Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 34, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 4, 1987Lavaca County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 4, 1987, 12:56 AM CDT for Lavaca County, Texas. It was in force for 64 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 4, 1987, 12:56 AM CDT (05:56 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 1987, 2:00 AM CDT
In force
64 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, 5.9 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 1987-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3052 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 1987-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -11 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
3052 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-39 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
743 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-9 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KVCT 040556
SVRVCT
TXC285-040700-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VICTORIA TX
1256 AM CDT MON MAY 4 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  200 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
          ...LAVACA
 
AT 1255 AM CDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHERN
GONZALES COUNTY MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE
OVER EXTREME NORTHERN LAVACA COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HOUR.
 
THIS SAME STORM PRODUCED TWO TORNADOES EARLIER THIS EVENING.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS O&F 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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

Local storm report, May 3, 7:24 PM CDT, 5 hours 32 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
740 PM CDT SUN MAY 3 1987

TIME       EVENT

1058 AM    PEA SIZED HAIL 8 MILES WSW OF FREDERICKSBURG.
1250 PM    PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN 6 MILES WEST OF
           HUNT.
110 PM     GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL 8 MILES SW OF KERRVILLE.
135 PM     GRAPEFRUIT SIZED HAIL AT CENTER POINT.
135 PM     HEAVY RAIN AND 3/4 INCH HAIL AT KERRVILLE.
1PM-2PM    MARBLE AND GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL AT CAMP VERDE WITH 1.04
           INCHES OF RAIN IN 35 MINUTES.
2PM-220PM  GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL AT CENTER POINT WITH 1.10 INCHES OF
           RAIN.
430 PM     PEA SIZED HAIL IN EAST CENTRAL REAL COUNTY.
450 PM     MARBLE SIZED HAIL IN EAST CENTRAL REAL COUNTY WITH BRIEF WIND
           GUSTS ESTIMATED BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MILES AN HOUR.
455 PM     MARBLE SIZED HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAIN IN REAL COUNTY.
Special weather statement, May 3, 9:03 PM CDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
855 PM CDT SUN MAY 3 1987

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR
THE COUNTIES AROUND THE AUSTIN AND CENTRAL TEXAS AREA.

AT 845 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR
LOTT AND ABOUT 25 EAST OF WACO. THIS WAS IN AN AREA OF SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR LA GRANGE NORTH
THROUGH THE ROCKDALE AND CAMERON AREA. ALSO FROM NEAR TEMPLE TO
NORTH OF WACO THEN EAST TO NEAR PALESTINE. THESE THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 25 MPH.

PERSONS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA...SHOULD STAY ON THE ALERT
AND CHECK FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION OFTEN. ADDITIONAL
STAT)EMENTS AND WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITION WARRENT.
Special weather statement, May 3, 10:07 PM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
1005 PM CDT SUN MAY 3 1987

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR
THE COUNTIES AROUND THE AUSTIN AND CENTRAL TEXAS AREA.

AT 950 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN AND
NEAR THE AUSTIN AREA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM SOUTH AUSTIN
TO NEAR SAN MARCOS AND BETWEEN LAKE TRAVIS AND LIBERTY HILL. OTHER
THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM NEAR TEMPLE TO NORTH OF WACO EAST
TO NEAR PALESTINE. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT NEAR 20 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS NEAR THE AUSTIN AREA HAVE BEEN PRODUCING
SOME MARLE SIZE.

PERSONS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA...SHOULD STAY ON THE ALERT
AND CHECK FOR THE LATEST WEAhTHER INFORMATION OFTEN. ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITION WARRENT.
Local storm report, May 4, 12:11 AM CDT, 45 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
0005 AM CDT MON MAY 04 1987

1200 MIDNIGHT...DPS UNIT NEAR LULING CONFIRMED TWO...TWIN...TORNADOES
                ON THE GROUND JUST WEST OF LULING.

AUS/JVD.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 10:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXTravis63 min
May 3, 10:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilliamson68 min
May 3, 11:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXCaldwell65 min
May 3, 11:44 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXCaldwell61 min
May 4, 12:09 AM CDTTornado WarningEWXGonzales66 min
May 4, 1:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXEdwards66 min
May 4, 2:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBandera, Edwards, Kerr, Real, Uvalde58 min
May 4, 2:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXKinney58 min
May 4, 3:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBandera, Medina, Uvalde58 min
May 4, 3:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXKendall, Kerr58 min
May 4, 4:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBandera, Medina66 min
May 4, 5:59 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar61 min
May 4, 6:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGuadalupe, Wilson69 min
May 4, 6:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMaverick66 min
May 4, 7:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXZavala68 min
May 4, 10:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXDimmit73 min
May 4, 11:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWebb56 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987

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.