Alert archive / Florida / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

January 8, 1998Hillsborough County, Manatee County, Pinellas County, Florida

NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 8, 1998, 3:39 AM EST for Hillsborough County, Manatee County, Pinellas County, Florida. It was in force for 61 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 8, 1998, 3:39 AM EST (08:39 UTC)
Expired
Jan 8, 1998, 4:40 AM EST
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Tampa Bay, FL
Area
Whole counties

Counties Hillsborough County, FL, Manatee County, FL, Pinellas County, FL

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jan 8, 2:30 AM ESTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 00:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 10 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, Tampa Bay, FL at 00:00Z on 1998-01-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 649 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, Tampa Bay, FL at 00:00Z on 1998-01-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 233 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
649 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
965 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
233 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
257 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.0
Supercell composite
4.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.

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.

NWS Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jan 8, 1:40 AM EST, 1 hour 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 8, 1:40 AM EST, 1 hour 59 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 7, 10:32 PM EST, 5 hours 7 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-080900-

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1032 PM EST WED JAN 7 1998

...RISK OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY
   MORNING...
...SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA...

A DEVLOPING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI TONIGHT
WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. A TRAILING COLD
FRONT FROM THIS LOW EXTENDS SOUTHWEST INTO THE WEST-CENTRAL GULF OF
MEXICO. AHEAD OF THIS FRONT A LARGE AND EXPANDING AREA OF RAIN WITH
EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS NOW EXTENDS FROM APALACHEE BAY SOUTHWEST OVER
THE GULF OF MEXICO TO OVER 100 MILES WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF CAPTIVA.
THIS AREA OF RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARD THE WEST COAST OF
FLORIDA OVERNIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY MORNING.

AT 1025 PM EST TONIGHT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SMALLER BAND OF
SHOWER ACROSS WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA FROM NEAR INVERNESS SOUTHWEST TO
TAMPA WITH OTHER LIGHTER SHOWERS DEVELOPING NEAR SARASOTA AND
BRADENTON. AS THE NIGHT CONTINUES THE LARGER AREA OF RAIN AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE ADJACENT GULF WATERS WILL BEGIN TO OVERSPREAD
MUCH OF THE REGION. THIS RAIN AREA WILL INITIALLY BEGIN TO AFFECT
LOCATIONS FROM BROOKSVILLE NORTH BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 3 AM...TAMPA TO
SARASOTA BETWEEN 3 AND 7 AM AND OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE WEST
CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA DURING THURSDAY MORNING AND INTO THE
AFTERNOON HOURS. STRONG WINDS IN THE LOWER AND MIDDLE PORTIONS OF
THE ATMOSPHERE MAY RESULT IN SOME THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING SEVERE WITH
DAMAGING WINDS...FREQUENT DEADLYLIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND
SHORT LIVE TORNADOES OR MARINE WATERSPOUTS.

IN ADDITION...SOME VERY HEAVY RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER MIDNIGHT
AND CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION. AT THE
PRESENT TIME RAINFALL AMOUNTS ON THE ORDER 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH SOME LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN SOME LOCATIONS.
WITH MANY AREA RIVERS STILL ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AND THE GROUND
COMPLETERLY SATURATED ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE
ONGOING FLOODING PROBLEMS ACROSS THE REGION. ALL RESIDENT AND
MARINERS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO
ANY RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG RIVERS...STREAMS OR IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS
SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO ANY RAPID RISES IN WATER LEVELS AND TAKE ANY
AND ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD
FLOODING BE OBSERVED.

ANOTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE EARLY
THURSDAY MORNING OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

MCMICHAEL
Special weather statement, Jan 7, 10:32 PM EST, 5 hours 7 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-080900-

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1032 PM EST WED JAN 7 1998

...RISK OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY
   MORNING...
...SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA...

A DEVLOPING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI TONIGHT
WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. A TRAILING COLD
FRONT FROM THIS LOW EXTENDS SOUTHWEST INTO THE WEST-CENTRAL GULF OF
MEXICO. AHEAD OF THIS FRONT A LARGE AND EXPANDING AREA OF RAIN WITH
EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS NOW EXTENDS FROM APALACHEE BAY SOUTHWEST OVER
THE GULF OF MEXICO TO OVER 100 MILES WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF CAPTIVA.
THIS AREA OF RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARD THE WEST COAST OF
FLORIDA OVERNIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY MORNING.

AT 1025 PM EST TONIGHT DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SMALLER BAND OF
SHOWER ACROSS WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA FROM NEAR INVERNESS SOUTHWEST TO
TAMPA WITH OTHER LIGHTER SHOWERS DEVELOPING NEAR SARASOTA AND
BRADENTON. AS THE NIGHT CONTINUES THE LARGER AREA OF RAIN AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE ADJACENT GULF WATERS WILL BEGIN TO OVERSPREAD
MUCH OF THE REGION. THIS RAIN AREA WILL INITIALLY BEGIN TO AFFECT
LOCATIONS FROM BROOKSVILLE NORTH BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 3 AM...TAMPA TO
SARASOTA BETWEEN 3 AND 7 AM AND OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE WEST
CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA DURING THURSDAY MORNING AND INTO THE
AFTERNOON HOURS. STRONG WINDS IN THE LOWER AND MIDDLE PORTIONS OF
THE ATMOSPHERE MAY RESULT IN SOME THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING SEVERE WITH
DAMAGING WINDS...FREQUENT DEADLYLIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND
SHORT LIVE TORNADOES OR MARINE WATERSPOUTS.

IN ADDITION...SOME VERY HEAVY RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER MIDNIGHT
AND CONTINUING INTO THURSDAY ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION. AT THE
PRESENT TIME RAINFALL AMOUNTS ON THE ORDER 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH SOME LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN SOME LOCATIONS.
WITH MANY AREA RIVERS STILL ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AND THE GROUND
COMPLETERLY SATURATED ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE
ONGOING FLOODING PROBLEMS ACROSS THE REGION. ALL RESIDENT AND
MARINERS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO
ANY RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG RIVERS...STREAMS OR IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS
SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO ANY RAPID RISES IN WATER LEVELS AND TAKE ANY
AND ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD
FLOODING BE OBSERVED.

ANOTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE EARLY
THURSDAY MORNING OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

MCMICHAEL
Special weather statement, Jan 8, 3:15 AM EST, 24 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-080900-

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
315 AM EST THU JAN 8 1998

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH 900 AM EST...

...SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA TODAY...

A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE EASTERN GULF...ASSOCIATED
WITH AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE...WILL MOVE ONSHORE WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP. THIS MORNING...WINDS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
TORNADOES OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA FROM SARASOTA AND DESOTO COUNTIES
NORTHWARD.

IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON OVER
THE REGION. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN SOME LOCATIONS. MANY AREA RIVERS REMAIN
ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE ONGOING
FLOODING PROBLEMS. ALL RESIDENTS AND MARINERS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY DEVELOPING WEATHER CONDITIONS
THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG RIVERS...STREAMS OR IN
FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO ANY RAPID RISES IN WATER LEVELS
AND TAKE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD
FLOODING BE OBSERVED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO...TELEVISION...OR CABLE TELEVISION
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

COLLINS
Special weather statement, Jan 8, 3:15 AM EST, 24 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-080900-

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
315 AM EST THU JAN 8 1998

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH 900 AM EST...

...SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA TODAY...

A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE EASTERN GULF...ASSOCIATED
WITH AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE...WILL MOVE ONSHORE WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP. THIS MORNING...WINDS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
TORNADOES OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA FROM SARASOTA AND DESOTO COUNTIES
NORTHWARD.

IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON OVER
THE REGION. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN SOME LOCATIONS. MANY AREA RIVERS REMAIN
ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE ONGOING
FLOODING PROBLEMS. ALL RESIDENTS AND MARINERS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY DEVELOPING WEATHER CONDITIONS
THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG RIVERS...STREAMS OR IN
FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO ANY RAPID RISES IN WATER LEVELS
AND TAKE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD
FLOODING BE OBSERVED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO...TELEVISION...OR CABLE TELEVISION
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

COLLINS
Special weather statement, Jan 8, 3:20 AM EST, 19 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-081100-

...CORRECTION TO EXPIRATION TIME...

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
320 AM EST THU JAN 8 1998

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH 900 AM EST...

...SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA TODAY...

A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE EASTERN GULF...ASSOCIATED
WITH AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE...WILL MOVE ONSHORE WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP. THIS MORNING...WINDS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
TORNADOES OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA FROM SARASOTA AND DESOTO COUNTIES
NORTHWARD.

IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON OVER
THE REGION. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN SOME LOCATIONS. MANY AREA RIVERS REMAIN
ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE ONGOING
FLOODING PROBLEMS. ALL RESIDENTS AND MARINERS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY DEVELOPING WEATHER CONDITIONS
THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG RIVERS...STREAMS OR IN
FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO ANY RAPID RISES IN WATER LEVELS
AND TAKE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD
FLOODING BE OBSERVED.p

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO...TELEVISION...OR CABLE TELEVISION
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

COLLINS
Special weather statement, Jan 8, 3:20 AM EST, 19 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-GMZ830-850-853-856-081100-

...CORRECTION TO EXPIRATION TIME...

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
320 AM EST THU JAN 8 1998

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH 900 AM EST...

...SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA TODAY...

A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE EASTERN GULF...ASSOCIATED
WITH AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE...WILL MOVE ONSHORE WEST CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP. THIS MORNING...WINDS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
TORNADOES OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA FROM SARASOTA AND DESOTO COUNTIES
NORTHWARD.

IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON OVER
THE REGION. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE IN SOME LOCATIONS. MANY AREA RIVERS REMAIN
ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AND ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE ONGOING
FLOODING PROBLEMS. ALL RESIDENTS AND MARINERS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY DEVELOPING WEATHER CONDITIONS
THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG RIVERS...STREAMS OR IN
FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO ANY RAPID RISES IN WATER LEVELS
AND TAKE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD
FLOODING BE OBSERVED.p

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO...TELEVISION...OR CABLE TELEVISION
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

COLLINS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 8, 3:39 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWSarasota61 min
Jan 8, 5:01 AM ESTTornado WarningTBWPasco, Sumter29 min
Jan 8, 7:08 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWSarasota62 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Florida, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.