Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 9, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

March 11, 1986Lavaca County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 11, 1986, 11:11 PM CST for Lavaca County, Texas. It was in force for 35 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 11, 1986, 11:11 PM CST (05:11 UTC)
Expired
Mar 11, 1986, 11:46 PM CST
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Lavaca 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 00:00Z, 5.2 hours before the alert went out and 59 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 00:00Z on 1986-03-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2637 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 00:00Z on 1986-03-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 57 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
2637 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-101 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
580 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
57 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
73 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
1.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KVCT 120511
SVRVCT
TXC285-120600-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VICTORIA TX
1111 PM CST TUE MAR 11 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1200 AM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY OF

TEXAS...EASTERN LAVACA

AT 1105 PM CST SERVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED BY THE VICTORIA
RADAR OVER EASTERN LAVACA COUNTY MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST AT
30 MPH.

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

 THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED EARLIER FOR DEWITT COUNTY

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, Mar 11, 5:51 PM CST, 5 hours 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
550 PM CST TUE MAR 11 1986

...THUNDERSTORMS IN THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY...

AT 545 A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE #HILL
COUNTRY FROM JUST EAST OF JUNCTION TO JUST NORTH OF BRACKETTVILLE.
THIS LINE IS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE LINE
MAY INTENSIFY DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR ADVICES ON THESE STORMS.
Special weather statement, Mar 11, 7:56 PM CST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
745 PM CST TUE MAR 12 1986

...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY...

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHCENTRAL TEXAS THROUGH
1 AM TONIGHT.  AT 745 PM CST A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED
FROM 50 MILES NORTHWEST OF SAN ANTONIO TO 75 MILES WEST OF SAN
ANTONIO MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH. MARBLE SIZE HAIL
WAS REPORTED IN UVALDE AT 730 PM WHEN THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
PASSED THROUGH THERE AND HONDO REPORTED SMALL HAIL AROUN 745 PM.

THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MAY INCREASE IN INTENSITY AS IT MOVES
EASTWARD.  THE PRESENT MOVEMENT WOULD PLACE THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA BETWEEN 9 AND 11 PM.  HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS
ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS.
Local storm report, Mar 11, 10:39 PM CST, 32 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
1030 PM CST TUE MAR 11 1986

 TIME       REPORT
 750 PM     SPOTTER REPORTED 1/2 INCH HAIL AT LEANDER..AND A
            MEASURED WIND GUST TO 60 MPH AT CEDAR PARK.
 754 PM     WARNING ISSUED FOR TRAVIS AND WILLIAMSON COUNTIES.
 813 PM     SPOTTER REPORTED 1/2 INCH HAIL AT CITY PARK OFF 2222.
 816 PM     SPOTTER REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL AT OAK HILL..SW OF AUS.
 820 PM     PUBLIC REPORTED PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL 5NW AUSTIN.
 918 PM     PEAK WIND GUST TO 51 MPH RECORDED AT AUSTIN AIRPORT.

END/JVD
Local storm report, Mar 11, 10:39 PM CST, 32 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
1040 PM CST TUE MAR 11 1986

TIME       EVENT
PM CST

800        3/4" HAIL AT HONDO IN MEDINA COUNTY

815        1" HAIL AT HELOTES IN WEST BEXAR COUNTY

840        3/4" HAIL IN NORTHERN SAN ANTONIO IN NORTH BEXAR COUNTY

925        BASEBALL SIZE HAIL AT FLORESVILLE IN WILSON COUNTY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 11, 8:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXTravis, Williamson60 min
Mar 11, 8:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar64 min
Mar 11, 8:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMedina34 min
Mar 11, 9:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGuadalupe, Wilson64 min
Mar 11, 9:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGonzales58 min
Mar 11, 10:19 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXDeWitt, Lavaca56 min
Mar 12, 12:27 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXLavaca63 min
Mar 12, 12:30 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVictoria60 min
Mar 12, 1:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXCalhoun60 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.