Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 47, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 21, 1990Travis County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 21, 1990, 6:30 PM CDT for Travis County, Texas. It was in force for 30 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 21, 1990, 6:30 PM CDT (23:30 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 1990, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Travis 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

Stephenville/Cla, TX (KSEP), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 212 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, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 12:00Z on 1990-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1021 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, Stephenville/Cla, TX at 12:00Z on 1990-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 41 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1021 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-157 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1837 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAUS 212332
SVRAUS
TXC453-220130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN TX
630 PM CDT MON MAY 21 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN HAS EXTENDED THE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING UNTIL 730 PM CDT FOR TRAVIS
COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS DRIFTING SLOWLY SOUTHWARD OVER THE CITY OF
AUSTIN AT 628 PM CDT.  THIS STORM HAS ALREADY PRODUCED BASEBALL SIZE
HAIL.

WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
RL/LW

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 21, 4:26 PM CDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before
TXZ035-054-212230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO, TX
425 PM CDT MON MAY 21 1990

A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS LOCATED AT 420 PM 15 MILES
NORTHWEST OF LEAKEY.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE WEST AT 12 MPH.  AS
IT MOVED ACROSS THE PRADE RANCH IN NORTHERN REAL COUNTY...THE STORM
PRODUCED VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND PEA TO MARBLE-SIZED HAIL.  RAINFALL
RATES IN THIS STORM ARE ESTIMATED AT OVER 2 INCHES PER HOUR.  THE STORM
APPEARS LIKELY TO ENTER EDWARDS COUNTY WITHIN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.  THIS
STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGER HAIL...ALONG WITH VERY STRONG
WINDS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING.
Special weather statement, May 21, 5:28 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
TXZ035-054-212330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO, TX
528 PM CDT MON MAY 21 1990

AT 500 PM THIS AFTERNOON...A WEAK COLD FRONT STRETCHED AT 400 PM ALONG
A COLLEGE STATION TO AUSTIN TO DEL RIO LINE...AND WAS MOVING TO THE
SOUTH AT 10 MPH.  WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAD FORMED
ALONG THE FRONT BETWEEN AUSTIN AND DEL RIO.  THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL...AS
INDICATED BY WEATHER SERVICE RADAR...WAS OCCURRING OVER REAL COUNTY.
RAINFALL ESTIMATES BY RADAR AND SATELLITE RANGED FROM NEAR 1 INCH IN THE
NORTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY TO JUST OVER ONE HALF INCH OVER SOUTHERN
REAL COUNTY IN THE PAST HOUR.  THE THUNDERSTORMS HAD SHOWN VERY LITTLE
MOVEMENT IN THE PAST HOUR.

THE ATMOSPHERE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS IS VERY UNSTABLE TONIGHT...MUCH
LIKE THE SITUATION THAT OCCURRED LAST NIGHT.  PLENTY OF SUNSHINE RAISED
TEMPERATURES INTO THE 90S JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT...AND THIS VERY WARM...
MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR@ WILL CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS.
Special weather statement, May 21, 5:30 PM CDT, 1 hour before
TXZ035-054-212330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO, TX
530 PM CDT MON MAY 21 1990

AT 500 PM THIS AFTERNOON...A WEAK COLD FRONT STRETCHED ALONG A COLLEGE
STATION TO AUSTIN TO DEL RIO LINE...AND WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTH AT
10 MPH.  WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAD FORMED ALONG
THE FRONT BETWEEN AUSTIN AND DEL RIO.  THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL...AS
INDICATED BY WEATHER SERVICE RADAR...WAS OCCURRING OVER REAL COUNTY.
RAINFALL ESTIMATES BY RADAR AND SATELLITE RANGED FROM NEAR 1 INCH IN THE
NORTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY TO JUST OVER ONE HALF INCH OVER SOUTHERN
REAL COUNTY IN THE PAST HOUR.  THE THUNDERSTORMS HAD SHOWN VERY LITTLE
MOVEMENT IN THE PAST HOUR.

THE ATMOSPHERE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS IS VERY UNSTABLE TONIGHT...MUCH
LIKE THE SITUATION THAT OCCURRED LAST NIGHT.  PLENTY OF SUNSHINE RAISED
TEMPERATURES INTO THE 90S JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT...AND THIS VERY WARM...
MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR WILL CONTLINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS.
Special weather statement, May 21, 6:25 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
TXZ035-038-039-054-220030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO, TX
625 PM CDT MON MAY 21 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR UVALDE COUNTY TIL 715 PM...

AT 620 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW WIDELY SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...DEVELOPING ALONG A WEAK
COLD FRONT.  THE FRONT STRETCHED FROM NEAR AUSTIN TO DEL RIO AND WAS
MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH.

THE HEAVIEST RAIN WAS INDICATED IN A THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF
THE CITY OF UVALDE.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTH AT 15 MPH.  IT
HAD PRODUCED HAIL...SIZE UNKNOWN...AS IT MOVED ACROSS NORTHWESTERN
UVALDE COUNTY.  WITH THE VERY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS IN PLACE OVER SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS TONIGHT...THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE
HAIL AS WELL AS DAMAGING WINDS.  PERSONS IN AND NEAR THE TRACK OF THIS
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM SHOULD MOVE INDOORS INTO A WELL-BUILT BUILDING OR
HOME AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 8:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMcMullen58 min
May 20, 8:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa55 min
May 20, 9:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa54 min
May 20, 10:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar50 min
May 20, 10:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilson76 min
May 20, 10:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGonzales61 min
May 21, 2:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXKerr69 min
May 21, 2:37 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXKerr68 min
May 21, 5:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXTravis67 min
May 21, 6:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXUvalde68 min
May 21, 6:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilliamson45 min
May 21, 6:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde61 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.