Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 28, NWS Fort Worth, TX

April 15, 1990Cooke County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 15, 1990, 7:03 PM CDT for Cooke County, Texas. It was in force for 57 min. 2 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 15, 1990, 7:03 PM CDT (00:03 UTC)
Expired
Apr 15, 1990, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
57 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Cooke 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 15, 7:12 PM CDTHail 2.75Cooke, TX
Apr 15, 7:50 PM CDTTornado F1Cooke, 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

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 177 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, Norman, OK at 00:00Z on 1990-04-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 532 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, Norman, OK at 00:00Z on 1990-04-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 86 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
532 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-148 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
907 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
86 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
173 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
5.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFTW 160003
TORFTW
TXC097-160100-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
703 PM CDT SUN APR 15 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...COOKE COUNTY
 
AT 700 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH A POSSIBLE
TORNADO JUST ENTERING THE EXTREME NORTHWEST PART OF COOKE COUNTY. THE
STORM WAS NEAR BULCHER...AND IF IT CONTINUES MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST
AT 15 MPH...IT WILL PASS BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF MUENSTER AND GAINESVILLE
IN THE NEXT 45 MINUTES.
 
A STORM SPOTTER REPORTED A FUNNEL EXTENDING OVER HALFWAY TO THE GROUND
FROM THIS STORM IN MONTAGUE COUNTY ABOUT 645. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY
GOOD INDICATION THAT A TORNADO HAS DEVELOPED.
 
DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO.  CARS ARE EASILY
TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS.  IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF
A TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING.  IF NO
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.

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 15, 4:04 PM CDT, 2 hours 59 minutes before
TXZ019>031-161200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
4 PM CDT SUN APR 15 1990

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT FOR THAT PART OF NORTH TEXAS GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM
TEXARKANA TO STEPHENVILLE TO NEAR SAN ANGELO.

A COLD FRONT HAS MOVED SOUTHWARD INTO OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST TEXAS. AN
OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM STORMS IN OKLAHOMA EXTENDS ACROSS SOUTHERN
OKLAHOMA. THE AIRMASS OVER NORTH TEXAS IS MOIST AND UNSTABLE SOUTH OF
THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY AND FRONT. SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL WINDS WILL CONTINUE
TO FEED MOISTURE NORTHWARD INTO THE BOUNDARY. BY LATE AFTERNOON HEATING
IS EXPECTED TO REMOVE A TEMPERATURE INVERSION WHICH HAS ACTED AS A
LID PREVENTING THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.  ONCE THIS LID IS REMOVED...
CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FORM SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.
WIND SPEEDS ARE DECREASING WITH HEIGHT AND THERE IS NO IMPORTANT
TURNING OF THE WIND DIRECTION IN THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
THUS TORNADO DEVELOPMENT IS NOT AS LIKELY AS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD KEEP INFORMED
AND BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION OF SPOTTER NETS LATERU THIS
EVENING AND TONIGHT.
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 5:58 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
TXZ021-22-25-26-160000-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
6 PM CDT SUN APR 15 1990

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN THIRD OF NORTH
CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL 1000 PM CDT. THE COUNTIES OF DENTON...COOKE...GRAYSON
...WISE...LAMAR AND RED RIVER ARE INCLUDED IN THIS WATCH.

AT 550 PM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTH AND
SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA ALONG A COLD FRONT THAT STRETCHED FROM SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA INTO WEST TEXAS. ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE
DEVELOPING AHEAD OF A DRY LINE ACROSS WEST TEXAS. THE LEADING EDGE OF
THESE STORMS WERE NEAR THE ABILENE AREA AND WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

THESE STORMS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN THE WARM HUMID AIR
ACROSS TEXAS AND WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO THE NORTH TEXAS AREA LATER THIS
EVENING.

PERSONS IN AND CLOSE TO THE TORNADO WATCH AREA SHOULD STAY TUNED TO
NOAA RADIO...LOCAL RADIO...OR TELEVISION FO8R LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 5:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before
TXZ021-22-25-26-160000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX...CORRECTED HEADING...
6 PM CDT SUN APR 15 1990

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWESTERN THIRD OF NORTH
CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL 1000 PM CDT. THE COUNTIES OF DENTON...COOKE...GRAYSON
...WISE...LAMAR AND RED RIVER ARE INCLUDED IN THIS WATCH.

AT 550 PM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTH AND
SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA ALONG A COLD FRONT THAT STRETCHED FROM SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA INTO WEST TEXAS. ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE
DEVELOPING AHEAD OF A DRY LINE ACROSS WEST TEXAS. THE LEADING EDGE OF
THESE STORMS WERE NEAR THE ABILENE AREA AND WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

THESE STORMS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN THE WARM HUMID AIR
ACROSS TEXAS AND WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO THE NORTH TEXAS AREA LATER THIS
EVENING.

PERSONS IN AND CLOSE TO THE TORNADO WATCH AREA SHOULD STAY TUNED TO
NOAA RADIO...LOCAL RADIO...OR: TELEVISION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 15, 7:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDThrockmorton67 min
Apr 15, 7:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDArcher, Young58 min
Apr 15, 7:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFannin, Grayson64 min
Apr 15, 8:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCallahan55 min
Apr 15, 8:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDTaylor61 min
Apr 15, 8:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDMontague56 min
Apr 15, 8:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDArcher, Clay, Jack, Young63 min
Apr 15, 9:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFannin, Grayson67 min
Apr 15, 9:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCollin, Hunt67 min
Apr 15, 9:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDMontague67 min
Apr 15, 9:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDWise65 min
Apr 15, 9:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDMitchell63 min
Apr 15, 9:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDErath46 min
Apr 15, 10:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDenton58 min
Apr 15, 10:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDallas45 min
Apr 16, 12:20 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDCollin, Dallas4 hr
Apr 16, 12:43 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDKaufman4 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.