Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Watches in 1998

Tornado Watch 82

March 7, 199836 parishes in Louisiana; 5 counties in Mississippi; 6 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Mar 7, 1998, 3:45 AM CST for 36 parishes in Louisiana; 5 counties in Mississippi; 6 counties in Texas. It was in force for 6 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 7, 1998, 3:45 AM CST (09:45 UTC)
Expired
Mar 7, 1998, 10:00 AM CST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 47 counties

Acadia Parish, LA, Allen Parish, LA, Ascension Parish, LA, Assumption Parish, LA, Avoyelles Parish, LA, Beauregard Parish, LA, Calcasieu Parish, LA, Cameron Parish, LA, East Baton Rouge Parish, LA, East Feliciana Parish, LA, Evangeline Parish, LA, Iberia Parish, LA, Iberville Parish, LA, Jefferson Davis Parish, LA, Jefferson Parish, LA, Lafayette Parish, LA, Lafourche Parish, LA, Livingston Parish, LA, Orleans Parish, LA, Plaquemines Parish, LA, Pointe Coupee Parish, LA, Saint Charles Parish, LA, Saint Helena Parish, LA, Saint James Parish, LA, Saint John the Baptist Parish, LA, Saint Landry Parish, LA, Saint Martin Parish, LA, Saint Tammany Parish, LA, St. Mary Parish, LA, Tangipahoa Parish, LA, Terrebonne Parish, LA, Vermilion Parish, LA, Vernon Parish, LA, Washington Parish, LA, West Baton Rouge Parish, LA, West Feliciana Parish, LA, Hancock County, MS, Pearl River County, MS, Pike County, MS, Walthall County, MS, Wilkinson County, MS, Hardin County, TX, Jasper County, TX, Jefferson County, TX, Newton County, TX, Orange County, TX, Tyler County, TX

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 79 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:45 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

Warnings issued inside it

26 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 7, 3:51 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCameron34 min
Mar 7, 3:51 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXWashington59 min
Mar 7, 3:57 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHVermilion58 min
Mar 7, 4:11 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJefferson49 min
Mar 7, 4:19 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXLivingston36 min
Mar 7, 4:24 AM CSTTornado WarningLIXSaint Tammany31 min
Mar 7, 4:31 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHOrange44 min
Mar 7, 4:40 AM CSTTornado WarningLCHVermilion65 min
Mar 7, 4:55 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAcadia45 min
Mar 7, 4:56 AM CSTTornado WarningLIXAscension, Iberville34 min
Mar 7, 5:07 AM CSTTornado WarningLIXSaint Tammany33 min
Mar 7, 5:11 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHBeauregard44 min
Mar 7, 5:17 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHIberia63 min
Mar 7, 5:21 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJefferson59 min
Mar 7, 5:32 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXHancock33 min
Mar 7, 5:33 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHOrange47 min
Mar 7, 5:49 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHHardin31 min
Mar 7, 5:51 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXSaint James34 min
Mar 7, 5:57 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCalcasieu43 min
Mar 7, 6:24 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCameron61 min
Mar 7, 6:36 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCalcasieu49 min
Mar 7, 6:41 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXSaint Tammany44 min
Mar 7, 6:45 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningLCHCalcasieu2 hr
Mar 7, 6:54 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHNewton31 min
Mar 7, 7:50 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJefferson Davis40 min
Mar 7, 8:10 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXPointe Coupee, West Feliciana35 min

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 78 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 1998-03-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 904 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 1998-03-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 65 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
904 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
617 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
65 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
159 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

164 
WWUS9 KMKC 070934
SEL2  
MKC WW 070934
LAZ000-MSZ000-071600-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 82
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
334 AM CST SAT MAR 7 1998

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   SOUTHERN LOUISIANA                          
   SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI                        
   SOUTHEAST TEXAS 
   AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY MORNING FROM 345 AM UNTIL 1000 AM CST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF PORT ARTHUR TEXAS
TO 60 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. 
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

DISCUSSION...INCREASING POTENTIAL FOR SUPERCELLS AND POSSIBLY
TORNADOES THIS MORNING AS UPPER LEVEL VORT CENTER NOW APPROACHING
HOU ENHANCES ASCENT ALONG OLD BOUNDARY STALLED E/W ACROSS WATCH
AREA.  VERTICAL SPEED AND DIRECTIONAL SHEAR SHOULD INCREASE IN
RESPONSE TO BOTH THE HOU VORT AND LARGE SCALE INCREASE ASSOCIATED
WITH CONTINUED EASTWARD MOTION OF 4 CORNERS UPPER TROUGH.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25025.


...CORFIDI

310,0943 311,0891 290,0891 290,0943

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 7, 6:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCCaldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, LaSalle and 6 more5 hr
Mar 7, 8:45 AM CSTTornado WatchSPCBienville, Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, De Soto, Grant and 8 more5 hr
Mar 7, 12:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCCaldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, LaSalle and 6 more6 hr
Mar 7, 1:30 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCAcadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard and 29 more6 hr
Mar 7, 3:30 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCAvoyelles, Bienville, Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, De Soto and 10 more4 hr
Mar 6, 8:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBandera, Coke, Concho, Crockett, Edwards, Glasscock and 15 more6 hr
Mar 7, 5:45 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCArcher, Baylor, Callahan, Childress, Clay, Collin and 36 more5 hr

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 1998Tornado Watches in Texas, 1998Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 1998Every tornado watch 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.