Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 52, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 10, 1986Calhoun County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 10, 1986, 11:16 AM CDT for Calhoun County, Texas. It was in force for 59 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 10, 1986, 11:16 AM CDT (16:16 UTC)
Expired
May 10, 1986, 12:15 PM CDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Calhoun County, TX

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Victoria Regiona, TX (KVCT), launched 12:00Z, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 53 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, Victoria Regiona, TX at 12:00Z on 1986-05-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2085 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, Victoria Regiona, TX at 12:00Z on 1986-05-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 116 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
2085 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-29 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
590 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
116 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
143 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.0
Supercell composite
6.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KVCT 101616
SVRVCT
TXC057-101715-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VICTORIA TX
1116 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND 
SPECIAL MARINE WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE 
FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

TEXAS...CALHOUN
...THIS WARNING ALSO INCLUDES THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS FOR THE
COUNTY JUST MENTIONED

AT 1110 AM CDT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURING OVER
CENTRAL CALHOUN COUNTY AND MOVING OFFSHORE TO MATAGORDA
BAY. A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED BY A PILOT OVER SAN ANTONIO
BAY AT 1105AM CDT.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARDS THE EAST AT 25 MPH.

FREQUENT LIGHTNING..STRONG DAMAGING WIND AND POSSIBLE HAIL MAY
ACCOMPANY THIS STORM.

 ADDITIONAL SIGHTING OF FUNNEL CLOUDS ARE LIKELY OVER THE
 COASTAL WATER AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE OFFSHORE.

. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES..YOU SHOULD GO TO A SAFE PLACE
  IMMEDIATELY AND YOU SHOULD ASK THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
  TO RELAY YOUR SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE LOCAL NATIONAL
  WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO..TV..OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
LATER STATEMENTS REGARDING THIS SEVERE WEATHER EPISODE.

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 10, 6:01 AM CDT, 5 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
545 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 1986

...DENSE FOG DEVELOPING AROUND THE CAPITAL AREA...

YESTERDAYS AND LAST NIGHTS HEAVY RAINS LEFT A RIPE ENVIRONMENT FOR
FOG THIS MORNING.  MANY SPOTS COULD TEMPORAIRILY EXPERIENCE VISIBILITIES
BELOW 1 MILE EARLY THIS MORNING.

THE MAIN THREAT OR CONCERN IN TODAYS WEATHER IS NOT NECESSARILY THE
FOG.  WE HAD VERY HEAVY..FLASH FLOODING RAINS YESTERDAY OVER MANY PARTS
OF TRAVIS AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES.  THAT TOO LEAVES A DANGEROUS
ENVIRONMENT FOR ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING..ESPECIALLY IF THE LIKELIHOOD
FOR MORE HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS REMAINS FAIRLY HIGH..AND IT DOES TODAY.

MANY PEOPLE WILL BE TRYING TO ENJOY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES..AND THAT PUTS
A GREAT MANY OF US IN DANGER OF BEING IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG
TIME.  LAKES..RIVERS..CREEKS AND STREAMS COLLECT THE RUNOFF FROM
HEAVY RAINS.  BEING ON..NEAR..OR DRIVING BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THEM
MIGHT BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH.  WATCH THE WEATHER CLOSELY TODAY.
Special weather statement, May 10, 7:49 AM CDT, 3 hours 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
755 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 1986

...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS NORTHWEST OF AUSTIN...

JUST BEFORE 8AM..RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND A FEW HEAVY THUNDER
STORMS FROM SOUTH OF WACO TO WEST OF GEORGETOWN AND LAKE TRAVIS AND ON
INTO THE HILL COUNTRY WEST OF FREDERICKSBURG.  THOSE SHOWERS AND THUNDER
STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARDS THE EAST AND NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

OTHER WIDESPREAD RAINS AND HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED FROM EAST TO
SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST OF SAN ANTONIO. THEY WERE MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTH
EAST AT 25 MPH.

THE HIGHEST RAINFALL RATE..NEAR ONE INCH PER HOUR..WAS CENTERED OVER
THE EXTREME NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
Special weather statement, May 10, 9:38 AM CDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
938 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 1986

 ...THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR VAL VERDE COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELED...

THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THAT WAS IN VAL VERDE COUNTY THIS MORNING
HAD MOVED TO THE EAST AND NO OTHER THUNDERSTORMS OR RAIN IS EXPECTED
TODAY.

THE DEVILS RIVER IS STILL RISING SLOWLY AND ANYONE TRAVELING ALONG
HIGHWAY 163 NORTH OF COMSTOCK SHOULD CONTINUE TO USE CAUTION SUCH AS
LIN AREAS NEAR CREEKS..STREAMS AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
Special weather statement, May 10, 10:09 AM CDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
1005 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 1986

...THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DECREASED SLOWLY OVER THE HILL COUNTRY.

JUST BEFORE 10AM..RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF RAIN AND SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS FROM EAST OF WACO SOUTHWESTWARD ALONG AND WEST OF THE
AUSTIN AREA TO NORTHWEST OF SAN ANTONIO. HEAVIEST THUNDERSHOWERS WERE
SCATTERED OVER THE AREA FROM NORTHEAST OF GEORGETOWN SOUTHWEST ACROSS
LAKE TRAVIS TO NORTHWEST OF SAN ANTONIO. A LARGE AREA OF MOSTLY LIGHT
RAIN EXTENDED WEST TO JUST EAST OF BROWNWOOD AND JUNCTION. THIS AREA
CONTINUES TO MOVE EAST NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 20 MPH.

ANOTHER AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTHEAST OF
AUSTIN TO THkREE RIVERS AND ALONG THE COASTAL PLAINS TO WEST OF HOUSTON.

THESE RAINS WILL PROLONG THE FLOODING OF LOW WATER CROSSINGS AND LOW
FLOOD PRONE AREAS IN THE CENTRAL TEXSAS AREA.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 9, 8:24 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBurnet, Lampasas, Travis, Williamson3 hr
May 9, 8:24 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBastrop3 hr
May 10, 7:09 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBandera, Edwards, Kerr, Real4 hr
May 10, 7:09 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXKendall4 hr
May 10, 7:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFrio59 min
May 10, 8:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa, McMullen55 min
May 10, 10:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGoliad60 min
May 10, 10:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVictoria63 min
May 10, 11:32 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXCalhoun, Jackson68 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

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.