Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

April 29, 1989Caldwell County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 29, 1989, 7:32 PM CDT for Caldwell County, Texas. It was in force for 58 min. 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
Apr 29, 1989, 7:32 PM CDT (00:32 UTC)
Expired
Apr 29, 1989, 8:30 PM CDT
In force
58 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Caldwell 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
Apr 29, 7:35 PM CDTHail 2Caldwell, 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 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 130 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 00:00Z on 1989-04-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2723 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 00:00Z on 1989-04-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -34 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2723 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-40 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1061 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-34 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-6 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.1
Supercell composite
-0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAUS 300032
SVRAUS
TXC055-300130-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
732 PM CDT  APR 29 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  830 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
          ...CALDWELL
 
AT 730 PM...RADAR A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR LOCKHART MOVING
VERY SLOWLY TOWARDS THE NORTH. LARGE HAIL AND POTENTIALLY
HIGH WINDS MAY ACCOMPANY THIS STORM AS IT PASSES OVER NORTHERN
CALDWELL COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HOUR.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A
STRONG BUILDING.  DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

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, Apr 29, 5:58 PM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
555 PM CDT SAT APRIL 19 1989

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM...

JUST BEFORE 6 PM...RADAR SHOWED WIDESPREAD RAIN AND THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY SOUTHWEST THROUGH NORTHWEST OF AUSTIN.  THE MOST INTENSE
STORMS WERE ALONG THE UPPER HIGHLAND LAKES AND WESTERN HILL COUNTRY.

RAINFALL RATES OF ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR DOTTED SPOTS AROUND
GOLDTHWAITE...BURNET...ROUND MOUNTAIN AND FREDERICKSBURG.  ALSO
ONE TO THE DISTANT SOUTHEAST BETWEEN SHINER AND HALLETSVILLE.

PERSONS IN THE HILL COUNTRY AND CENTRAL TEXAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT
AND KEEP UP WITH LATTER STATEMENTS...FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE WARN/INGS.
Special weather statement, Apr 29, 6:04 PM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
600 PM CDT THU APR 29 1989

...DEL RIO AND VAL VERDE COUNTY ARE IN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
UNTIL 9 PM CDT...

AT 550 PM AN AREA OF STRONG TO INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS BEGAN ABOUT 30
MILES SOUTHEAST OF DEL RIO ON THE RIO GRANDE. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
TO THE EAST AT AROUND 10 MPH. OTHER SHOWERS AND WEAKER THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDED NORTH TO DEL RIO AND THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF VAL VERDE COUNTY.
VERY STRONG WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND LARGE HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED
WITH STORMS OF THIS STRENGTH. PEOPLE TRAVELLING SOUTH TOWARDS EAGLE PASS
SHOULD EXPECTED TO ENCOUNTER THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

LIGHTNING IS DANGEROUS AT ALL TIMES...IT IS FREQUENT NEAR INTENSE
THUNDERSTORMS. STAYING INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS IS THE MOST
SENSIBLE COURSE OF ACTION DURING AN INTENSE LIGHTNING STORM.

ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IS IN THE NORTH OF VAL VERDE COUNTY
EXTENDING FROM 50 MILES NORTHWEST OF DEL RIO...NEAR PANDALE TO THE EAST
TOWARDS JUNCTION...90 MILES NORTHEAST OF DEL RIO. MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS
REPORTED WITH ONE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS NEAR HIGHWAY 163 IN SOUTHERN
CROCKETT COUNTY. PEOPLE LIVING IN THE NORTH OF VAL VERDE COUNTAY AND
MOTORISTS TRAVELLING NORTH TOWARDS SAN ANGELO SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THESE
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT
AROUND 10 MPH.
Local storm report, Apr 29, 6:52 PM CDT, 40 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX[
700 PM CDT SAT APR 29 1989

TIME(CDT)    EVENT                LOCATION

0428 PM   MARBLE SIZE HAIL     SOUTHWEST KERR COUNTY ALONG TX HWY 39
0428 PM   MARBLE SIZE HAIL     HYW 29 IN SOUTHWEST KERR COUNTY.
0517 PM   WIND   40-50 MPH     EAGLE PASS...MAVERICK COUNTY
0525 PM   THREE-QUATERS INCH HAIL  EAGLE PASS... MAVERICK COUNTY
0527 PM   MARBLE SIZE HAIL     10 WEST OF CITY OF MEDINA...MEDINA COUNTY
0530 PM   WIND   60 MPH        TREES BREAKING OFF EAGLE PASS...MAVERICK
                               COUNTY.
530 PM    TENNIS-GOLF BALL
          SIZE HAIL            12 MI WEST OF BANDERA...BANDERA COUNTY
546 PM    MARBLE SIZE HAIL     JUST NORTH LAREDO...WEBB COUNTY
615 PM    PING-PONG SIZE HAIL  9 WEST MEDINA...BANDERA COUNTY
          BASEBALL SIZE HAIL
          HEAVY RAIN 1.41 INCHES
645 PM    MAJOR DAMAGE IN EAGLE PASS   CARS BLOWN OVER...TRAILERS TURNED
                                OVER...TREES DOWN...HOUSE PUSHED INTO
                                STREET...EXTENSIVE HAIL DAMAGE TO HOUSES
                                FIRES REPORTED
Local storm report, Apr 29, 6:53 PM CDT, 39 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX[
700 PM CDT SAT APR 29 1989

TIME(CDT)    EVENT                LOCATION

0428 PM   MARBLE SIZE HAIL     SOUTHWEST KERR COUNTY ALONG TX HWY 39
0428 PM   MARBLE SIZE HAIL     HYW 29 IN SOUTHWEST KERR COUNTY.
0517 PM   WIND   40-50 MPH     EAGLE PASS...MAVERICK COUNTY
0525 PM   THREE-QUATERS INCH HAIL  EAGLE PASS... MAVERICK COUNTY
0527 PM   MARBLE SIZE HAIL     10 WEST OF CITY OF MEDINA...MEDINA COUNTY
0530 PM   WIND   60 MPH        TREES BREAKING OFF EAGLE PASS...MAVERICK
                               COUNTY.
530 PM    TENNIS-GOLF BALL
          SIZE HAIL            12 MI WEST OF BANDERA...BANDERA COUNTY
546 PM    MARBLE SIZE HAIL     JUST NORTH LAREDO...WEBB COUNTY
615 PM    PING-PONG SIZE HAIL  9 WEST MEDINA...BANDERA COUNTY
          BASEBALL SIZE HAIL
          HEAVY RAIN 1.41 INCHES
645 PM    MAJOR DAMAGE IN EAGLE PASS   CARS BLOWN OVER...TRAILERS TURNED
                                OVER...TREES DOWN...HOUSE PUSHED INTO
                                STREET...EXTENSIVE HAIL DAMAGE TO HOUSES
                                FIRES REPORTED
Special weather statement, Apr 29, 7:03 PM CDT, 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
700 PM CDT THU APR 29 1989

...DEL RIO AND VAL VERDE COUNTY ARE IN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
UNTIL 9 PM CDT...

AT 650 PM THE INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS FROM MEXICO THAT THREATENED VAL
VERDE COUNTY HAD MOVED TO THE EAST AND WERE NO LONGER A THREAT TO VAL
VERDE COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN A LINE FROM NEAR UVALDE TO
SOUTHEAST OF EAGLE PASS AND MOVING EAST AT AROUND 10 MPH. VERY STRONG
WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND LARGE HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH STORMS
OF THIS STRENGTH. PEOPLE TRAVELLING EAST TOWARDS SAN ANTONIO AND SOUTH
OF EAGLE PASS CAN EXPECT TO ENCOUNTER THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF REPORTS OF HAIL WITH THE STORMS TO THE EAST.
PEOPLE PLANNING TO TRAVEL TO SAN ANTONIO ON HIGHWAY 90 SHOULD CONSIDER
THE COST OF POSSIBLE HAIL DAMAGE TO THEIR VEHICLES WHILE THESE STORMS
REMAIN ALONG THIS ROUTE.

ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS IS IN THE NORTH OF VAL VERDE COUNTY BUT
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE WEAKENING. A RANCH NEAR HIGHWAY 163 IN SOUTH
CROCKETT COUNTY HAS REPORTED REPEATED PERIODS OF HAIL WITH THE STRONGEST
OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ABOUT 50 MILES NORTH
OF DEL RIO AND HAD MOVED LITTLE IN THE LAST HOUR.
Special weather statement, Apr 29, 7:25 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
725 PM CDT SAT APRIL 19 1989

...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS NOW MOVING INTO WESTERN WILLIAMSON...
TRAVIS AND HAYS COUNTIES...

AT 720 PM...A LINE...20 MILES WIDE...OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM
JUST EAST OF LAMPASAS TO THE WEST END OF LAKE TRAVIS...TO WEST OF
DRIPPING SPRINGS.  AN ISOLATED STORM WAS ALOS BETWEEN SAN MARCOS
AND BUDA.  THEY WERE MOVING TOWARDS THE EAST AT 10 TO 20 MPH.

PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR HIGH
WINDS...POSSIBLE HAIL AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH
OF THIS AREA UNTIL 9 PM TONIGHT...

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 29, 7:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar, Medina62 min
Apr 29, 7:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFrio57 min
Apr 29, 7:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXLa Salle, Webb54 min
Apr 29, 7:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBastrop, Travis, Williamson41 min
Apr 29, 7:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa67 min
Apr 29, 7:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGuadalupe47 min
Apr 29, 8:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFrio34 min
Apr 29, 8:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar34 min
Apr 29, 8:18 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXWilson42 min
Apr 29, 8:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGuadalupe52 min
Apr 29, 8:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilson55 min
Apr 29, 9:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBurleson, Lee, Milam60 min
Apr 29, 10:32 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXGoliad58 min
Apr 29, 11:29 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXJackson46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 1989Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1989

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.