Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 92, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 20, 1987Bexar County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 1987, 6:13 PM CDT for Bexar County, Texas. It was in force for 2 hr. 1 report 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
May 20, 1987, 6:13 PM CDT (23:13 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 1987, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Bexar 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 20, 6:47 PM CDTHail 1.75Bexar, 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

Victoria Regiona, TX (KVCT), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 171 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 1987-05-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1847 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 1987-05-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 159 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
1847 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-22 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
564 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
159 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
257 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 202313
SVRSAT
TXC029-210115-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
613 PM CDT WED MAY 20 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  815 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH TEXAS
          ...EASTERN BEXAR
 
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM HAS DEVELOPED ALONG THE WILSON BEXAR COUNTY
LINE AND IS MOVING NORTH AT 10 TO 15 MPH. RADAR HAS INDICATED HAIL IN
THIS STORM. PERSONS TRAVELING IN THIS AREA SHOULD AVOID  LOW WATER
CROSSINGS.
 
REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MP
...HAIL 3/4 INCH OR MORE IN DIAMETER...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND VERY HEA
RAIN. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.
 
PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO...TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO STATION
FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS REGARDING THIS SEVERE WEATHER EVENT.

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 20, 5:14 PM CDT, 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
515 PM CDT WED MAY 20 1987

HONDO RADAR INDICATES A THUNDERSTORM HAS DEVELOPED IN THE DILLEY AREA...
IN SOUTHERN FRIO COUNTY...DURING THE PAST HALF HOUR.

THIS THUNDERSTORM LIKELY CONTAINS SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...
GUSTY WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WHICH MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING
OF LOW-LYING AREAS IN AND AROUND DILLEY AND SOUTHERN FRIO COUNTY.  THE
FRIO RIVER MAY COLLECT SOME OF THIS RUNOFF AND REFLECT SMALL RISES
DOWNSTREAM BELOW DILLEY TONIGHT.

THE MOVEMENT OF THIS THUNDERSTORM IS TOWARD THE NORTHEAST...WHICH WILL
TRACK IT ALONG INTERSTATE 35.  TRAVEL BETWEEN DEVINE...PEARSALL AND
DILLEY MAY BE RESTRICTED BY HEAVY RAIN...SLICK ROADWAYS AND REDUCED
VISIBILITY FOR ANOTHER HOUR OR SO.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS
WARRANT...SO PLEASE STAY TUNED.
Special weather statement, May 20, 6:06 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
610 PM CDT WED MAY 20 1987

HONDO RADAR INDICATES A THUNDERSTORM HAS DEVELOPED BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO
AND FLORESVILLE...IN EXTREME WESTERN WILSON COUNTY.

THIS THUNDERSTORM LIKELY CONTAINS SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...
GUSTY WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WHICH MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING
OF LOW-LYING AREAS BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO AND FLORESVILLE.  FISHERMEN AND
BOATERS CLOSE TO BRAUNIG LAKE AND CALAVERAS LAKE SHOULD SEEK SHELTER
AND MOVE TO SHORE AND AWAY FROM THE WATER AT ONCE.

THE MOVEMENT OF THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL TAKE IT ACROSS EXTREME EASTERN
BEXAR COUNTY...TO THE EAST OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.  MOTORISTS ON
US 181 SHOULD BE ALERT FOR REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN HEAVY RAIN...AS
WELL AS SLICK AND WET ROADS AND HIGHWAYS.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS
WARRANT...SO PLEASE STAY TUNED.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 19, 7:26 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBexar3 hr
May 19, 8:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar60 min
May 19, 8:09 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXGuadalupe3 hr
May 19, 8:28 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXBexar62 min
May 19, 8:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMcMullen55 min
May 19, 9:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGuadalupe59 min
May 19, 9:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilson66 min
May 19, 10:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGonzales, Karnes65 min
May 19, 11:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXDeWitt55 min
May 20, 12:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXLavaca55 min
May 20, 5:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFrio61 min
May 20, 6:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFrio66 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.