Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 82, NWS Fort Worth, TX

July 18, 1990Clay County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Jul 18, 1990, 4:13 PM CDT for Clay County, Texas. It was in force for 47 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 18, 1990, 4:13 PM CDT (21:13 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 1990, 5:00 PM CDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Clay 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, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 174 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 1990-07-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1086 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 1990-07-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -26 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1086 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
580 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-26 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
52 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSPS 182115 RRA
TORSPS
TXC077-182200-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA FALLS TX
413 PM CDT WED JUL 18 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA FALLS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  500 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...CLAY COUNTY
 
AT 410 PM WICHITA FALLS RADAR SHOWED A POSSIBLE TORNADO FORMING NEAR
PETROLIA.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR B
ODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

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, Jul 18, 2:04 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
TXZ031-000-182000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
200 PM CDT WED JUL 18 1990

AT 153 PM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS THUNDERSTORMS
IN PARTS OF BELL...BOSQUE...CORYELL...FALLS...LIMESTONE...AND MCLENNAN
COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS.  THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY WAS NEAR THE BELL/BURNETT
COUNTY LINE 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF BRIGGS.  ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS MOST OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS THROUGH THE
HILL COUNTRY.  MOVEMENT OF ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS NORTH AT 20 MPH.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS INDICATED BY RADAR...PERSONS IN CENTRAL
TEXAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND
GUSTY WINDS ASSOOCIATED WITH THE STRONGER STORMS.  MOTORISTS SHOULD
EXERCISE CAUTION ON WET ROADS AND BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING
OF LOW LYING AND NORMALLY FLOOD PRONE AREAS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 2:09 PM CDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before
TXZ031-000-182000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR COUNTY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
200 PM CDT WED JUL 18 1990

AT 153 PM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS THUNDERSTORMS
IN PARTS OF BELL...BOSQUE...CORYELL...HILL...LIMESTONE...AND MCLENNAN
COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS.  THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY WAS NEAR THE BELL/BURNETT
COUNTY LINE 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF BRIGGS.  ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS MOST OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS THROUGH THE
HILL COUNTRY.  MOVEMENT OF ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS NORTH AT 20 MPH.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS INDICATED BY RADAR...PERSONS IN CENTRAL
TEXAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND
GUSTY WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRONGER STORMS.  MOTORISTS SHOULD
EXERCISE CAUTION ON WET ROADS AND BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING
OF LOW LYING AND NORMALLY FLOOD PRONE AREAS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMVENTS.
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:03 PM CDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
TXZ031-000-182000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR COUNTY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
300 PM CDT WED JUL 18 1990

AT 255 PM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS...WITH
EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS...OVER PARTS OF BELL...BOSQUE...CORYELL...HILL
AND MCLENNAN COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS.  THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY WAS
LOCATED IN CORYELL COUNTY 8 MILES WEST OF GATESVILLE.

ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERED MUCH OF NORTH
TEXAS THROUGH THE HILL COUNTRY.

MOVEMENT OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS NORTH AT 20 MPH.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS INDICATED...THE STRONGER STORMS ARE
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS
AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.  MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING AS ROADS IN SOME AREAS ARE WET FROM RAINFALL.
>
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:06 PM CDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
TXZ031-000-182000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
300 PM CDT WED JUL 18 1990

AT 255 PM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS...WITH
EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS...OVER PARTS OF BELL...BOSQUE...CORYELL...HILL
AND MCLENNAN COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS.  THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY WAS
LOCATED IN CORYELL COUNTY 8 MILES WEST OF GATESVILLE.

ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERED MUCH OF NORTH
TEXAS THROUGH THE HILL COUNTRY.

MOVEMENT OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS NORTH AT 20 MPH.

ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS INDICATED...THE STRONGER STORMS ARE
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS
AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.  MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING AS ROADS IN SOME AR
                           EAS ARE WET FROM RAINFALL.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:44 PM CDT, 29 minutes before
TXZ021-026-027-182200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FT WORTH TX
344 PM CDT WED JUL 18 1990

AT 340 PM CDT... WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A BAND OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS CENTERED ALONG A LINE FROM NEAR DENTON TO EAST OF
ENNIS ALONG THE TRINITY RIVER.  THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS OCCURRING
ALONG THE TRINITY RIVER IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS COUNTY...JUST EAST OF
DFW AIRPORT...AND NEAR DENTON.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 25 MILES AN
AN HOUR.

BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR THE HEAVIER
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR ANY ADDTIONAL STATEMENTS ON THIS
WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:47 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
TXZ031-000-182145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
345 PM CDT WED JUL 18 1990

           ...SHOWERS DECREACING ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 338 PM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED PATCHES OF LIGHT RAIN
...WITH EMBEDDED SHOWERS...ACROSS PARTS OF BELL...BOSQUE...CORYELL AND
HILL COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 20 MPH.

THE TROPICAL SYSTEM THAT HAS CAUSED THE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
ACROSS THE STATE HAS SLOWED ITS WESTWARD MOVEMENT...AND...WITH MOISTURE
IN PLACE OVER CENTRAL TEXAS...ADDITIONAL SHOWER DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED
LATER TONIGHT.  ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN NOTED...THE STRONGER
STORMS THAT DEVELOP COULD PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS.

PERSONS IN CENTRAL TEXAS WILL WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE LATEST WEATHER
DEVELOPMENTS...NOAA WEATHWR RADIO IS YOUR BEST SOURCE.

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.