress County, Scott 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
Apr 8, 1998, 1:00 PM CDT (18:00 UTC)
Expired
Apr 8, 1998, 2:00 PM CDT
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS Morristown, TN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Fentress County, TN, Scott County, TN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 8, 2:10 PM CDTHail 1.75Allardt, 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
Apr 8, 11:00 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 172 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 12:00Z on 1998-04-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 5 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 12:00Z on 1998-04-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 140 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
5 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-164 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1652 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
75 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
140 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
180 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMRX 081802 RRA
TORMRX
TNC049-151-081900-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE TRI CITIES TN
200 PM EDT (100 PM CDT) WED APR 8 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KNOXVILLE TRI CITIES HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  300 PM EDT (200 PM CDT)
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN EAST TENNESSEE

   ...FENTRESS COUNTY...SCOTT COUNTY

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES A POSSIBLE TORNADO JUST
SOUTH OF JAMESTOWN MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. THE STORM WILL REACH THE TOWN
OF ALLARDT WITHIN 15 MINUTES...AND NEW RIVER IN 30 MINUTES. IT WILL
REACH HUNTSVILLE IN 35 TO 40 MINUTES.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR~ CULVERT.

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.

NWS Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Apr 8, 9:25 AM CDT, 3 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 8, 9:25 AM CDT, 3 hours 35 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
1025 AM EDT WED APR 8 1998

MORNING THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED OUT OF KMRX 88D COVERAGE AREA...BUT
MORE THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING TO ENTER WESTERN EDGE OF KHTX 88D.  WE
ARE OBVIOUSLY UNSTABLE...AND WITH OUTFLOWS FROM SURROUNDING STORMS
MOVING THROUGH THE AREA WE COULD HAVE THUNDERSTORMS POPPING UP ANYTIME
THIS AFTERNOON WITH MORE ORGANIZED ACTIVITY THIS EVENING AS THE FRONT
NEARS.  RECOMMEND RAISING POPS TO LIKELY (80%) IN ALL EAST TN ZONES
THIS AFTERNOON AND INCLUDE RISK OF SEVERE OVER PLATEAU (CSV) AND
SOUTHERN VALLEY (CHA AND TYS) TO CORRESPOND TO SPC MODERATE AREA.
ELSE LOOKS FINE.

CRW...CONSIDER RAISING POPS TO LIKELY (70%) THIS AFTERNOON. DONT
THINK IT WILL BE SEVERE...BUT DISSIPATING STORMS WILL TRACK THROUGH
SOUTHEAST VA SIMILAR TO THIS MORNING.  REST LOOKS OK.

RDU...MAY CONSIDER ADDING RISK OF SEVERE STORMS...ELSE LOOKS GOOD.

GH

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 8, 8:06 AM CDT, 4 hours 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
906 AM EDT WED APR 8 1998

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

610 AM     MAYLAND                TN      0.75 INCH HAIL
04/08/98   CUMBERLAND                     DIME SIZE HAIL BETWEEN 510
                                          AND 515 CDT IN MAYLAND AND
                                          BAtKER CROSSROADS COMMUNITIES
Special weather statement, Apr 8, 9:00 AM CDT, 4 hours before
NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-034>047-066>074-083>087-099>102-VAZ001-002-005-
006-008-090130-

AREA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
1000 AM EDT WED APR 8 1998

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

A SOUTHERLY WIND WAS BRINGING WARM AND MOIST AIR INTO THE AREA MAKING THE
ATMOSPHERE UNSTABLE.  A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM AND A SURFACE COLD
FRONT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS TENNESSEE THIS AFTERNOON TRIGGERING STRONG TO
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS.  THE BEST
CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE OVER THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU AND
THE SOUTHERN TENNESSEE VALLEY...GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
CROSSVILLE TO KNOXVILLE.  THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE
HAIL AND STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...HOWEVER A FEW TORNDADOES ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE AS WELL.

EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND SKYWARN SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO BE ACTIVATED
THIS AFTERNOON.  THIS COULD BE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION SO KEEP
TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS...OR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION.

GH
Special weather statement, Apr 8, 9:00 AM CDT, 4 hours before
NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-034>047-066>074-083>087-099>102-VAZ001-002-005-
006-008-090130-

AREA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
1000 AM EDT WED APR 8 1998

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

A SOUTHERLY WIND WAS BRINGING WARM AND MOIST AIR INTO THE AREA MAKING THE
ATMOSPHERE UNSTABLE.  A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM AND A SURFACE COLD
FRONT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS TENNESSEE THIS AFTERNOON TRIGGERING STRONG TO
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS.  THE BEST
CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE OVER THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU AND
THE SOUTHERN TENNESSEE VALLEY...GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
CROSSVILLE TO KNOXVILLE.  THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE
HAIL AND STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...HOWEVER A FEW TORNDADOES ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE AS WELL.

EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND SKYWARN SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO BE ACTIVATED
THIS AFTERNOON.  THIS COULD BE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION SO KEEP
TUNED TO YOUR FAVORITE RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS...OR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS ON THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION.

GH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 8, 4:52 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCumberland68 min
Apr 8, 12:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXFentress, Scott58 min
Apr 8, 1:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXMorgan66 min
Apr 8, 2:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXClaiborne58 min
Apr 8, 2:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXScott48 min
Apr 8, 2:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXMorgan55 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 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.