Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 3, NWS Fort Worth, TX

January 17, 1990McLennan County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 17, 1990, 4:23 PM CST for McLennan County, Texas. It was in force for 67 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 17, 1990, 4:23 PM CST (22:23 UTC)
Expired
Jan 17, 1990, 5:30 PM CST
In force
67 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County McLennan 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, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 113 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 1990-01-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 978 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 1990-01-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 230 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
978 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
672 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
230 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
213 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.9
Supercell composite
4.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KACT 172228
SVRACT
TXC309-172330-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
423 PM CST WED JAN 17 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WACO HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  530 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
          ...MCLENNAN
 
AT 425 PM CST A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES NORTH OF
WACO. NICKLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED BETWEEN WACO AND GHOLSON.
 
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 RA
INS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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, Jan 17, 12:29 PM CST, 3 hours 54 minutes before
TXZ031-171825-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
1230 PM CST WED JAN 17 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 115 PM FOR
HILL COUNTY...

AT 1225 PM POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOATED NEAR WHITNEY
AND HILLSBORO...IN CENTRAL HILL COUNTY...MOVING EAST NORTHEAST NEAR
50 MPH.

OTHERWISE...THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WERE WIDELY SCATTERED FROM
AUSTIN TO BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION...THROUGH WACO AND HILLSBORO AND
ON NORTHEAST. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST NEAR 50 MILES AN HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO..TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS
OR ADVISORIES.
Special weather statement, Jan 17, 1:17 PM CST, 3 hours 6 minutes before
TXZ031-171910-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
115 PM CST WED JAN 17 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING THROUGHOUT CENTRAL TEXAS...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR HILL COUNTY IS NO LONGER IN
EFFECT.

AT 110 PM CST THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN
...WERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT CENTRAL TEXAS.  THE STRONGEST STORMS
WERE LOCATED FROM COPERAS COVE TO WHITNEY...AND NEAR SOMERVILLE...
SOUTHWEST OF BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST 50 MILES AN HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO...TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS
OR ADVISORIES.
Special weather statement, Jan 17, 2:19 PM CST, 2 hours 4 minutes before
TXZ031-172015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
220 PM CST WED JAN 17 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CST...
THE COUNTIES AFFECTED IN CENTRAL TEXAS ARE...BELL...BOSQUE...CORYELL
...FALLS...HILL...LIMESTONE...MCLENNAN...LEON...BRAZOS...ROBERTSON...
AND MADISON.

THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WERE SCATTERED
THROUGHOUT THIS AREA.  MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST 50 MILES AN H^OUR.

PERSONS IN THESE AREAS CAN EXPECT HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...BRIEF
HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO...TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS
OR WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Jan 17, 2:31 PM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes before
TXZ019>033-172115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
230 PM CST WED JAN 17 1990

A  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHERN
PART OF NORTH TEXAS FROM 2 PM UNTIL 7 PM THIS WEDNESDAY EVENING.

THE  WATCH AREA IS GENERALLY FOR THAT PART OF NORTH TEXAS SOUTH AND EAST
OF A GILMER...CANTON...WAXAHACHIE...LAMKIN...LAMPASAS LINE.  SOME OF THE
CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE ATHENS...CORSICANA...LONGVIEW...RUSK...
AND TYLER.

REMEMBER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE  FOR
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS  LIGHTNING...AND
DAMAGING WIND.

AT 2:25 PM CST...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS  OCCURRING  ALONG
THE NORTH PART OF THE AREA UNDER THE WATCH...WITH THE  HEAVIEST RAINFALL
INDICATED  IN  SOUTHERN  ELLIS...HILL...SOUTHERN  BOSQUE...AND  NORTHERN
CORYELL COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT  ABOUT 45  MILES
AN pHOUR WHILE THE AREA PROGRESSED EAST.

LISTEN  TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR LATER  INFORMATION
ON THIS WEATHER EVENT.
Special weather statement, Jan 17, 3:03 PM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
TXZ19>33-180300

SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
310 PM CST WED JAN 17 1990

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH
TEXAS THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT GENERALLY EAST OF A
BROWNWOOD-PARIS LINE. THE GREATEST THREAT OF WIND AND HAIL DAMAGE AND
HEAVY RAINFALL DURING THE NEXT 4 TO 6 HOURS WILL BE ALONG AND ABOUT 50
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A TEMPLE-LONGVIEW LINE.

A STATIONARY FRONT WAS NEAR A DEL RIO-FORT WORTH-SHERMAN LINE AT
MID-AFTERNOON WITH A SECONDARY RAIN-COOLED BOUNDARY NEAR A WACO-
LONGVIEW LINE. UNSEASONABLY WARM AND HUMID AIR WAS RUSHING NORTHWARD
EAST OF THE FRONT...CONVERGING INTO THE AREA OF THE RAIN-COOLED
BOUNDARY. VERY UNSTABLE AIR AND STRONG WINDS ALOFT WILL INSURE THAT
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PERIODICALLY DEVELOP AND MOVE NORTHEAST
ALONG  THE RAIN-COOLED BOUNDARY DURING THE NEXT 6 TO 12 HOURS. SOME
OF THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL...AND A FEW STORMS COULD
BECOME SEVERE AND FOSTER LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

BEYOND THE NEXT 12 HOURS A HEAVY RAINFALL AND SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS
SHAPING UP FOR THE SOUTHEAST 2/3 OF NORTH TEXAS FOR THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE CENTER IN SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA
WILL MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD AND CAUSE THE LOW AND MIDDLE LEVEL WINDS
ACROSS NORTH TEXAS TO STRENGTHEN AND BECOME MORE SOUTHERLY WITH TIME.
THESE SOUTHERLY WINDS ALOFT WILL FORCE THE BOUNDARIES ACROSS NORTH
TEXAS TO HOLD IN PLACE...OR EVEN BACK TO THE NORTHWEST SLIGHTLY
THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. REPEATED BURSTS OF THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
IN THE VICINITY OF THESE BOUNDARIES WILL RESULT IN A CONTINUED THREAT
OF HEAVY RAINFALL AND SEVERE WEATHER.

IT APPEARS THAT THE RECENT DRY PERIOD IS OVER WITH...AND THAT THE
THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING WILL INCREASE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS
RAINFALL RESULTS IN INCREASINGLY SATURATED SOIL. FLASH FLOOD WATCHES
AND/OR WARNINGS HAVE NOT BEEN ISSUED...BUT ARE POSSIBLE LATER
TONIGHT OR THURSDAY AS THE FLOOD THREAT BECOMES BETTER DEFINED.
Special weather statement, Jan 17, 3:12 PM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes before
TXZ031-172110-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
315 PM CST WED JAN 17 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CST...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...WITH HEAVY TO VERY HEAVY RAIN...WERE SCATTERED
FROM NEAR GATESVILLE...NORTHEAST...TO LAKE DAWSON.

ALSO...THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWER...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN...WERE SCATTERED
FROM NEAR BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION...NORTHEAST THROUGH MIDWAY.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST 50 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THESE AREAS CAN EXPECT SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...BRIEF
HEAVY RAIN...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO...TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS
OR ADVISORIES.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Fort Worth, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 17, 11:05 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHill55 min
Jan 17, 12:10 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHill65 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.