Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 99, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 20, 1987Maverick County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 1987, 8:56 PM CDT for Maverick County, Texas. It was in force for 64 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 20, 1987, 8:56 PM CDT (01:56 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 1987, 10:00 PM CDT
In force
64 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Maverick 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

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 86 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, Del Rio, TX at 00:00Z on 1987-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2341 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, Del Rio, TX at 00:00Z on 1987-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 81 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
2341 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-40 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1554 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
81 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
137 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
5.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 210156
SVRSAT
TXC323-210300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
856 PM CDT WED MAY 20 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH TEXAS
          ...MAVERICK
 
AT 855 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS
THE RIO GRANDE TOWARD EAGLE PASS.  MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT
15 MPH.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...HAIL
3/4 INCH OR MORE IN DIAMETER...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY
RAIN.
 
PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO...TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO STATION
FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS REGARDING THIS SEVERE WEATHER EVENT.
 
WHEN A THUNDERSTORM THREATENS...SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A HOME OR
BUILDING AWAY FROM DOORS AND WINDOWS.  REFRAIN FROM USING ELECTRICAL
APPLIANCES.
 
YOU SHOULD ASK THE NEAREST LAWy ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO RELAY YOUR
SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

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 20, 7:04 PM CDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
700 PM CDT WED MAY 20 1987

TIME         EVENT

 540 PM      PEA SIZE HAIL AT DERBY...FRIO COUNTY
 618 PM      MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN DILLEY...FRIO COUNTY
 619 PM      MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT FAIRVIEW...WILSON COUNTY
 625 PM      PEA SIZE HAIL IN CHARLOTTE...ATASCOSA COUNTY
 626 PM      PEA SIZE HAIL AT LAKE CALAVARAS...BEXAR COUNTY
 630 PM      HAIL SIZE UNKNOWN...WESTERN WILSON COUNTY
 635 PM      S4 INCH DIAMETER HAIL AT DILLEY...FRIO COUNTY
 647 PM      PEA TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL SOUTHEAST OF LAKE CALAVARAS
             ...BEXAR COUNTY
Special weather statement, May 20, 7:18 PM CDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
718 PM CDT WED MAY 20 1987

AT 715 PM CDT AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS DEVELOPING ABOUT 35 MILES
WEST OF DEL RIO...BETWEEN COMSTOCK AND LANGTRY...AND WAS MOVING
NORTHEAST INTO VAL VERDE COUNTY AT 15 MPH.  AN ENTENSE THUNDERSTORM
WITHIN THIS AREA WAS SOUTHEAST OF COMSTOCK AN JUST SOUTH OF THE RIO
GRANDE RIVER.  PERSONS LIVING BETWEEN BETWEEN COMSTOCK AND LANGTRY
SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IF THIS STORM MOVES
INTO THEIR VICINITY.

BOATERS ON LAKE AMISTAD...RIO GRANDE...PECOS AND DEVILS RIVERS SHOULD
BE AWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL DANGEROUS STORM AND CONSIDER MOVING TO A
SAFE HARBOR. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNINhG HAS BEEN REPORTED
OUT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
QUITE LIKELY FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
Special weather statement, May 20, 7:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
740 PM CDT WED MAY 20 1987

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY CONTINUES IN AND AROUND THE CITY OF SAN
ANTONIO SPREADING NORTH AND EASTWARD.

THESE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ONLY 50 TO 60 MILES SOUTHWEST OF AUSTIN
...BUT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISHING IN INTENSITY AFTER SUNSET
AS THEY APPROACH CALDWELL AND HAYS COUNTIES.

RESIDENTS IN HAYS AND CALDWELL COUNTIES SHOULD STAY ALERT TO THE MOVMENT
OF THESE STORMS FOR THE NEXT ONE TO TWO HOURS.
Special weather statement, May 20, 8:09 PM CDT, 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
805 PM CDT WED MAY 20 1987

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF COMAL
COUNTY MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTH.

THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS LOCATED ABOUT 45 MILES MILES SOUTHWEST
OF AUSTIN MOVING TOWARDS HAYS AND BLANCO COUNTIES.

RESIDENTS IN HAYS AND BLANCO COUNTIES SHOULD STAY ALERT TO THE MOVMENT
OF THIS SEVERE STORM FOR THE NEXT HOUR...FOR IF THE STORM CONTINUES/
AT ITS PRESENT INTENSITY A SEVERE THUNDESTORM WARNING
MAYBE ISSUED FOR EITHER OR BOTH HAYS AND BLANCO COUNTIES.
Special weather statement, May 20, 8:23 PM CDT, 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
823 PM CDT WED MAY 20 1987

AT 820 PM CDT AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS COVERED MOST OF CENTRAL
VAL VERDE COUNTY AND WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 10 TO 15 MPH.

VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE NORTHEAST OF LANGTRY.  SOUTH WINDS 20
WITH ESTIMATED GUSTS TO 40 MPH WAS REPORTED NORTH OF COMSTOCK ALONG
THE DEVILS RIVER.  THE MOST INTENSE AND DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORMS
WERE STILL LOCATED IN MEXICO ABOUT 20 MILES WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF DEL
RIO MOVING NORTHEAST TOWARD VAL VERDE COUNTY.

PERSONS LIVING IN THE PATH OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE PREPARED
TO TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IF THIS STORM MOVES INTO THEIR VICINITY.

BOATERS ON LAKE AMISTAD...RIO GRANDE...PECOS AND DEVILS RIVERS SHOULD
BE AWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL DANGEROUS STORM AND CONSIDER MOVING TO A
SAFE HARBOR IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO.  DANGEROUS CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED
6OUT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
QUITE LIKELY FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS.
Local storm report, May 20, 8:28 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
825 PM CDT WED MAY 20 1987

TIME         EVENT

 720 PM      NUMEROUS REPORTS OF PEA AND MARBLE SIZE HAIL NORTHEAST
             SAN ANTONIO...BEXAR COUNTY
 725 PM      ESTIMATED WIND GUST TO 50 MPH JUDSON AND NACOGDOCHES ROADS
             NORTHEAST SAN ANTONIO...BEXAR COUNTY
 730 PM      POSSIBLE TORNADO INDICATED NE OF SAN ANTONIO BY RANDOLPH
             AFB RADAR...BEXAR COUNTY
 802 PM   <   HALF INCH HAIL 13MILES WEST OF NEW BRAUNFELS..COMAL COUNTY
 803 PM      LARGE HAIL AND HIGH WINDS FM 3159 SOUTH OF CANYON LAKE
             ...COMAL COUNTY
 810 PM      PEA SIZE HAIL AT CANYON LAKE...COMAL COUNTY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 7:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilson64 min
May 20, 7:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa, Frio67 min
May 20, 7:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXComal63 min
May 20, 8:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBlanco, Hays56 min
May 20, 8:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde56 min
May 20, 9:00 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXUvalde, Zavala60 min
May 20, 9:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa, Frio57 min
May 20, 9:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXTravis63 min
May 20, 9:27 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXVal Verde58 min
May 20, 9:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXKinney58 min
May 20, 10:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde60 min
May 20, 10:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXEdwards68 min
May 20, 10:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMedina, Uvalde, Zavala63 min
May 20, 11:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMedina, Uvalde, Zavala58 min
May 21, 1:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXUvalde60 min
May 21, 6:17 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBexar3 hr
May 21, 6:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXLlano67 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.