Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 113, NWS Lake Charles, LA

December 21, 1990Rapides Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Dec 21, 1990, 2:22 PM CST for Rapides Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 53 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
Dec 21, 1990, 2:22 PM CST (20:22 UTC)
Expired
Dec 21, 1990, 3:15 PM CST
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Whole counties

County Rapides Parish, LA

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
Dec 21, 3:05 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Rapides, LA
Dec 21, 3:10 PM CSTTornado F1Rapides, LA
Dec 21, 3:15 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Rapides, LA

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

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 136 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 1990-12-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1489 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 1990-12-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 247 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1489 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
546 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
247 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
250 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.4
Supercell composite
9.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLCH 212025
SVRLCH
LAC079-212115-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
222 PM CST FRI DEC 21 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  315 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA
 
   ...EASTERN RAPIDES PARISH
 
AT 225 PM RADAR LAKE CHARLES RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
NEAR CHENEYVILLE IN SOUTHEAST RAPIDES PARISH. THE STORM WAS MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
 
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO FA SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, Dec 21, 10:42 AM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes before
LAZ005-006-007-008-011-012-211635-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1025 AM CST FRI DEC 21 1990

AT 1025 AM CST THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS STRONG GUSTY WINDS
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WERE LOCATED JUST SOUTHEAST OF SABINE PASS AND 5
MILES SOUTH OF VINTON. THE HEAVY RAINS IN THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL REDUCE
VISIBILITIES THUS MOTORIST SHOULD TAKE EXTRA CAUTION.

ELSEWHERE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER
A PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTH EAST TEXAS. THIS AREA OF
PRECIPITATION WAS FROM BLACK LAKE TO LAFAYETTE TO CAMERON TO JASPER TEXAS.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Dec 21, 11:41 AM CST, 2 hours 41 minutes before
LAZ005-006-007-008-011-012-211735-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1135 AM CST FRI DEC 21 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM TODAY FOR NORTHERN AND
WESTERN LOUISIANA...

AT 1125 AM CST STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
EXTENDED FROM JOHNSONS BAYOU NORTHWARD TO NEAR VINTON AND FROM 15 MILES
EAST OF DE QUINCEY TO NEAR JENNINGS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING
STRONG GUSTY WINDS DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. PERSONS
NEAR THESE STORMS SHOULD TAKE CAUTION.

ELSEWHERE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS
CONTINUED OVER A LARGE PORTION OF SOUTH AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND ADJACENT
SECTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. THIS AREA OF PRECIPITATION WAS FROM JONESBORO
TO BATON ROUGE TO HOUSTON.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Dec 21, 12:03 PM CST, 2 hours 19 minutes before
TXZ033-046-048-212300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
1203 PM CST FRI DEC 21 1990

...WINTER ARRIVES IN SOUTH TEXAS TONIGHT...

A FRIGID COLD FRONT IS STEADILY MOVING SOUTHWARD TOWARD SOUTH TEXAS
THIS AFTERNOON. AT 1200 PM CDT...THE FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM SAN
ANTONIO TO COLLEGE STATION TO LONGVEIW. THE FRONT IS FORECASTED TO
REACH THE EAST TEXAS LAKE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THE GOLDEN
TRIANGLE LATE TONIGHT DROPPING TEMPERATURES INTO THE 30S.
THE THREAT OF FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA
THROUGH TUESDAY.

THE EXTENDED COLD PERIOD WILL BE A THREAT TO PLANTS AND PETS. PLANTS
SHOULD BE BROUGHT INSIDE IF POSSIBLE OR PROVIDED WITH SOME EXTRA
PROTECTION IF NOT POSSIBLE. PETS SHOULD ALSO BE PROVIDED WITH
ADDITIONAL SHELTER AND FOOD. PIPES MAY ALSO NEED TO BE PROTECTED FROM
THE COLD TEMPERATURES.

PERSONS PLANNING ON TRAVELING DURING THE HOLIDAYS SHOULD OBTAIN
WEATHER REPORTS BEFORE LEAVING. A COMBINATION OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET
AND SNOW WAS OCCURING ACROSS NORTH TEXAS AND IS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH
OF WEST AND CENTRAL TEXAS TONIGHT...POSSIBLIY BECOMING A HAZARD TO
HOLIDAY TRAVELERS.

NNNN
Special weather statement, Dec 21, 1:43 PM CST, 39 minutes before
TXZ033-046-212145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
143 PM CST FRI DEC 21 1990

...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

AT 145 PM CDT...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 30 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF KOUNTZE...20 MILES NORTHWEST OF WOODVILLE...NEAR LUFKIN
AND NACOGDOCHES. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS...STRONG
GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGTHNING.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR LUFKIN AND NACODGOCHES.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 40 MPH.

NNNN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 21, 12:08 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCalcasieu, Cameron67 min
Dec 21, 12:29 PM CSTTornado WarningLCHCalcasieu31 min
Dec 21, 12:34 PM CSTTornado WarningLCHAllen, Jefferson Davis41 min
Dec 21, 1:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAllen, Rapides60 min
Dec 21, 2:56 PM CSTTornado WarningLCHRapides34 min
Dec 21, 5:57 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHVernon63 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.