Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Fort Worth, TX

March 7, 1990Hamilton County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Mar 7, 1990, 4:27 AM CST for Hamilton County, Texas. It was in force for 48 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
Mar 7, 1990, 4:27 AM CST (10:27 UTC)
Expired
Mar 7, 1990, 5:15 AM CST
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Hamilton 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 7, 4:55 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 52Hamilton, 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

Stephenville/Cla, TX (KSEP), launched 00:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 57 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 00:00Z on 1990-03-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 264 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 00:00Z on 1990-03-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 273 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
264 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-77 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
607 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
273 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
303 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFTW 071029
TORFTW
TXC193-071115-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
427 AM CST WED MAR 7 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  515 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...HAMILTON COUNTY
 
AT 425 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO
LOCATED IN NORTHEAST MILLS COUNTY MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT
30 MILES AN HOUR. PRESENT MOVEMENT WILL TAKE THE STORM INTO HAMILTON
COUNTY IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES.
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND vIF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

What 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, Mar 7, 1:50 AM CST, 2 hours 37 minutes before
TXZ031-037-070900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
145 AM CST WED MAR 7 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN THE WESTERN PARTS OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 140 AM CST WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF MOSTLY LIGHT
RAIN WITH IMBEDDED MODERATE SHOWERS AND A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.
THE HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN HAMILTON AND MILLS COUNTIES.  WITH THE
OF ALL THE PRECIPITATION NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH...THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
BE MOVING INTO BOSQUE AND CORYELL COUNTIES WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO.
PERSONS IN OR NEAR THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR
THE POSSIBILITY OF VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL.

A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN AND A FEW SHOWERS IS OCCURRING
OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.  THESE RAINS COUPLED WITH
THE HEAVIER RAINS OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF LOW
LYING AND NORMALLY FLOOD PRONES AREAS SUCH AS LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
MOTORIST SHOULD APPROACH THESE PROBLEM AREAS WITH CAUTION AND NEVER
ATTEMPT TO CROSS HIGH WATER AREAS EITHER ON FOOT OR IN A VEHICLE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR T.V. STATIONS
FOR LATER STATEMENTS.06
Special weather statement, Mar 7, 1:57 AM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
TXZ031-037-070900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
145 AM CST WED MAR 7 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN THE WESTERN PARTS OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 140 AM CST WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF MOSTLY LIGHT
RAIN WITH IMBEDDED MODERATE SHOWERS AND A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.
THE HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN HAMILTON AND MILLS COUNTIES.  WITH THE
PRECIPITATION MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH...THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
BE MOVING INTO BOSQUE AND CORYELL COUNTIES WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO.
PERSONS IN OR NEAR THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR
THE POSSIBILITY OF VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL.

A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN AND A FEW SHOWERS IS OCCURRING
OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.  THESE RAINS COUPLED WITH
THE HEAVIER RAINS OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF LOW
LYING AND NORMALLY FLOOD PRONES AREAS SUCH AS LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
MOTORIST SHOULD APPROACH THESE PROBLEM AREAS WITH CAUTION AND NEVER
ATTEMPT TO CROSS HIGH WATER AREAS EITHER ON FOOT OR IN A VEHICLE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR T.V. STATIONS
FOR LATER STATEMENTS.06
Local storm report, Mar 7, 2:25 AM CST, 2 hours 2 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
225 AM CST WED MAR 7 1990

...NORTH TEXAS STORM REPORTS FOR TUESDAY EVENING...MARCH 6 1990...

   TIME OF
  OCCURRENCE      COUNTY                     EVENT

  625 PM CST    STEPHENS       GOLF BALL HAIL AT CRYSTAL FALLS

 1020 PM CST    PALO PINTO     WIND DAMAGE TO A MOBILE HOME AND
                               SEVERAL BOAT DOCKS AT POSSUM KINGDOM
                               LAKE
Special weather statement, Mar 7, 3:37 AM CST, 50 minutes before
TXZ031-037-071100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
340 AM CST WED MAR 7 1990

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN PARTS OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 330 AM CST WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT TO
MODERATE RAIN WITH EMBEDDED MODERATE SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN IN PARTS OF CENTRAL TEXAS.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS
IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF CORYELL COUNTY 17 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GATESVILLE.
OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE IN PARTS OF BOSQUE...
HILL...AND MCLENNAN COUNTIES.  ALL THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 30 MPH.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE
POSSIBILITY OF VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND
SMALL HAIL.

A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS WAS COVERED BY AN AREA
OF LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY MODERATE RAIN.  FLASH FLOODING MAY OCCUR AS
THE HEAVIER RAINS OCCUR WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE THUNDERSTORMS.  PERSONS
TRAVELING IN THE MORNING RUSH HOUR ARE URGED TO REMAIN ALERT FOR THE
POSSIBILITY OF FLASH FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND NORMALLY FLOOD PRONE
AREAS SUCH AS LOW WATER CROSSINGS.  REMEMBER DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
HIGH WATER.
5
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.06

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 6, 6:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDShackelford60 min
Mar 6, 6:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDYoung50 min
Mar 6, 6:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDStephens49 min
Mar 6, 7:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDYoung67 min
Mar 6, 8:06 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJack69 min
Mar 6, 8:47 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDJack, Young118 min
Mar 7, 2:00 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDParker4 hr
Mar 7, 6:10 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDBosque, Hill, McLennan2 hr
Mar 7, 8:47 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCoryell58 min
Mar 7, 12:21 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDMcLennan69 min
Mar 7, 12:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDBosque, Hill67 min
Mar 7, 3:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDRains, Wood43 min
Mar 7, 3:50 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFranklin, Hopkins40 min
Mar 7, 4:24 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDTitus56 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.