Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 44, NWS Omaha, NE

June 20, 1998Pawnee County, Nebraska

NWS Omaha, NE issued this tornado warning at Jun 20, 1998, 4:50 PM CDT for Pawnee County, Nebraska. It was in force for 35 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
Jun 20, 1998, 4:50 PM CDT (21:50 UTC)
Expired
Jun 20, 1998, 5:25 PM CDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Omaha, NE
Area
Whole counties

County Pawnee County, NE

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 20, 5:05 PM CDTTornado F0Burchard, NE

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
Jun 20, 3:15 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 133 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1998-06-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3330 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1998-06-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 82 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
3330 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-156 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1100 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
82 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
84 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

227 
WFUS1 KOMA 202151 RRA
TOROMA
NEC133-202225-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
450 PM CDT SAT JUN 20 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  PAWNEE COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA

* UNTIL 525 PM CDT

* AT 449 PM CDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  A POSSIBLE TORNADO 43 MILES WEST OF FALLS CITY OR 4 MILES WEST
  SOUTHWEST OF BURCHARD MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  BURCHARD                     AT 455 PM CDT

IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A BASEMENT IF ONE
IS AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR.  CARS AND MOBILE HOMES SHOULD BE ABANDONED.

DAS

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, Jun 20, 11:10 AM CDT, 5 hours 40 minutes before
NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-
IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-211200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1110 AM CDT SAT JUN 20 1998

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA...

SPOTTER ACTION...
STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED OVER PARTS OF
EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA FROM MID
AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING.

DISCUSSION...
A COLD FRONT FROM NORTHEAST INTO SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA IS EXPECTED
TO MOVE INTO EXTREME SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA EARLY THIS
EVENING.  THIS FRONT WILL BE COLLIDING WITH THE VERY WARM AND UNSTABLE
AIR THAT IN PLACE AND WILL LIKELY GENERATE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ALONG THE FRONT BEGINNING AFTER 300 PM.  THE GREATEST LIKELIHOOD OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM JUST NORTHWEST OF
OMAHA TO FAIRBURY.  THERE IS A LESSER THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
FURTHER TO THE NORTHWEST IN THE COLUMBUS AND WAYNE AREAS.

WARM AIR IN THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE IS CURRENTLY INHIBITING
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...BUT COOLER AIR IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO
THE AREA FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING.  THIS COMBINED WITH CONTINUED LOW LEVEL HEATING WILL
AID IN BREAKING THE CAP INITIATING THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

STORMS SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD MONITOR
DEVELOPMENTS CLOSELY THOUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

SKERRITT
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 11:10 AM CDT, 5 hours 40 minutes before
NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-
IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-211200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1110 AM CDT SAT JUN 20 1998

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA...

SPOTTER ACTION...
STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED OVER PARTS OF
EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA FROM MID
AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING.

DISCUSSION...
A COLD FRONT FROM NORTHEAST INTO SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA IS EXPECTED
TO MOVE INTO EXTREME SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA EARLY THIS
EVENING.  THIS FRONT WILL BE COLLIDING WITH THE VERY WARM AND UNSTABLE
AIR THAT IN PLACE AND WILL LIKELY GENERATE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ALONG THE FRONT BEGINNING AFTER 300 PM.  THE GREATEST LIKELIHOOD OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM JUST NORTHWEST OF
OMAHA TO FAIRBURY.  THERE IS A LESSER THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
FURTHER TO THE NORTHWEST IN THE COLUMBUS AND WAYNE AREAS.

WARM AIR IN THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE IS CURRENTLY INHIBITING
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...BUT COOLER AIR IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO
THE AREA FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING.  THIS COMBINED WITH CONTINUED LOW LEVEL HEATING WILL
AID IN BREAKING THE CAP INITIATING THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

STORMS SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD MONITOR
DEVELOPMENTS CLOSELY THOUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

SKERRITT
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 4:30 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-
IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-211200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
430 PM CDT SAT JUN 20 1998

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA...

SPOTTER ACTION...
STORM SPOTTERS WILL CONTINUE TO BE REQUIRED THIS EVENING OVER PART OF
EAST CENTRAL AND MUCH OF SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA THROUGH
THIS EVENING.

DISCUSSION...
A COLD FRONT FROM MOVING SOUTHEAST FROM JUST NORTH OF OMAHA TO NEAR
BEATRICE WILL CONTINUE THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER FROM THUNDERSTORMS
ALONG AND EAST OF THE FRONT THIS EVENING.  THE SEVERE WEATHER COULD
INCLUDE TORNADOES.  IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINS FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS
COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING.

NO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED OVER NORTHEAST NEBRASKA.

STORMS SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD MONITOR
DEVELOPMENTS CLOSELY THOUGH THE EVENING.

POWERS
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 4:30 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-
IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-211200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
430 PM CDT SAT JUN 20 1998

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA...

SPOTTER ACTION...
STORM SPOTTERS WILL CONTINUE TO BE REQUIRED THIS EVENING OVER PART OF
EAST CENTRAL AND MUCH OF SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA THROUGH
THIS EVENING.

DISCUSSION...
A COLD FRONT FROM MOVING SOUTHEAST FROM JUST NORTH OF OMAHA TO NEAR
BEATRICE WILL CONTINUE THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER FROM THUNDERSTORMS
ALONG AND EAST OF THE FRONT THIS EVENING.  THE SEVERE WEATHER COULD
INCLUDE TORNADOES.  IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINS FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS
COULD CAUSE FLASH FLOODING.

NO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED OVER NORTHEAST NEBRASKA.

STORMS SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD MONITOR
DEVELOPMENTS CLOSELY THOUGH THE EVENING.

POWERS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Omaha, NE issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 20, 2:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXLancaster50 min
Jun 20, 2:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXCass, Sarpy51 min
Jun 20, 3:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXGage, Saline49 min
Jun 20, 3:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXLancaster48 min
Jun 20, 3:31 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXGage49 min
Jun 20, 3:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXOtoe46 min
Jun 20, 4:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXLancaster35 min
Jun 20, 4:18 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXGage, Pawnee32 min
Jun 20, 4:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXJohnson48 min
Jun 20, 4:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXNemaha, Otoe52 min
Jun 20, 5:24 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXPawnee31 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 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.