Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 40, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

May 31, 1998Berks County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 1998, 8:11 PM EDT for Berks County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 64 min. 5 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 31, 1998, 8:11 PM EDT (00:11 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 1998, 9:15 PM EDT
In force
64 min
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Whole counties

County Berks County, PA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 31, 8:40 PM EDTHail 0.75Centerport, PA
May 31, 8:55 PM EDTThunderstorm WindLeesport, PA
May 31, 9:00 PM EDTTornado F3Evansville, PA
May 31, 9:10 PM EDTHail 1.75Moselem Spgs, PA
May 31, 9:20 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 50Kutztown, PA

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, 5:00 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 206 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 00:00Z on 1998-06-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3110 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 00:00Z on 1998-06-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 203 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
3110 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-29 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1063 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
203 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
277 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.0
Supercell composite
18.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

629 
WUUS1 KPHL 010012 RRA
SVRPHL
PAC011-010115-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
811 PM EDT SUN MAY 31 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY NJ HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN BERKS COUNTY IN PENNSYLVANIA

* UNTIL 915 PM EDT

* AT 809 PM EDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF FRYSTOWN MOVING
  EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  STRAUSSTOWN AT 817 PM EDT
  BERNVILLE AT 820 PM EDT
  CENTERPORT AT 831 PM EDT

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH
LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND DO
NOT STAND NEAR WINDOWS. FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR
ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.

FOR THE LATEST STORM INFORMATION...PLEASE TUNE TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO...YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE
TELEVISION OUTLET.

KRAUS/DELISI

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 8:37 PM EDTTornado WarningPHIBerks33 min
May 31, 9:07 PM EDTTornado WarningPHIBerks, Lehigh48 min
May 31, 9:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBerks46 min
May 31, 9:39 PM EDTTornado WarningPHIBerks, Chester36 min
May 31, 9:43 PM EDTTornado WarningPHIBucks32 min
May 31, 10:01 PM EDTTornado WarningPHIMonroe34 min
May 31, 10:21 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBucks, Montgomery49 min
May 31, 11:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHINorthampton34 min
Jun 1, 12:17 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBerks48 min
Jun 1, 12:40 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIChester50 min
Jun 1, 12:54 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBucks31 min
Jun 1, 1:00 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIDelaware50 min
Jun 1, 1:15 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIPhiladelphia35 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Pennsylvania, 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.