Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1986
Tornado Warning 14, NWS Fort Worth, TX
NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 4, 1986, 5:31 PM CST for Ellis County, Texas. It was in force for 59 min. 2 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
- Apr 4, 1986, 5:31 PM CST (23:31 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 4, 1986, 6:30 PM CST
- In force
- 59 min
- Issued by
- NWS Fort Worth, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Ellis County, TX
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 6:05 PM CST | Hail 1.75 | Ellis, TX | |
| Apr 4, 6:20 PM CST | Hail 1 | Ellis, TX |
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. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Stephenville/Cla, TX (KSEP), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 124 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
- 1766 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -7 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 568 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 137 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 175 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.9
- Supercell composite
- 5.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KFTW 042331 TORFTW TXC139-050030- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 531 PM CST FRI APR 4 1986 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 630 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS...ELLIS AT 425 PM AMATEUR RADIO SPOTTERS REPORT A FUNNEL CLOUD JUST WEST WAXAHACHIE. THE PARENT THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST 20 MPH.. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO..GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER OR A CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
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.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 11:40 AM CST, 5 hours 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1135 AM CST FRI APR 4 1986 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 3 PM THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH DOES INCLUDE THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS EAST OF A GAINESVILLE TO DECATUR LINE UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING. AT 1130 AM..WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING ALONG A COLD FRONT WHICH STRETCHED FROM GAINESVILLE TO STEPHENVILLE. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WERE DETECTED BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH. MOVMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. AT THE CURRENT TIME..NO THREATENING WEATHER HAS BEEN OBSERVED IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA. HOWEVER..WARM..MOIST..AND HIGHLY VOLATILE GULF AIR CONTINUES TO STREAM INTO THE WATCH AREA RESULTING IN FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS LIVING IN NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TEXAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN YOUR AREA. REMEMBER IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.. SEEK REINFORCED SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. IF RISING WATERS ARE OBSERVED ..MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 12:19 PM CST, 5 hours 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 1215 PM CST FRI APR 4 1986 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 3 PM THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH DOES INCLUDE THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS EAST OF A GAINESVILLE TO DECATUR LINE UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING. AT 1215 PM..WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FROM MCKINNEY..TO THE DALLAS FORT WORTH AIRPORT..TO CLEBURNE. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED NEAR THE DALLAS FORT WORTH AIRPORT AND OVER BURLESON. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. AT THE CURRENT TIME..NO THREATENING WEATHER HAS BEEN OBSERVED IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA. HOWEVER..WARM..MOIST..AND HIGHLY VOLATILE GULF AIR CONTINUES TO STREAM INTO THE WATCH AREA RESULTING IN FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS LIVING IN NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TEXAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS THE REST OF TODAY. REMEMBER IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED OR A WARNI9NG ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.. SEEK REINFORCED SHELTER. MEANWHILE..IF FLOOD WATERS ARE OBSERVED RISING AT YOUR LOCATION..MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. STAY TUNED FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BY TUNING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO.. LOCAL RADIO OR TV.
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 1:17 PM CST, 4 hours 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 115 PM CST FRI APR 4 1986 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TEXAS INCLUDING THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX UNTIL 3 PM THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH ALSO REMAINS POSTED FOR NORTHERN PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS EAST OF A GAINESVILLE TO DECATUR LINE UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING. AT 115 PM..WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OCCURRING OVER THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE DALLAS AND TARRANT COUNTY LINE. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS DETECTED NEAR CLEBURNE. OTHER THUNDERSHOWERS WERE NOTED OVER LAKE LEWISVILLE NORTH OF DALLAS AND SOUTH OF STEPHENVILLE IN HAMILTON COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. AT THE CURRENT TIME..NO WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA. HOWEVER..WARM..MOIST..AND HIGHLY UNSTABLE GULF AIR CONTINUES TO POUR INTO NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS THE REMAINDER OF OF TODAY. REMEMBER IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED OR A WARNING ISSUED FOR YOUR VICINITY..SEEK REINFORCED SHELTER. MEANWHILE..IF FLOOD WATERS ARE OBSERVED RISING AT YOUR LOCATION..MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO..LOkCAL RADIO..AND TV FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 3:19 PM CST, 2 hours 12 minutes before
^FTWSPSACT SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX 310 PM CST FRI APR 4 1986 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR BOSQUE..HILL...LIMESTONE..CORYELL..MCLENNAN AND LEON COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS... AT 3PM CST WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NORTHEAST OF DALLAS TO CLEBURNE TO MERIDIAN TO HAMILTON TO JUST NORTH OF SAN SABA. MOVEMENT OF THE LINE WAS EAST AT 5 MPH WHILE THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS MOVED NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THE STRONGEST STORMS IN CENTRAL TEXAS WERE ALONG THE BOSQUE..SOMMERVILLE COUNTY LINE AND IN WESTERN BOSQUE COUNTY 15 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF MERIDIAN. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS HEAVY RAINS..HAIL..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE DEVELOPEMENT OF SEVERE WEATHER. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 5:08 PM CST, 23 minutes before
^FTWSPSACT SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX 510 PM CST FRI APR 4 1986 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR BOSQUE..HILL...LIMESTONE..CORYELL..MCLENNAN AND LEON COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL TEXAS... AT 5PM CST WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NORTHEAST OF DALLAS TO WAXAHACHIE WESTWARD TO NEAR CLEBURNE. MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS WAS EAST TO NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE NOTED BETWEEN WAXAHACHIE AND CLEBURNE. OTHER STORMS WERE IN AN AREA FROM FROM LONGVIEW TO ATHENS TO MEXIA. ONE THUNDERSTORM WAS IN EASTERN CORYELL COUNTY BETWEEN GATESVILLE AND MCGREGOR. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS HEAVY RAINS..HAIL..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES. PERSONS IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Fort Worth, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 6:00 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Brown | 60 min |
| Apr 3, 6:06 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Anderson, Henderson | 69 min |
| Apr 3, 6:23 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Hunt | 67 min |
| Apr 3, 6:43 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Denton, Tarrant | 62 min |
| Apr 3, 6:49 PM CST | Tornado Warning | FWD | Henderson | 56 min |
| Apr 3, 7:05 PM CST | Tornado Warning | FWD | Comanche, Eastland | 55 min |
| Apr 3, 7:10 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Van Zandt | 65 min |
| Apr 3, 7:24 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Smith | 66 min |
| Apr 3, 9:16 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Comanche | 59 min |
| Apr 3, 11:49 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Franklin, Red River, Titus | 56 min |
| Apr 4, 3:26 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Franklin, Red River, Titus | 64 min |
| Apr 4, 3:31 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Hunt | 59 min |
| Apr 4, 4:14 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Delta, Hopkins | 46 min |
| Apr 4, 12:21 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | FWD | Red River, Titus | 4 hr |
| Apr 4, 2:15 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Dallas, Tarrant | 60 min |
| Apr 4, 2:15 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Johnson | 60 min |
| Apr 4, 2:37 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Ellis | 68 min |
| Apr 4, 2:59 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Collin | 61 min |
| Apr 4, 3:12 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Dallas, Tarrant | 63 min |
| Apr 4, 3:27 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Hamilton | 63 min |
| Apr 4, 4:13 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Dallas | 62 min |
| Apr 4, 4:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Ellis, Johnson | 58 min |
| Apr 4, 5:15 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Lamar | 60 min |
| Apr 4, 5:24 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Franklin, Red River | 66 min |
| Apr 4, 5:59 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Titus | 61 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.