Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1988

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

June 2, 1988Lampasas County, San Saba County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this tornado warning at Jun 2, 1988, 5:29 PM CDT for Lampasas County, San Saba County, Texas. It was in force for 31 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
Jun 2, 1988, 5:29 PM CDT (22:29 UTC)
Expired
Jun 2, 1988, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Lampasas County, TX, San Saba 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
Jun 2, 5:45 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0San Saba, TX
Jun 2, 6:00 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Lampasas, 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, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 123 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 1988-06-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2270 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, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 12:00Z on 1988-06-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 192 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
2270 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-57 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
629 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
192 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
229 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.7
Supercell composite
9.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAUS 022230
TORAUS
TXC281-411-022300-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
529 PM CDT THU JUN 2 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  600 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
          ...WESTERN LAMPASAS...EASTERN SAN SABA
 
RADAR INDICATES A POSSIBLE TORNADO TRACKING TOWARD THE
SOUTH SOUTHEAST... RIGHT ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER BETWEEN
SAN SABA AND LAMPASAS COUNTY.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

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, Jun 2, 12:17 PM CDT, 5 hours 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
1215 PM CDT THU JUN 2 1988

WEATHER RADAR AT AUSTIN STILL SHOWS VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING ALONG A LINE FROM LAKE BUCHANAN TO LAKE TRAVIS TO ELGIN
AND NEAR GIDDINGS.

MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST NORTH OF LAKE TRAVIS
AND JUST WEST OF ELGIN AND STORMS CONTINUE MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTH
AND A LITTLE SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SOUTH TO A LINE ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER FROM
THE HIGHLAND LAKES TO LAGRANGE BY 1245 PM THIS AFTERNOON

PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD WATCH FOR POSSIBLE HAIL AND
STRONG GUSTY WIND.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF
CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON.
Special weather statement, Jun 2, 12:46 PM CDT, 4 hours 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
1245 PM CDT THU JUN 2 1988

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM CDT FOR GONZALES
   COUNTY...THUNDERSTORMS NOW JUST NORTH OF THE COUNTY MOVING SOUTH...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
FOR PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 3 PM CDT.  THE
WATCH IS WITHIN AN AREA 60 MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 15 MILES
SOUTH OF AUSTIN TO 50 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF COLLEGE STATION.
GONZALES COUNTY IS INCLUDED IN THE WATCH.

AT 1245 PM CDT...THE LEADING EDGE OF A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS
ABOUT 20 MILES NORTH OF GONZALES COUNTY...MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTH AT
20 TO 25 MPH.

FREQUENT LIGHTNING...GUSTY AND SHIFTING SURFACE WINDS...MODERATE TO
BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL...AND HAIL MAY OCCUR AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE
SOUTHWARD THIS EARLY AFTERNOON.

RESIDENTS OF GONZALES COUNTY...AS WELL AS ADJACENT COUNTIES IN SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS...SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER
AND BE READY TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER IS
OBSERVED OR A SEVERE WEATHER WARNING ISSUED.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED BY SOUTH TEXAS
(NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES KEEPING YOU INFORMED OF THE POTENTIAL
FOR SEVERE WEATHER...SO PLEASE STAY TUNED.
Special weather statement, Jun 2, 1:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
100 PM CDT THU JUN 2 1988

WEATHER RADAR AT AUSTIN STILL SHOWS VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING ALONG A LINE FROM TO LAKE TRAVIS SOUTHEAST ALONG THE
COLORADO RIVER TO LAGRANGE.

MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR LAGRANGE... NORTH
OF SMITHVILLE... NEAR BASTROP AND LAKE TRAVIS. STORMS ARE MOVING
TOWARD THE SOUTH AND A LITTLE SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SOUTH TO A LINE FROM SCHULENBURG TO LOCKHART
TO DRIPPING SPRINGS BY 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD WATCH FOR POSSIBLE HAIL...
LOCAL URBAN STREET FLOODING AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINSM IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF
CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON.
Special weather statement, Jun 2, 2:00 PM CDT, 3 hours 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
200 PM CDT THU JUN 2 1988

AT 2 PM... WEATHER RADAR AT AUSTIN SHOWS THUNDERSTORMS IN THE CENTRAL
TEXAS AREA HAVE DECREASED DRAMATICALLY DURING THE PAST HOUR. AS A RESULT
THE PORTION OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN CENTRAL TEXAS IS NO
LONGER IN EFFECT. HOWEVER THAT PORTION OF THE WATCH IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM.

LIGHT TO MODERATE THUNDERSHOWERS CONTINUE FROM BRE	NHAM TO SOUTHEAST
OF AUSTIN AND IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS... FROM WACO NORTH TO THE RED RIVER.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF NORTH TEXAS UNTIL
9 PM TONIGHT. IN CENTRAL TEXAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES MILLS AND SAN SABA
COUNTIES.
Special weather statement, Jun 2, 4:49 PM CDT, 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
445 PM CDT THU JUN 2 1988

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH
   CENTRAL TEXAS INCLUDING...COMAL..EDWARDS..GUADALUPE..KENDALL..AND
   KERR COUNTIES...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PARTS OF
SOUTH CENTRAL AND WEST TEXAS UNTIL 10 PM CDT.  THE WATCH IS WITHIN
AN AREA 55 MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 55 MILES WEST OF SAN ANGELO
TO 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF AUSTIN.

AT 440 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER THE CITY OF BRADY IN
MCCULLOCH COUNTY...MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.  ALTHOUGH NO
THUNDERSTORMS WERE WITHIN THE SAN ANTONIO WEATHER OFFICE WARNING
AREA...WHICH INCLUDES THE ABOVE MENTIONED COUNTIES...THE THREAT
OF RAPID THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT EXISTS OVER THE SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
<
PERSONS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE
THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER AND BE READY TO TAKE QUICK ACTION AND MOVE
TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPOACHES OR A WARNING IS
ISSUED.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED BY SOUTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES KEEPING @YOU INFORMED OF THE POTENTIAL
FOR SEVERE WEATHER...SO PLEASE STAY TUNED.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 2, 10:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMilam, Williamson61 min
Jun 2, 4:53 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXMills67 min
Jun 2, 5:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMilam62 min
Jun 2, 5:53 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXLampasas, San Saba37 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988

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.