Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 82, NWS Raleigh, NC

May 8, 1998Halifax County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 8, 1998, 12:55 PM EDT for Halifax County, North Carolina. It was in force for 50 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 8, 1998, 12:55 PM EDT (16:55 UTC)
Expired: May 8, 1998, 1:45 PM EDT
In force: 50 min
Issued by: NWS Raleigh, NC
Area: Whole counties

County Halifax County, NC

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 8, 1:34 PM EDT	Hail 0.75	Airlie, NC
May 8, 1:45 PM EDT	Hail 0.88	Roanoke Rapids, 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 nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 12:00Z, 4.9 hours before the alert went out and 179 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 304 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -130 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 880 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 154 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 166 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

809 
WUUS1 KRDU 081656 RRA
SVRRDU
NCC083-081745-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1255 PM EDT FRI MAY 8 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN HALIFAX COUNTY

* UNTIL 145 PM EDT

* AT 1255 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM VICINITY OF GROVE HILL IN WARREN COUNTY...
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  AIRLIE
  LITTLETON
  ROANOKE RAPIDS

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF LARGE HAIL. GO INSIDE A STURDY
BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS

MLM

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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 8, 11:00 AM EDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before

NCZ021>023-038>039-073-083-073>078-083>086-088>089-090000-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
11 AM EDT FRI MAY 8 1998

...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER FROM THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY NEXT FEW
HOURS AND THEN AGAIN IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

(THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA APPLIES ONLY TO
THE COUNTIES LISTED AT THE END OF TEXT.)

THERE IS A SLIGHT CONTINUING RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
MAINLY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.
THE MAIN THREAT IS FROM LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS.

IN ADDITION... THE LATE MORNING SEVERE WEATHER OVER THE NORTHWEST
PIEDMONT WILL CONTINUE INTO THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

UPPER LEVEL SYSTEMS CAUSING THE THUNDERSTORMS AND HAIL THIS MORNING
WILL SLOWLY GRAZE THE NORTHERN SECTIONS OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA AND
SOUTHERN VIRGINIA. LATER TODAY WITH THE AFTERNOON HEATING AND MOISTURE
AND THE APPROACH FROM THE FOOTHILLS OF A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY.
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP. HOWEVER THE MORE SEVERE STORMS WOULD BE
IN TWO SEPARATE EVENTS. FIRST THE CURRENT ACTIVITY IN THE NORTHWEST
PIEDMONT WITH THE THREAT OF HAIL. SECONDLY THE LATE DAY HEATING OF
INDIVIDUAL STORMS TO MAKE A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE.

SPOTTER REPORTS WILL NEED TO BE CONTINUED TO BE MONITORED FROM THE
TRIAD TO JUST WEST OF TRIANGLE FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. OTHERWISE
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING
HOURS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE
WATCHES AND WARNINGS.

CLINE
*********************************************************************

ALAMANCE         ANSON              CHATHAM            CUMBERLAND
DAVIDSON         DURHAM             EDGECOMBE          FORSYTH
FRANKLIN         GRANVILLE          GUILFORD           HALIFAX
HARNETT          HOKE               JOHNSTON           LEE
MONTGOMERY       MOORE              NASH               ORANGE
PERSON           RANDOLPH           RICHMOND           SAMPSON
SCOTLAND         STANLY             VANCE              WAKE
WARREN           WAYNE              WILSON

Local storm report, May 8, 12:10 PM EDT, 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
1210 PM EDT FRI MAY 08 1998

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

1159 AM    HENDERSON                 NC   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/08/98   VANCE                          GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED HWY 39 NORTH OF
                                          HENDERSON BY 911 CENTER

Local storm report, May 8, 12:26 PM EDT, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1226 PM EDT FRI MAY 08 1998

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

1215 PM    OXFORD                    NC   .75 INCH HAIL
05/08/98   GRANVILLE                      SKYWARN OBSERVER AND
                                          GRANVILLE COUNTY
                                          COMMUINCATION CENTER
                                          REPORTED DIME SIZE HAIL IN
                                          OXFORD AND NORTHWARD TO
                                          THE VIRGINA STATE LINE.

Local storm report, May 8, 12:30 PM EDT, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1230 PM EDT FRI MAY 08 1998

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

1216 PM    HENDERSON                 NC   .75 INCH HAIL
05/08/98   VANCE                          SKYWARN SPOTTER REPORTS
                                          DIME SIZED HAIL 2 MILES W
                                          OF HENDERSON AND ALSO IN
                                          DABNEY.

1218 PM    OXFORD                    NC   .75 INCH HAIL
05/08/98   GRANVILLE                      SKYWARN SPOTTERS REPORT
                                          DIME SIZED HAIL IN OXFORD.

Local storm report, May 8, 12:38 PM EDT, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1238 PM EDT FRI MAY 08 1998

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

1235 PM    WARRENTON                 NC   .75 INCH HAIL
05/08/98   WARREN                         SKYWARN OBSERVER REPORTED
                                          DIME SIZE HAIL AT
                                          WARRENTON IN WARREN COUNTY

Local storm report, May 8, 12:42 PM EDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1242 PM EDT FRI MAY 08 1998

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

1227 PM    NORLINA                   NC   .75 INCH HAIL
05/08/98   WARREN                         SKYWARN OBSERVER REPORTED
                                          DIME SIZE HAIL IN NORLINA

The office that day

Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 7, 8:03 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RAH	Alamance, Guilford	32 min
May 7, 8:03 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RAH	Chatham	32 min
May 7, 9:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Montgomery, Stanly	34 min
May 7, 9:04 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Chatham, Wake	31 min
May 7, 9:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Person	32 min
May 7, 9:34 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Harnett, Johnston, Wake	31 min
May 8, 9:33 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Forsyth	32 min
May 8, 10:59 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Alamance	31 min
May 8, 11:53 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Vance	32 min
May 8, 12:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Granville, Vance	31 min
May 8, 12:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Warren	33 min
May 8, 12:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Warren	33 min
May 8, 1:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Edgecombe, Halifax	46 min
May 8, 3:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Wayne	48 min
May 8, 3:33 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Wilson	32 min
May 8, 3:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Sampson	33 min
May 8, 3:45 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Person	50 min
May 8, 4:20 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Wilson	50 min
May 8, 4:24 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Granville	51 min
May 8, 4:32 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Wake	33 min
May 8, 4:55 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Franklin	35 min
May 8, 5:33 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Cumberland	32 min
May 8, 5:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Johnston	32 min
May 8, 6:04 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Cumberland	31 min
May 8, 6:16 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Harnett	29 min
May 8, 6:31 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Wayne	29 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 1998 Every 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.