Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 8, NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
NWS Midland/Odessa, TX issued this tornado warning at May 20, 1988, 6:15 PM CDT for Howard County, Texas. It was in force for 60 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 20, 1988, 6:15 PM CDT (23:15 UTC)
- Expired
- May 20, 1988, 7:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Midland/Odessa, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Howard 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
Midland Regional, TX (KMAF), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 82 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
- 635 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -111 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 819 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 53 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 213 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 196 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMAF 202315
TORMAF
TXC227-210015-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND TX
615 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MIDLAND HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 715 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN NORTHWEST TEXAS
...HOWARD
AT 614 PM CDT SEVERE WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO ON THE GROUND
JUST TO THE NORTHEAST OF BIG SPRINGS IN HOWARD COUNTY. NORTHEAST OF
WALLACE HERDFORD RANCH.
THE TORNADO WAS MOVING EAST AT 15 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR. RESIDENTS TO
THE EAST OF BIG SPRING AND COAHOMA SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDITELY.
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, May 20, 1:46 PM CDT, 4 hours 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND TX 130 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 1988 ...SEVERE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FOR GLASSCOCK AND UPTON COUNTIES UNTIL 800 PM CDT... AT 125 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED THAT AN AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...AND ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...EXTENDED FROM EXTREME SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO ACROSS THE PERMIAN BASIN...INTO THE CONCHO VALLEY. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN NORTHERN REAGAN AND WESTERN STERLING COUNTIES. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO/TV STATIONS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 20, 2:42 PM CDT, 3 hours 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND TX 240 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 1988 ...SEVERE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FOR GLASSCOCK AND UPTON COUNTIES UNTIL 800 PM CDT... AT 225 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM BAKERSFIELD TO BIG LAKE...STERLING CITY...AND ROBERT LEE MOVING EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. THUNDERSORMS WERE SCATTERED IN TERRELL AND VAL VERDE COUNTIES. THUNDER- STORMS WERE DEVELOPING IN SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO. THE THREAT OF LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO FOR UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 20, 3:44 PM CDT, 2 hours 31 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND TX
330 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 1988
...SEVERE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FOR GLASSCOCK AND UPTON COUNTIES
UNTIL 800 PM CDT...
AT 330 PM CDT...A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...20 MILES WIDE...
EXTENDED FROM 25 MILES SOUTH OF MCCAMEY TO BIG LAKE TO BALLINGER.
MOVEMENT HAD NOT BEEN DETERMINED.
AN AREA OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO
ACROSS THE TRANS-PECOS AND PERMIAN BASIN. ONE VERY STRONG STORM WAS
LOCATED AT ANDREWS. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.
THE THREAT OF LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN AND
DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH T?! LBBSPSLBB 0]TTAA00 KLBB 202045
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
345 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 1988
...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY ACROSS THE SOUTH PLAINS...
AT 345 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS TO BE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY
OVER THE SOUTH PLAINS. AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES
EAST OF DICKENS...WHILE A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS SITUATED 5 MILES
EAST OF DENVER CITY. MOST ACTIVITY WAS MOVING EAST AT AROUND 20 MILES
AN HOUR...WHILE THE DICKENS COUNTY STORM WAS MOVING VERY LITTLE.
THE STORM IN EASTERN DICKENS COUNTY WAS LIKELY PRODUCING PEA TO MARBLE
SIZED HAIL...WHILE SMALL HAIL WAS ALSO POSSIBLE EAST OF DENVER CITY IN
YOAKUM COUNTY.
SOUTH PLAINS RESIDENTS ARE STRONGLY URGED TO KEEP UP ON THE LATEST IN
WEATHER INFORMATION THIS EVENING BY TUNING IN TO COMMERCIAL RADIO...
TELEVISION OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO. CONDITIONS FAVOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT
OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THIS AREA...AND SOME STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE
LATER2 THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.
PERIODIC STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED BY YOUR
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AS CONDITIONS MANDATE.Special weather statement, May 20, 5:40 PM CDT, 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND TX 530 PM CDT FRI MAY 20 1988 ...SEVERE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FOR GLASSCOCK AND UPTON COUNTIES UNTIL 800 PM CDT... AT 525 PM CDT...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED EAST OF ANDREWS ...AND 5 MILES WEST OF SNYDER. OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM THE SOUTH PLAINS TO THE PERMIAN BASIN. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH- EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. OTHER VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OZONA... AND NEAR DRYDEN. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM THE BIG BEND TO THE CONCHO VALLEY. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO/TV STATIONS.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Midland/Odessa, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 10:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MAF | Ector | 67 min |
| May 19, 10:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MAF | Midland | 64 min |
| May 19, 11:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MAF | Glasscock | 57 min |
| May 20, 4:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MAF | Gaines | 65 min |
| May 20, 5:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MAF | Midland | 55 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.