Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

January 14, 1991Gonzales County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this tornado warning at Jan 14, 1991, 6:57 PM CST for Gonzales County, Texas. It was in force for 63 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
Jan 14, 1991, 6:57 PM CST (00:57 UTC)
Expired
Jan 14, 1991, 8:00 PM CST
In force
63 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Gonzales County, TX

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jan 14, 7:25 PM CSTHail 1Gonzales, 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

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 193 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 1991-01-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1267 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 1991-01-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 308 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
1267 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-36 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
767 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
308 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
396 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.5
Supercell composite
10.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 150057
TORSAT
TXC177-150200-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO TX
657 PM CST MON JAN 14 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN SOUTH TEXAS
          ...GONZALES
 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR HAS INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO IN A
THUNDERSTORM THAT IS MOVING INTO GONZALES COUNTY FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
THIS STORM WAS LOCATED JUST SOUTHWEST OF NIXON AT 655 PM AND WAS
MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
 
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN THE SEGUIN AREA HAS ALREADY PRODUCED 3/4 INCH
HAIL.  LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS
THUNDERSTORM MOVING TOWARD THE CITY OF GONZALES.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...GO TO A BASEMENT SHELTER OR A
CENTRAL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUILDING.
ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING.X
 
YOU SHOULD ASK THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO RELAY YOUR
SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

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, Jan 14, 5:15 PM CST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
TXZ036-038>041-150300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO, TX
515 PM CST MON JAN 14 1991

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL
AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH VALID UNTIL
11 PM TONIGHT FOR AN AREA FROM NEAR COLLEGE STATION TO AUSTIN TO HONDO
TO TILDEN TO CORPUS CHRISTI AND EASTWARD INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
INCLUDED IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS PORTION OF THE WATCH ARE THE ABOVE
CITIES AS WELL AS THE SAN ANTONIO METROPOLITAN AREA.

THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED AS STRONG LOW LEVEL
WINDS FROM THE GULF HAVE CONTINUED TO BRING VERY WARM AIR AND PLENTY
OF MOISTURE INTO SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.  THIS WARM...MOIST
AIR WILL SERVE AS THE FUEL FOR THE THUNDERSTORMS.

THE FEATURE THAT WILL CAUSE THE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IS AN UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCE CURRENTLY LOCATED NEAR IN SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO.  IT
WILL MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHEASTWARD TONIGHT IN THE DIRECTION OF SOUTH TEXAS.
A COLD FRONT THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE INTO
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS TONIGHT AND INTO SOUTHEAST AND DEEP SOUTH TEXAS
TUESDAY MORNING.  AS THIS FRONT CROSSES THE AREA...THE THREAT OF SEVERE
WEATHER WILL END.

SOUTH CENTRAL TEXANS SHOULD MONITOR A RELIABLE SOURCE OF WEATHER
INFORMATION THROUGH THIS EVENING WHILE THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS
EXISTS.
Special weather statement, Jan 14, 6:17 PM CST, 40 minutes before
TXZ036-038>041-150300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANTONIO, TX
616 PM CST MON JAN 14 1991

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT FOR MUCH OF SOUTH
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT FOR AN AREA FROM
NEAR COLLEGE STATION TO AUSTIN TO HONDO TO TILDEN TO CORPUS CHRISTI AND
EASTWARD INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS.  INCLUDED IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
PORTION OF THE WATCH ARE THE ABOVE CITIES AS WELL AS THE SAN ANTONIO
METROPOLITAN AREA.

AT 610 PM THIS EVENING...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM AUSTIN TO FLORESVILLE TO
VICTORIA.  VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WAS INDICATED IN SOME OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS.  THE AREA WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

ANOTHER AREA OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED
FROM NEAR JUNCTION TO EAGLE PASS TO DEL RIO.  THIS AREA CONTAINED ONLY
ISOLATED HEAVY RAINFALL AND WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OVER SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND
VERY STRONG LOW LEVEL WINDS FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO HAVE PRODUCED THE
THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES IN THE WATCH AREA.

A COLD FRONT LOCATED JUST WEST OF A LINE FROM SAN ANGELO TO DEL RIO WILL
MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS LATER TONIGHT...ENDING THE
THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER.

THE BEST SAFETY RULE TO REMEMBER WHEN TORNADOES THREATEN IS TO REMAIN
INDOORS IN A STURDY HOUSE OR BUILDING.  MOVE TO THE LOWEST FLOOR AND
STAY AWAY FROM DOORS...GLASS AND WINDOWS.  MOST HOMES HAVE A SMALL
CENTRAL CLOSET...HALLWAY OR BATHROOM THAT WOULD MAKE A VERY GOOD TORNADO
SHELTER.

CARS AND TRUCKS ARE VERY EASILY OVERTURNED IN A TORNADO AND PROVIDE NO
PROTECTION AT ALL.  IF YOU THINK A TORNADO MAY BE APPROACHING AND ARE IN
A VEHICLE...GET TO A NEARBY SHELTER.  IF NONE IS AVAILABLE...LEAVE THE
VEHICLE AND CROUCH LOW IN A LOW AREA SUCH AS A DITCH OR CULVERT.  PROTECT
YOUR HEAD WITH HANDS AND ARMS TO PREVENT INJURY FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

REMEMBER...IN MANY SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS...MOBILE HOMES ARE TORN APART
BY THE SEVERE WINDS.  THEY DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION FROM A
TORNADO.  IF A TORNADO THREATENS...YOU SHOULD MOVE QUICKLY TO A STURDY
HOUSE OR BUILDING AND STAY THERE UNTIL THE THREAT IS OVER.

SECONDS CAN SAVE LIVES...REMEMBER THE SAFETY RULES AND KNOW HOW YOU WILL
USE THEM BEFORE YOU HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION!

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 14, 6:13 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXCaldwell47 min
Jan 14, 6:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXTravis, Williamson56 min
Jan 14, 6:39 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGuadalupe66 min
Jan 14, 7:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXCaldwell40 min
Jan 14, 7:21 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBastrop54 min
Jan 14, 7:54 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGuadalupe51 min
Jan 15, 1:15 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMilam60 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes in 1991

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.