Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 12, NWS Amarillo, TX
NWS Amarillo, TX issued this tornado warning at May 18, 1990, 7:56 PM CDT for Wheeler County, Texas. It was in force for 49 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
- May 18, 1990, 7:56 PM CDT (00:56 UTC)
- Expired
- May 18, 1990, 8:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 49 min
- Issued by
- NWS Amarillo, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Wheeler 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 8:15 PM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Wheeler, 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
Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 131 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
- 689 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -31 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2409 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 44 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -207 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 239 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KAMA 190057
TORAMA
TXC483-190145-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
756 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE
...EASTERN WHEELER
AT 755 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF
WHEELER. THIS STORM PRODUCED GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN WHEELER AT 732 PM.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
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 ROOMF
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.
SCWhat 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 18, 5:57 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
TTAATX KAMA 182257 TXZ001>012-COZ015>017-NMZ005-009-013-OKZ001>004-009-014-021- KSZ003-006-190050- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 556 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH 264 IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES UNTIL 10 PM CDT... LATEST WEATHER MAPS SHOW THAT A DRYLINE WAS LOCATED FROM JUST WEST OF LIBERAL KANSAS...TO JUST WEST OF AMARILLO...AND TO BETWEEN WINK AND MIDLAND TEXAS. AIR BEHIND THE DRYLINE IS TOO DRY TO SUPPORT THUNDERSTORMS SO DALLAM...HARTLEY...OLDHAM...DEAF SMITH...PARMER...AND CASTRO COUNTIES OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE HAVE BEEN DROPPED FROM TORNADO WATCH 264. EAST OF THE DRYLINE THE ATMOSPHERE WAS STILL QUITE MOIST AND UNSTABLE. A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WAS ALSO LOCATED IN THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS WAS DEVELOPING NEAR THIS TROUGH AT 550 PM CDT NEAR CLARENDON AND ALANREED. THESE SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN INTENSITY OVER THE NEXT HOUR. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM WAS JUST EAST OF SPEARMAN WAS MOVING INTO OCHILTREE COUNTY. MOVEMENT OF ALL PRECIPITATION WAS NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. TWG
Special weather statement, May 18, 6:33 PM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
TXZ001>012-COZ015>017-NMZ005-009-013-OKZ001>004-009-014-021- KSZ003-006-190040- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX 632 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990 ...THUNDERSTORMS ARE INCREASING IN INTENSITY IN THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE THIS EVENING... AT 625 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS WERE LOCATED NEAR PERRYTON...MCLEAN...AND 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF SHAMROCK. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10PM CDT FOR THE EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES. A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. RESIDENTS OF WHEELER...OCHILTREE...AND LIPCOMB COUNTIES OF THE TEXAS PANHANDLE SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS EVENING. STAY TUNED TO YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO/TV STATIONS FOR LATER UPDATES AND STATEMENTS. TWG
Local storm report, May 18, 6:57 PM CDT, 59 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO, TX
656 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990
STORM REPORT FOR AFTN AND EVENING OF MAY 18
1732 CST...DIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN PERRYTON. RPT BY PD.
1748 CST...GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN PERRYTON. RPT BY PD.
1745 CST...2 1/2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL 2 MILES SW OF PERRYTON. RPT BY
OFF DUTY WEATHER SERVICE PERSONNEL.
1753 CST...BASEBALL TO GRAPEFRUIT SIZE HAIL IN PERRYTON. RPT BY PD.
WSO AMA
TWGLocal storm report, May 18, 7:27 PM CDT, 29 minutes before
STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO, TX 726 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990 STORM REPORT FOR AFTN AND EVENING OF MAY 18 PING-PONG SIZE HAIL IN
Local storm report, May 18, 7:28 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
STORM REPORT CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO, TX 727 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990 STORM REPORT FOR AFTN AND EVENING OF MAY 18 1924 CDT (1824 CST)..PING-PONG SIZE HAIL 4 SW OF WHEELER..RPTD BY SO WSO..AMA SC
Local storm report, May 18, 7:43 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO, TX
741 PM CDT FRI MAY 18 1990
STORM REPORT FOR AFTN AND EVENING OF MAY 18
1932 CDT (1832 CST)..DIME SIZE HAIL COVERING GRND IN ELMWOOD..BEAVER
CNTY..,RPTD BY BEAVER SO.
1935 CDT (1835 CST)..GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN WHEELER..RPTD BY WHEELER SO
WSO..AMA
SCThe office that day
Everything else NWS Amarillo, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 7:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Wheeler | 55 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes in 1990
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.