Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 37, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 1990, 8:02 PM CDT for McMullen County, Texas. It was in force for 58 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 20, 1990, 8:02 PM CDT (01:02 UTC)
- Expired
- May 20, 1990, 9:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 58 min
- Issued by
- NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County McMullen 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
Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 139 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
- 3978 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -197 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1074 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 44 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 79 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 93 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 4.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KSAT 210103
SVRSAT
TXC311-210200-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
802 PM CDT SUN MAY 20 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 900 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTH TEXAS
...MCMULLEN
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED IN EXTREME WESTERN MCMULLEN COUNTY
JUST TO THE WEST OF TILDEN AT 800 PM THIS EVENING. THIS STORM LIKELY
HAS LARGE HAIL AND MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AS WELL. THE STORM IS
MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...HAIL
3/4 INCH OR MORE IN DIAMETER...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY
RAIN.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, May 20, 4:45 PM CDT, 3 hours 17 minutes before
TXZ035-040-202240- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO, TX 445 PM CDT SUN MAY 20 1990 AT 440 PM THIS AFTERNOON...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN IN MEXICO...APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY OF LAREDO. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. BECAUSE THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON...AND BECAUSE OF AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WELL OVER 100 DEGREES IN THE LAREDO AREA... THIS STORM ALSO HAS THE POTENTIAL OF PRODUCING VERY STRONG AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS. IF THE STORM CONTINUES TO MOVE AT ITS CURRENTLY DIRECTION AND SPEED IT WILL REACH THE CITY OF LAREDO NEAR 600 PM THIS EVENING.
Special weather statement, May 20, 5:36 PM CDT, 2 hours 26 minutes before
TXZ035-040-202340- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO, TX 537 PM CDT SUN MAY 20 1990 SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...CONTINUED AT 530 PM BETWEEN LAREDO AND COTULLA. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. TEMPERATURES REACHED 109 DEGREES IN LAREDO THIS AFTERNOON...WITH 102 DEGREES REPORTED AT COTULLA. SUCH EXTREME HEAT DEVELOPES THUNDERSTORMS WITH BASES SEVERAL THOUSAND FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. A STORM OF THIS TYPE HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR PRODUCING VERY STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS...THAT AT TIMES CAN BE DAMAGING. OFTEN THE RAIN FALLING FROM THESE STORMS IS SEEN TO EVAPORATE BEFORE IT REACHES THE GROUND. IS IS A VISUAL SIG.N THAT THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS.
Special weather statement, May 20, 6:05 PM CDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
TXZ035-040-210010- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO, TX 605 PM CDT SUN MAY 20 1990 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR WEBB COUNTY UNTIL 715 PM... AT 600 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN LAREDO AND COTULLA. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY UNSTABLE OVER WEBB COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON...WHERE AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES HAVE REACHED WELL ABOVE 100 DEGREES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP VERY RAPIDLY...PRODUCE BURSTS OF DAMAGING WINDS...AND THEN SUBSIDE ONLY TO BUILD AGAIN IN A NEW AREA. THE GREATEST DANGER IN THESE STORMS ARE DAMAGINrG WINDS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE IN THE STORMS. THE BEST PROTECTION FROM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS FOUND INSIDE A WELL- BUILT BUILDING OR HOME...AWAY FROM DOORS AND WINDOWS.
Special weather statement, May 20, 6:56 PM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
TXZ035-040-210200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO, TX 655 PM CDT SUN MAY 20 1990 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR WEBB COUNTY UNTIL 715 PM... AT 650 PM...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER MOST OF WEBB COUNTY. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 MPH. MARBLE-SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN LAREDO AT 625 PM THIS EVENING. THE PUBLIC ALSO REPORTED QUARTER-INCH HAIL IN THE CITY SHORTLY AFTER 630 PM. NO INFORMATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM JUST NORTH OF THE CITY OF LAREDO WHERE THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED BY RADAR. THE STORMS HAVE BEGUN TO MOVE EASTWARD WITHIN THE PAST HALF HOUR. IF THIS MOVEMENT CONTINUES...THEY WILL LEAVE WEBB COUNTY WITHIN THE NEXT HALF HOUR...ENDING THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER.
Special weather statement, May 20, 7:59 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
TXZ035-040-210300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO, TX 759 PM CDT SUN MAY 20 1990 SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...WERE LOCATED BETWEEN COTULLA...TILDEN AND SAN DIEGO AT 755 PM THIS EVENING. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALL THAT WAS LEFT FROM THE ORIGINAL AREA OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT FORMED NEAR LAREDO AT 500 PM THIS EVENING. HAIL OF UP TO 1.25 INCHES IN DIAMETER WAS REPORTED JUST NORTH OF LAREDO WITH .75 INCH DIAMETER HAIL JUST TO THE EAST OF THE CITY. BECAUSE OF THE VERY HOT AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES AND THE VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN THE AREA WHERE THE STORMS ARE STILL MOVING...THE} POTENTIAL STILL EXISTS FOR LARGE HAIL...AS WELL AS DAMAGING WINDS AND VERY DEADLY LIGHTNING.
Special weather statement, May 20, 8:00 PM CDT, 2 minutes before
TXZ041-210300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO, TX 759 PM CDT SUN MAY 20 1990 SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...WERE LOCATED BETWEEN COTULLA...TILDEN AND SAN DIEGO AT 755 PM THIS EVENING. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALL THAT WAS LEFT FROM THE ORIGINAL AREA OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT FORMED NEAR LAREDO AT 500 PM THIS EVENING. HAIL OF UP TO 1.25 INCHES IN DIAMETER WAS REPORTED JUST NORTH OF LAREDO WITH .75 INCH DIAMETER HAIL JUST TO THE EAST OF THE CITY. BECAUSE OF THE VERY HOT AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES AND THE VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN THE AREA WHERE THE STORMS ARE STILL MOVING...THE POTENTIAL STILL EXISTS FOR LARGE HAIL...AS WELL AS DAMAGING WINDS AND VERY DEADLY LIGHTNING.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 8:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Atascosa | 55 min |
| May 20, 9:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Atascosa | 54 min |
| May 20, 10:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Bexar | 50 min |
| May 20, 10:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Wilson | 76 min |
| May 20, 10:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Gonzales | 61 min |
| May 21, 2:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Kerr | 69 min |
| May 21, 2:37 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EWX | Kerr | 68 min |
| May 21, 5:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Travis | 67 min |
| May 21, 6:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Uvalde | 68 min |
| May 21, 6:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Williamson | 45 min |
| May 21, 6:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Travis | 30 min |
| May 21, 6:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Val Verde | 61 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.