Alert archive / West Virginia / Tornado Warnings in 1998
Tornado Warning 26, NWS Blacksburg, VA
NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Jun 16, 1998, 3:10 PM EDT for Greenbrier County, West Virginia. It was in force for 50 min. 7 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
- Jun 16, 1998, 3:10 PM EDT (19:10 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 16, 1998, 4:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 50 min
- Issued by
- NWS Blacksburg, VA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Greenbrier County, WV
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 3:10 PM EDT | Hail 3 | Clintonville, WV | |
| Jun 16, 3:18 PM EDT | Hail 1.75 | Alta, WV | |
| Jun 16, 3:30 PM EDT | Hail 1.75 | Frankford, WV | |
| Jun 16, 3:33 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind | Frankford, WV | |
| Jun 16, 3:35 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind | Rainelle, WV | |
| Jun 16, 3:38 PM EDT | Hail 1.25 | Rainelle, WV | |
| Jun 16, 3:45 PM EDT | Hail 1 | Mc Ross, WV |
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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2:15 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 7.2 hours before the alert went out and 118 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 121 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -77 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 914 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 43 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 92 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 108 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
094 WFUS01 KRNK 161912 RRA TORRNK WVC025-162000- BULLETIN--EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 310 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 1998 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... WESTERN GREENBRIER COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA. * UNTIL 400 PM EDT. * AT 310 PM EDT... BLACKSBURG DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 17 MILES NORTHWEST OF LEWISBURG OR 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ANJEAN MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. * THE TORNADO WILL BE IN THE VICINITY OF... ANJEAN AROUND 320 PM EDT.. WILLIAMSBURG AROUND 335 PM EDT.. << CALL TO ACTION >> IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THE TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SAFETY IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS.. . PILLOWS... OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS. .END/MTE
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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Jun 16, 2:22 PM EDT, 48 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 16, 2:22 PM EDT, 48 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 220 PM EDT TUE JUNE 16 1998 DISC... SHORT WV IS SWINGING QUICKLY THRU ERN TN/KY AND IT LOOKS LIKE MY MTN ZONES MAY BE CLEAR OF THE CONVECTION LATE THIS AFT...AND EAST OF THE MTNS EARLY EVENING. LOOKS LIKE THE ETA HAD THE BETTER HANDLE ON THE TIMING. THE MODELS SHOW ONLY WEAK CAA BEHIND THE SHORT WV...AND DOWNSLOPE AREAS EAST OF THE MTNS MAY BE EVEN WARMER WED THAN TODAY- AT LEAST AS WARM SO MOS LOOKS GOOD. SECOND VORT LOBE TO SWING THRU WED MORN...ANY ACTION WITH THIS SHUD BE EAST OF MY CWA. LATE WED & THU THE RIDGE BUILDS QUICKLY BACK IN THE VERY ACTIVE PATTERN. THE HOT MOS TEMPS STILL LOOK OKAY. THERE MAY BE SOME AFT CONVECTION THU...BUT THERE WILL BE A CAP WITH WARMER MID LEVELS AND I DON/T SEE MUCH OF A TRIGGER TO BREAK THE CAP. THE LOW/NO MOS POPS ARE OKAY FOR NOW. ROA 64/87/64/92 3001 RNK 59/80/61/86 2002 LYH 63/85/63/92 3001 BLF 57/78/62/85 2002 DAN 66/89/66/95 3001 JJ
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 11:57 AM EDT, 3 hours 13 minutes before
NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058- 059-WVZ042>045-161200- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1157 AM EDT TUE JUN 16 1998 ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON... A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE INTO THE OHIO VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON...AND THIS WILL BE A TRIGGER FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE MOST NUMEROUS ACROSS SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA AND THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS OF VIRGINIA...THEN DECREASE IN COVERAGE FROM THE NEW RIVER VALLEY OF VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA...EASTWARD INTO THE PIEDMONTS OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA. THE AIRMASS ACROSS THE REGION WILL BE MODERATELY UNSTABLE BY THIS AFTERNOON. FAIRLY STRONG WINDS AND A TEMPERATURE PROFILE FAVORABLE FOR LARGE HAIL WILL MEAN THAT SOME OF THE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON POSE A THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. SPOTTER ACTIVITATION MAY BE REQUIRED IN WEST VIRGINIA...VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. JACKSON
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 11:57 AM EDT, 3 hours 13 minutes before
NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058- 059-WVZ042>045-161200- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 1157 AM EDT TUE JUN 16 1998 ...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON... A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE INTO THE OHIO VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON...AND THIS WILL BE A TRIGGER FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE THE MOST NUMEROUS ACROSS SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA AND THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS OF VIRGINIA...THEN DECREASE IN COVERAGE FROM THE NEW RIVER VALLEY OF VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA...EASTWARD INTO THE PIEDMONTS OF VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA. THE AIRMASS ACROSS THE REGION WILL BE MODERATELY UNSTABLE BY THIS AFTERNOON. FAIRLY STRONG WINDS AND A TEMPERATURE PROFILE FAVORABLE FOR LARGE HAIL WILL MEAN THAT SOME OF THE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON POSE A THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. SPOTTER ACTIVITATION MAY BE REQUIRED IN WEST VIRGINIA...VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. JACKSON
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 2:00 PM EDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058- 059-WVZ042>045-170000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 200 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 1998 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 800 PM FOR SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA...AND NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM THIS EVENING FOR ALL OF SOUTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA...MUCH OF SOUTHWEST AND ALL OF WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA...AND NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. AT 200 PM...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING RAPIDLY THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...AND SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. SOME OF THESE STORMS HAVE ALREADY PRODUCED SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN AND BECOME MORE NUMEROUS. A FEW WILL HAVE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THESE STORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT AREAS BY 300 PM. WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING... PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS. DO NOT USE TELEPHONES OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS. REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HAIL LARGER THAN DIME SIZE...AND DAMAGING WINDS GREATER THAN 58 MPH. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS. JACKSON
Local storm report, Jun 16, 2:20 PM EDT, 50 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
220 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 1998
TIME (EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
148 PM LAUREL FORK VA 1.25 INCH HAIL
06/16/98 CARROLL
155 PM 4 NNW WILLIS VA 0.75 INCH HAIL
06/16/98 FLOYD
MTELocal storm report, Jun 16, 2:55 PM EDT, 15 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
255 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 1998
TIME (EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
220 PM FANCY GAP VA 0.88 INCH HAIL
06/16/98 CARROLL
236 PM LOW GAP NC 1.75 INCH HAIL
06/16/98 SURRY REPORTED BY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
246 PM FERRUM VA 0.75 INCH HAIL
06/16/98 FRANKLIN
MTEThe office that day
Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 3:02 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Greenbrier | 63 min |
| Jun 16, 3:41 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RNK | Mercer | 49 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in West Virginia, 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.