Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 252, NWS Fort Worth, TX
NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 12, 1988, 5:48 AM CST for Tarrant County, Texas. It was in force for 27 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
- Nov 12, 1988, 5:48 AM CST (11:48 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 12, 1988, 6:15 AM CST
- In force
- 27 min
- Issued by
- NWS Fort Worth, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Tarrant 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 12, 5:55 AM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Tarrant, TX | |
| Nov 12, 6:05 AM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 52 | Tarrant, 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 00:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 98 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1134 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -24 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 612 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 53 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 385 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 360 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.5
- Supercell composite
- 9.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KFTW 121147
SVRFTW
TXC439-121215-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
548 AM CST SAT NOV 12 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 615 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
...NORTHERN TARRANT
AT 548 AM CST RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM JUST
NORTH OF DOWNTOWN FT WORTH...MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
THIS MOVEMENT WILL CARRY THE STORM NEAR DFW AIRPORT DURING THE NEXT 15
MINUTES. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM CAN EXPECT STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...VERY HEAVY RAINS AND SMALL HAIL.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'TU DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.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, Nov 12, 1:53 AM CST, 3 hours 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 151 AM CST SAT NOV 12 1988 AT 150 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM MONTAGUE TO HASKELL AND SOUTHWEST INTO WEST TEXAS. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED BETWEEN HASKELL AND THROCKMORTON AND IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF JACK COUNTY. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...REMAIN INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING. PEOPLE IN THE VICINITY OF THE THUNDERSTORMS CAN EXPECT STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND DEADLY LIGHTNING WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE STORMS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST PART OF NORTH TEXAS UNTIL 3 AM THIS MORNING. THE WATCH INCLUDES COOKE...PALO PINTO...STEPHENS AND WISE COUNTIES IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Nov 12, 3:02 AM CST, 2 hours 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 300 AM CST SAT NOV 12 1988 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR NORTH TEXAS HAS EXPIRED... THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE NORTHWEST PART OF NORTH TEXAS HAS EXPIRED. THUNDERSTORMS WERE STILL DEVELOPING IN PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS BUT NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AT 255 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS INDICATED A LINE OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM MCALESTER OKLAHOMA TO SHERMAN TEXAS TO NORTHEAST OF ABILENE NEAR ALBANY. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR JACKSBORO. SOME OF THESE STORMS WERE PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WI6NDS. IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER FROM DEADLY BY STAYING INDOORS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Nov 12, 3:47 AM CST, 2 hours 1 minute before
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 346 AM CST SAT NOV 12 1988 A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR WISE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL 415 THIS MORNING. AT 345 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING IN SOUTHERN WISE COUNTY...MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. THE BRIDGEPORT POLICE REPORTED DIME SIZED HAIL FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS. OTHER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM THE RED RIVER NORTH OF GAINESVILLE TO JUST NORTH OF DENTON TO BRECKENRIDGE. IN ADDITION TO HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...THESE THUNDERSTORMS CAN ALSO PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH YOUR AREA...REMAIfN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Nov 12, 4:19 AM CST, 1 hour 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 417 AM CST SAT NOV 12 1988 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WISE COUNTY HAS EXPIRED... AT 415 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS STILL OCCURRING IN SOUTHEAST WISE COUNTY BUT THE STORMS WERE SHOWING SIGNS OF WEAKENING. MEANWHILE...AN AREA OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO STRETCH FROM NORTH OF PARIS TO PALO PINTO. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. THE STRONGEST STORMS MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY HAIL. FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS ALWAYS A THREAT WITH THUNDERSTORMS. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH YOUR AREA...SEEK PROTECTION INDOORS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Nov 12, 4:53 AM CST, 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 455 AM CST SAT NOV 12 1988 AT 450 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH ACCOMPANYING SHOWERS STRETCHING FROM CLARKSVILLE IN RED RIVER COUNTY TO JUST NORTH OF THE DALLAS AND TARRANT COUNTIES TO NEAR WEATHERFORD. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. THE STRONGEST STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY HAIL. FRE%QUENT LIGHTNING IS ALWAYS A THREAT WITH THUNDERSTORMS. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...STAY INDOORS AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Nov 12, 4:55 AM CST, 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 455 AM CST SAT NOV 12 1988 AT 450 AM...WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH ACCOMPANYING SHOWERS STRETCHING FROM CLARKSVILLE IN RED RIVER COUNTY TO JUST NORTH OF DALLAS AND TARRANT COUNTIES TO NEAR WEATHERFORD. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. THE STRONGEST STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY HAIL. FREQUEN)T LIGHTNING IS ALWAYS A THREAT WITH THUNDERSTORMS. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...STAY INDOORS AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Fort Worth, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 11, 6:20 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Baylor, Knox | 60 min |
| Nov 12, 1:34 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Archer | 41 min |
| Nov 12, 1:58 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Clay, Jack | 62 min |
| Nov 12, 2:18 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Young | 42 min |
| Nov 12, 3:06 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Wise | 69 min |
| Nov 12, 5:53 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Collin | 52 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 1988Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.