Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 2, NWS San Angelo, TX

May 17, 1986Concho County, Texas

NWS San Angelo, TX issued this tornado warning at May 17, 1986, 7:42 AM CDT for Concho County, Texas. It was in force for 63 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 17, 1986, 7:42 AM CDT (12:42 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 1986, 8:45 AM CDT
In force
63 min
Issued by
NWS San Angelo, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Concho 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

Stephenville/Cla, TX (KSEP), launched 12:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 194 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, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 12:00Z on 1986-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2509 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 12:00Z on 1986-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 73 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
2509 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
611 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
73 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
116 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.5
Supercell composite
10.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSJT 171242
TORSJT
TXC095-171345-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
742 AM CDT SAT MAY 17 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

TEXAS...WESTERN CONCHO

AT 735AM CDT A TORNADO WAS REPORTED 5 MILES EAST OF MERETA
MOVING EAST.

 THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY !

 THIS STORM IS ACCOMPANIED BY DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY
 WINDS.

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, May 17, 4:35 AM CDT, 3 hours 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABILENE TX
430 AM CDT SAT MAY 17 1986

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 186 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9AM CDT FOR ALL THE BIG
COUNTRY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN FORT WORTH HAS
ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF THE BIG COUNTRY
FOR TODAY.  THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES..HASKELL THROCKMORTON
JONES SHACKLEFORD TAYLOR CALLAHAN COLEMAN BROWN

AT 425 AM CDT A LINE OF VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM ALBANY
TO JUST NORTH OF ABILENE TO MERKEL TO MARYNEAL.  THE HEAVIEST STORMS
WERE LOCATED FROM MERKEL TO MARYNEAL.  HEAVY RAIN, HAIL, AND STRONG
GUSTY WINDS ARE LIKELY IN THESE STORMS.  MOVEMENT WAS EASTk AT
25 MILES AN HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO OR TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE
LATEST WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS.
Special weather statement, May 17, 4:37 AM CDT, 3 hours 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO, TX
436 AM CDT SAT MAY 17 1986

THE TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR COKE AND RUNNELS COUNTY UNTIL 9AM CDT.

AT 425AM CDT RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
FROM NORTHEAST OF ABILENE THROUGH NORTHWEST STERLING COUNTY TO WEST OF
GARDEN CITY. THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING TOWARD THE SOUTHWEST ALONG
THE LINE..HOWEVER..MOVEMENT OF THE DEVELOPED STORMS WAS EAST AT 30 MPH.

ELSEWHERE..A FEW THUNDERSTORMS HAD FORMED IN SOUTHERN MENARD COUNTY.
NO MOVEMENT HAD BEEN DETERMINED.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE APPROACHING THE PECOS RIVER NEAR IRAAN. THESE
STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

KEEP LISTENING FOR THE LATEST WsEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 17, 5:22 AM CDT, 2 hours 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABILENE TX
520 AM CDT SAT MAY 17 1986

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 186 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9AM CDT FOR ALL THE BIG
COUNTRY...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF THE BIG
COUNTRY TODAY...

DURING THE PAST 30 MINUTES HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED ACROSS THE
CITY OF ABILENE.  MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN HAS BEEN
REPORTED AROUND TOWN.  HERE AT THE AIRPORT WIND GUSTS OF 45 MPH
WERE RECORDED ALONG WITH .23 OF AN INCH OF RAIN.

AT 515 AM RADAR INDICATED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS FROM NORTHEAST
CALLAHAN COUNTY ACROSS THE ABILENE AREA THEN SOUTHWEST TO NEAR
HAPPY VALLEY IN SOUTHWEST TAYLOR COUNTY.  MOVEMENT OF THESE
STORMS WAS EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.  BRIEF HEAVY RAIN, PEA TO
MARBLE SIZE HAIL, AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MILES AN HOUR ARE LIKELY
IN THESE STORMS.

SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS SOUTHER JONES, WESTERN SHACKLEFORD AND
NORTHERN CALLAHAN COUNTIES.  MOVEMENT WAS EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES
AN HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST
WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS.
Special weather statement, May 17, 5:29 AM CDT, 2 hours 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO, TX
528 AM CDT SAT MAY 17 1986

THE TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR COKE AND RUNNELS COUNTIES UNTIL
9AM CDT THIS MORNING.

AT 520AM CDT RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR
ABILENE ACROSS NORTHERN COKE AND STERLING COUNTIES MOVING TOWARD THE
SOUTH AT 30 MPH. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS REMAINED TO THE NORTH OF
THE CONCHO VALLEY COUNTIES THAT ARE IN THE WATCH AREA.

VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER WESTERN CROCKETT COUNTY
AND WERE MOVING INTO SOUTHERN REAGAN COUNTY. THE STRONGEST STORMS
WERE SOUTH OF BIG LAKE AND EAST OF IRAAN. THESE STORMS ARE LIKELY TO
PRODUCE GUSTY WIND..FREQUENT LIGHTNING..HEAVY RAINS..SOME HAIL AND
POSSIBLY SOME LOCAL FLOODING. IF THREATENING CONDITIONS ARE SIGHTED
TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING FROM SOUTH OF BRADY
TO NORTH OF OZONA. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

KEEP LISTENING FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 17, 6:30 AM CDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABILENE TX
630 AM CDT SAT MAY 17 1986

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 186 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9AM CDT FOR ALL THE BIG
COUNTRY...

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF THE BIG
COUNTRY TODAY...

SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS SOUTHEAST
SHACKLEFORD, CALLAHAN, TAYLOR, SOUTHERN NOLAN, AND NORTHERN COLEMAN
COUNTIES.   MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS WAS EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES
AN HOUR.

THE HEAVIEST STORMS WERE IN THE ABILENE AREA AND ACROSS EAST AND
SOUTHEAST CALLAHAN COUNTY.  OCCASIONAL HEAVY RAIN, SMALL HAIL, AND
STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE LIKELY IN THESE STORMS.

HERE AT THE ABILENE AIRPORT .60 INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SINCE
BEGINNING AT 446 AM THIS MORNING.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST
WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS.
Special weather statement, May 17, 6:41 AM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO, TX
640 AM CDT SAT MAY 17 1986

THE TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR COKE AND RUNNELS COUNTIES UNTIL
9AM CDT THIS MORNING.

AT 630AM CDT RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM EAST
OF ABILENE ACROSS ROBERT LEE AND STERLING CITY TO WEST OF STILES IN
REAGAN COUNTY. THE LINE WAS MOVING SOUTH AT 30 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS
ARE LIKELY TO PRODUCE GUSTY WIND..FREQUENT LIGHTNING..VERY HEAVY RAIN
..SOME HAIL AND LOCAL FLOODING.

ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED MAINLY IN IRION
COUNTY..WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS BETWEEN BARNHART AND MERTZON. THESE
STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AND WILL ALSO LIKELY CONTAIN GUSTY WIND..LOTS
OF LIGHTNING..HEAVY RAIN..AND MINOR FLOODING.

DURING THE NEXT HOUR THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE
WINTERS/BALLINGER..WATER VALLEY AND BIG LAKE AREAS WHILE THE OTHER
AREA MOVES THROUGH MERTZON AND APPROACHES SAN ANGELO.

A REPORT OF PEA SIZED HAIL AT STERLING CITY WAS RECEIVED ABOUT 615 AM.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES..GO TO A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY.

KEEP LISTENING FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.