Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 26, NWS Fort Worth, TX

April 14, 1990Erath County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 14, 1990, 2:00 AM CDT for Erath County, Texas. It was in force for 60 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
Apr 14, 1990, 2:00 AM CDT (07:00 UTC)
Expired
Apr 14, 1990, 3:00 AM CDT
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Erath 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
Apr 14, 2:15 AM CDTHail 1.75Erath, 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, 7.0 hours before the alert went out and 11 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 1990-04-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 485 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 1990-04-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 141 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
485 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-140 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
635 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
141 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
226 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFTW 140702
TORFTW
TXC143-140800-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
200 AM CDT SAT APR 14 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  300 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...ERATH COUNTY
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING FOR ERATH
COUNTY FOR THE NEXT HOUR. THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EASTLAND AND PALO
PINTO COUNTIES IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
 
THE VERY INTENSE STORM THAT EARLIER PRODUCED LARGE HAIL AND A FUNNEL
NEAR STRAWN IN PALO PINTO COUNTY...HAS MOVED SOUTHEAST INTO ERATH
COUNTY. SPOTTERS HAVE BEEN OBSERVING A FUNNEL FROM THIS STORM FOR THE
PAST 30 MINUTES. IN ADDITION...IT HAS PRODUCED HAIL TO GOLF BALL SIZE
COVERING THE GROUND SOUTH OF GORDON.
 
THIS STORM WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO MOVE TO THE SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 35
MPH...AND WILL PASS VERY CLOSE TO THE TOWN OF STEPHENVILLE DURING THE
NEXT 30 MINUTES.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOIKD 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, Apr 13, 11:11 PM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before
TXZ021-022-023-025-026-140530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1110 PM CDT FRI APR 13 1990

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 1105 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED DEVELOPING SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS...EXTENDING FROM NORTH OF ABILENE EASTWARD TO STEPHENS
COUNTY AND FARTHER EAST TO THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH METROPLEX...NORTH TO
DENTON...AND FARTHER NORTHWARD TO SHERMAvN. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 25
MILES AN HOUR.

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR BRECKENRIDGE IN STEPHENS COUNTY. MOVEMENT
WAS EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Apr 13, 11:52 PM CDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
TXZ021-022-023-025-026-140530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1150 PM CDT FRI APR 13 1990

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 1145 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED DEVELOPING SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME STRONG...EXTENDING FROM NORTH OF ABILENE EASTWARD
TO PALO PINTO COUNTY AND FARTHER EAST TO THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH METROPLEX...
NORTH TO DENTON...AND FARTHER NORTHWARD TO SHERMAN. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 25
MILES AN HOUR.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER PALO PINTO...OVER NORTHEAST ERATH COUNTY...
AND OVER NORTHWEST STEPHENS COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS EAST TO SOUTHEAST AT
35 MILES AN HOUR.

THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...STRONG
GUSTY WINDS...BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINS...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Apr 14, 1:47 AM CDT, 13 minutes before
TXZ031-140745-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
145 AM CDT SAT APR 14 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MCLENNAN AND SURROUNDING
   COUNTIES UNTIL 600 AM CDT...

AT 136 AM CDT A WIDESPREAD AREA OF RAIN...WITH ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS...WAS NORTH OF A LINE...FROM STEPHENVILLE...TO ITASCA...
TO JUST NORTH OF TYLER. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE 15 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF MINERAL WELLS AND 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FT WORTH.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER IS CURRENTLY OVER THE CENTRAL TEXAS AREA...
RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO KEEP ABREAST OF CHANGING WEATHER SITIATIONS.
THESE ARE DANGEROUS STORMS. THREE QUARTER TO ONE INCH HAIL HAS BEEN
REPORTED DURING THE PAST HOUR FROM THESE STORMS AND A FUNNEL CLOUD
HAS BEEN REPORTED IN PALO PINTO COUNTY.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS...OR WARNINGS<
SHOULD THE NEED ARISE. THE AREA OF RAINFALL IS MOVING SLOWLY SOUTH
ABOUT 10 MILES AN HOUR..0.WHILE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING EAST
SOUTHEAST AT 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR.

07

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 13, 11:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDEastland, Stephens64 min
Apr 14, 12:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDPalo Pinto, Parker57 min
Apr 14, 12:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDTarrant53 min
Apr 14, 1:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDPalo Pinto, Parker58 min
Apr 14, 1:09 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFisher, Scurry66 min
Apr 14, 1:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDTarrant65 min
Apr 14, 1:22 AM CDTTornado WarningFWDPalo Pinto38 min
Apr 14, 1:32 AM CDTTornado WarningFWDErath43 min
Apr 14, 1:32 AM CDTTornado WarningFWDEastland28 min
Apr 14, 1:41 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJones64 min
Apr 14, 1:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJohnson56 min
Apr 14, 1:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDStephens66 min
Apr 14, 2:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDShackelford57 min
Apr 14, 2:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDTarrant49 min
Apr 14, 2:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDenton42 min
Apr 14, 2:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHill53 min
Apr 14, 2:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDEastland, Palo Pinto57 min
Apr 14, 4:06 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDEastland, Erath, Palo Pinto3 hr
Apr 14, 4:06 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDStephens3 hr

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.