Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 48, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 21, 1990Val Verde County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 21, 1990, 6:44 PM CDT for Val Verde County, Texas. It was in force for 61 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 21, 1990, 6:44 PM CDT (23:44 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 1990, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Val Verde 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

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 66 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 1990-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 631 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 1990-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 43 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
631 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-410 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1611 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
43 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
29 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDRT 212344
SVRDRT
TXC465-220045-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEL RIO TX
644 PM CDT MON MAY 21 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DEL RIO HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...VAL VERDE COUNTY
 
AT 645 PM CDT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NORTH OF COMSTOCK AND
WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH. PERSONS LIVING IN THE COMSTOCK
AREA AND IN BETWEEN COMSTOCK AND LANGTRY SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SEEK
SHELTER FROM THIS STORM AS IT APRROACHES. GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL HAVE BEEN
REPORTED OUT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS EARLIER THIS EVENING OVER THE HILL
COUNTRY NEAR KERRVILLE.
 
BOATERS AND CAMPERS ALONG THE RIO GRANDE AND OTHER LOCAL RIVERS SHOULD
TAKE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES BEFORE THE STORM APPROACHES.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
 
NNNN

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 18 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 16 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 14 minutes 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, 19 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, 6:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXTravis30 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.