Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 46, NWS Morristown, TN

May 7, 1998Polk County, Tennessee; Cherokee County, North Carolina

NWS Morristown, TN issued this tornado warning at May 7, 1998, 3:13 PM EDT for Polk County, Tennessee; Cherokee County, North Carolina. It was in force for 47 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
May 7, 1998, 3:13 PM EDT (19:13 UTC)
Expired
May 7, 1998, 4:00 PM EDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Morristown, TN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Cherokee County, NC, Polk County, TN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 7, 3:15 PM EDTHail 1.75Benton, TN
May 7, 3:15 PM EDTTornado F1Wolf Creek, NC

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 7, 2:30 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 7.2 hours before the alert went out and 196 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 1998-05-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 650 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 1998-05-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 193 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
650 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-129 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
521 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
68 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
193 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
5 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-3.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

654 
WFUS01 KMRX 071915 RRA
TORMRX
NCC039-TNC139-072000-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
313 PM EDT THU MAY 7 1998

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

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN POLK COUNTY IN EASTERN TENNESSEE
  CHEROKEE COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 400 PM EDT

* AT 305 PM EDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  TORNADO IN SOUTHERN POLK COUNTY NEAR COPPERHILL... MOVING EAST AT
  35 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  DUCKTOWN BY 320 PM...MURPHY BY 340 PM EDT

A TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND GO TO THE BASEMENT IF A BASEMENT IS
NOT AVAILABLE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR

SMH

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 May 7, 3:13 PM EDT, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 7, 3:13 PM EDT, 0 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
310 PM THU MAY 7 1998

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER EAST TN IN THE WARM SECTOR.  THE
SURFACE LOW WAS LOCATED IN SOUTHERN IN WITH A WARM FRONT ACROSS
NORTHEAST TN AND A COLD FRONT OVER MIDDLE TN.  VERY UNSTABLE
CONDITIONS OVER AREA...SHOULD KEEP THUNDERSTORMS GOING THE REST OF
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  STILL A GOOD CHANCE FOR SEVERE STORMS...
MAINLY OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWA.  SHOULD PROBABLY KEEP THE
LIKELY POPS GOING OVERNIGHT ACROSS ENTIRE CWA.  MAY ALSO WANT TO
MENTION HEAVY RAIN FOR THIS EVENINGS STORMS WITH HIGH PRECIPITABLE
WATER.

MODELS FAIRLY SIMILAR THROUGH 24 HOURS ON THE PLACEMENT OF SURFACE
LOW AND COLD FRONT...THEN ETA A LITTLE QUICKER DURING THE LAST HALF OF
THE PERIOD.  COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO BE JUST EXITTING NORTHEAST TN BY
TOMORROW MORNING.  500MB LOW SHOULD BE OVER WV BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON.
EVEN THOUGH FRONT SHOULD BE THROUGH EAST TN TOMMORROW...STILL SOME PVA
AND MOISTURE REMAINING TOMORROW AROUND THE UPPER LEVEL LOW TO KEEP LOW
POPS IN FOR FRIDAY.  LOOKS LIKE DRIER WEATHER ON SATURDAY BEFORE NEXT
SYSTEM MOVES IN SATURDAY NIGHT.

NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FWC AND FAN TEMPERATURES...PREFER THE
COOLER FAN.

GH

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 7, 12:44 PM EDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-034>047-066>074-083>087-099>102-VAZ001-002-005-
006-008-080445-

AREA THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE/TRI-CITIES TN
1244 PM EDT THU MAY 7 1998

...THERE A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACROSS SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA AND A SLIGHT
RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST TENNESSEE AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST
VIRGINIA...

A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS TENNESSEE TODAY PULLING WARM AND
MOIST AIR INTO THE REGION MAKING THE ATMOSPHERE VERY UNSTABLE.  THE
COMBINATION OF STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS AT THE SURFACE AND A STRONG WESTERLY
JET STREAM WILL INCREASE THE THREAT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES.

ALTHOUGH THERE IS A RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA
INCLUDING SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...
THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE STORMS WILL BE ACROSS SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE AND
EXTREME SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM
CROSSVILLE...TO MADISONVILLE...TO HAYESVILLE NORTH CAROLINA.

THE MAIN SEVERE THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS AND
LARGE HAIL...BUT TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.

RESIDENTS ACROSS SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...EAST TENNESSEE AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST
NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA
FOR ANY FURTHER STATEMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.  EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE
ACTIVATION TODAY.

GH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 7, 1:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXScott65 min
May 7, 1:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXHamilton46 min
May 7, 1:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCampbell65 min
May 7, 2:05 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningMRXGrainger, Knox3 hr
May 7, 2:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXBradley50 min
May 7, 2:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXClaiborne47 min
May 7, 2:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXGreene, Hamblen50 min
May 7, 2:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXPolk49 min
May 7, 2:37 PM EDTTornado WarningMRXBradley, Polk33 min
May 7, 2:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXJefferson, Knox66 min
May 7, 2:55 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningMRXGreene, Hamblen2 hr
May 7, 3:07 PM EDTTornado WarningMRXJefferson33 min
May 7, 3:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXUnicoi, Washington32 min
May 7, 3:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXHancock47 min
May 7, 3:31 PM EDTTornado WarningMRXKnox, Sevier64 min
May 7, 3:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCocke62 min
May 7, 3:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXClaiborne66 min
May 7, 3:41 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningMRXCocke, Jefferson3 hr
May 7, 3:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXJefferson65 min
May 7, 3:53 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXGreene47 min
May 7, 4:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXHamilton, Meigs, Rhea46 min
May 7, 4:39 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXPolk36 min
May 7, 4:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXMcMinn48 min
May 7, 4:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXHawkins, Sullivan46 min
May 7, 5:05 PM EDTTornado WarningMRXMcMinn50 min
May 7, 5:07 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXGreene48 min
May 7, 5:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXHamilton, Meigs, Rhea32 min
May 7, 5:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXMonroe32 min
May 7, 5:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXMonroe, Polk36 min
May 7, 5:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXBlount, Knox50 min
May 7, 6:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXJefferson50 min
May 7, 6:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXPolk35 min
May 7, 6:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCocke, Sevier33 min
May 7, 6:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXLoudon, Roane47 min
May 7, 7:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXGreene, Hamblen47 min
May 7, 7:36 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXSullivan, Washington34 min
May 7, 7:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCocke, Jefferson50 min
May 7, 3:54 PM EDTTornado WarningMRXClay31 min
May 7, 5:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCherokee34 min
May 7, 5:28 PM EDTTornado WarningMRXCherokee, Clay32 min
May 7, 6:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCherokee, Clay35 min
May 7, 6:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCherokee, Clay32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 1998Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 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.