Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 22, NWS Fort Worth, TX
NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 9, 1990, 8:57 PM CDT for Wichita County, Texas. It was in force for 33 min. 3 reports 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
- Apr 9, 1990, 8:57 PM CDT (01:57 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 9, 1990, 9:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Fort Worth, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Wichita 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 9:00 PM CDT | Tornado F1 | Wichita, TX | |
| Apr 9, 9:05 PM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Wichita, TX | |
| Apr 9, 9:20 PM CDT | Hail 1 | Wichita, 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
Fort Sill, OK (KFSI), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 79 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
- 872 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -143 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 692 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 51 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 140 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 187 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.3
- Supercell composite
- 6.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KSPS 100156 TORSPS TXC485-100230- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX 857 PM CDT MON APR 9 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA FALLS HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 930 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS ...WICHITA COUNTY A TORNADO WAS INDICATED ON RADAR AND VERIFIED BY SPOTTERS NORTHWEST OF HOLLIDAY. THE CITY OF WICHITA FALLS IS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM. TAKE COVER NOW MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
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, Apr 9, 3:06 PM CDT, 5 hours 51 minutes before
TXZ019>032-100200- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 305 PM CDT MON APR 9 1990 THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR THE WESTERN 1/3 OF NORTH TEXAS...GENERALLY WEST OF A SHERMAN...FORT WORTH...GLEN ROSE...SAN SABA LINE. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT FOR MUCH OF THE REMAINDER OF NORTH TEXAS...GENERALLY WEST OF A CARTHAGE...CROCKETT LINE. SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLY A TORNADO. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE FROM CENTRAL COLORADO SOUTHWARD INTO NEW MEXICO THIS AFTERNOON WAS MOVING EASTWARD TOWARD TEXAS. AT THE SURFACE...A DRYLINE EXTENDED FROM EAST OF AMARILLO TO JUST EAST OF MIDLAND. WITH CLEAR SKIES TO THE WEST OF THE DRYLINE...TEMPERATURES HAD CLIMBED INTO THE MIDDLE 80S IN THE PERMIAN BASIN. THE WARM AIR HAS HELPED DESTABILIZE THE AIRMASS ALONG THE DRYLINE WITH THE LIFTED INDEX IN THE MINUS 6 TO MINUS 8 RANGE. TO THE EAST OF THE DRYLINE...RICH...GULF MOISTURE CONTINUED TO STREAM NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO AND WILL PROVIDE THE NEEDED FUEL FOR THUNDERSTORMS. ALTHOUGH THE TIMING IS A LITTLE UNCERTAIN...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE DRYLINE IN THE WESTERN PART OF NORTH TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON. AS THEY MOVE INTO NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS TONIGHT...THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO SOLIDIFY INTO A SQUALL LINE...MOVING INTO NORTHEAST TEXAS LATE TONIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE STRONG STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD BE IN AN INCREASED STATE OF READINESS...ESPECIALLY IN THE WESTERN h1/3 OF NORTH TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND ACROSS THE REST OF NORTH TEXAS TONIGHT.
Special weather statement, Apr 9, 4:54 PM CDT, 4 hours 3 minutes before
TXZ019-020-024-025-100300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 450 PM CST APR 09 1990 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF NORTH TEXAS UNTIL 1000 PM THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF ABILENE TEXAS TO 35 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF FORT SILL OKLAHOMA. THE CITIES OF WICHITA FALLS... ABILENE...SWEETWATER...ARCHER CITY AND THROCKMORTON ARE INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA. THE DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TORNADO WATCH AREA. LATEST SATELLITE PICTURES INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR. IN TEXAS...SHOWER ACTIVITY HAD BEGAN TO FORM IN THE VICINITY OF THROCKMORTON AND SEYMOUR. ABUNDANT GULF MOISTURE CONTINUES TO BE CARRIED NORTHWARD BY THE STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS THIS EVENING. A DRY LINE WAS LOCATED FROM CHILDRESS TO BIG SPRING MOVING EAST WHICH SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES. THE LINE IS EXPECTED TO ENTER THE RICH GULF MOISTURE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS IN THE VICINITY OF ABILENE. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM INTO A SQUALL LINE AND MOVE INTO NORTHEAST TEXAS BY LATE TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WAS MOVING FROM NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHERN COLORADO TO NORTH TEXAS WHICH SHOULD HELP TO DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE EVEN FURTHER. REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR UPDATES ON THIS AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER.
Special weather statement, Apr 9, 5:47 PM CDT, 3 hours 10 minutes before
TXZ019-020-024-025-100300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 540 PM CST APR 09 1990 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF NORTH TEXAS UNTIL 1000 PM THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF ABILENE TEXAS TO 35 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF FORT SILL OKLAHOMA. THE CITIES OF WICHITA FALLS... ABILENE...SWEETWATER...ARCHER CITY AND THROCKMORTON ARE INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA. THE DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TORNADO WATCH AREA. AT 530 PM... WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE LOCATED NEAR BRECKENRIDGE...GRAHAM AND ARCHER CITY MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. NO ORGANIZED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS BEEN OBSERVED IN NORTH TEXAS AT THIS TIME. ABUNDANT GULF MOISTURE CONTINUES TO BE CARRIED NORTHWARD BY THE STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS THIS EVENING. A DRY LINE WAS LOCATED FROM CHILDRESS TO BIG SPRING MOVING EAST WHICH SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES. THE LINE IS EXPECTED TO ENTER THE RICH GULF MOISTURE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS IN THE VICINITY OF ABILENE. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM INTO A SQUALL LINE AND MOVE ACROSS NORTHCENTRAL TEXAS TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WAS MOVING FROM NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHERN COLORADO TO NORTH TEXAS WHICH SHOULD HELP TO DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE EVEN FURTHER. REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS ANND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR UPDATES ON THIS AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER.
Special weather statement, Apr 9, 6:50 PM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
TXZ019-020-024-025-100300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 650 PM CST APR 09 1990 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF NORTH TEXAS UNTIL 1000 PM THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF ABILENE TEXAS TO 35 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF FORT SILL OKLAHOMA. THE CITIES OF WICHITA FALLS... ABILENE...SWEETWATER...ARCHER CITY AND THROCKMORTON ARE INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA. THE DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TORNADO WATCH AREA. AT 630 PM... WEATHER RADAR INDICATED ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS NEAR THE TOWNS OF HASKELL AND MUNDAY. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. OTHER THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS BEGINNING TO FORM FROM CHILDRESS TO JUST WEST OF LUBBOCK MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED OVER CROSBY...DICKENS AND MOTLEY COUNTIES. ABUNDANT GULF MOISTURE CONTINUES TO BE CARRIED NORTHWARD BY THE STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS THIS EVENING. A DRY LINE WAS LOCATED FROM CHILDRESS TO BIG SPRING MOVING EAST WHICH SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES. THE LINE IS EXPECTED TO ENTER THE RICH GULF MOISTURE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS IN THE VICINITY OF ABILENE. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM INTO A SQUALL LINE AND MOVE ACROSS NORTHCENTRAL TEXAS TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WAS MOVING FROM NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHERN COLORADO TO NORTH TEXAS WHICH SHOULD HELP TO DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE EVEN FURTHER. REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR UPDATES ON THIS AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER.
Special weather statement, Apr 9, 7:41 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
TXZ019-020-024-025-100300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 750 PM CST APR 09 1990 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF NORTH TEXAS UNTIL 1000 PM THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF ABILENE TEXAS TO 35 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF FORT SILL OKLAHOMA. THE CITIES OF WICHITA FALLS... ABILENE...SWEETWATER...ARCHER CITY AND THROCKMORTON ARE INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA. THE DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE TORNADO WATCH AREA. AT 745 PM... WEATHER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD BEGUN TO FORM IN THE NORTHWESTERN SECTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED WEST OF WICHITA FALLS BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF VERNON AND SEYMOUR. ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS JUST SOUTH OF CHILDRESS IN THE COUNTIES OF COTTLE...KING...DICKENS...FOARD AND KNOX. ALL ACTIVITY WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. ABUNDANT GULF MOISTURE CONTINUES TO BE CARRIED NORTHWARD BY THE SOUTHERLY WINDS THIS EVENING. A DRY LINE WAS LOCATED FROM CHILDRESS TO JUST WEST OF SAN ANGELO MOVING EAST WHICH SHOULD BE THE FOCUS OF STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES. THE DRY LINE IS EXPECTED TO ENTER THE RICH GULF MOISTURE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOUR IN THE VICINITY OF ABILENE. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM INTO A SQUALL LINE AND MOVE ACROSS NORTHCENTRAL TEXAS TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WAS MOVING FROM NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHERN COLORADO TO NORTH TEXAS WHICH SHOULD HELP TO DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE EVEN FURTHER. REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR UPDATES ON THIS AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Fort Worth, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9, 7:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Wilbarger | 43 min |
| Apr 9, 7:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Wichita | 62 min |
| Apr 9, 9:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Wichita | 26 min |
| Apr 9, 9:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Clay | 51 min |
| Apr 9, 11:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Archer, Baylor, Wichita, Wilbarger | 2 hr |
| Apr 10, 12:11 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Throckmorton | 64 min |
| Apr 10, 1:04 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Cooke | 41 min |
| Apr 10, 1:13 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Jack, Young | 62 min |
| Apr 10, 1:42 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Palo Pinto | 63 min |
| Apr 10, 2:54 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Parker | 66 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.