Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 39, NWS Fort Worth, TX

May 2, 1991Scurry County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at May 2, 1991, 3:13 PM CDT for Scurry County, Texas. It was in force for 62 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
May 2, 1991, 3:13 PM CDT (20:13 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 1991, 4:15 PM CDT
In force
62 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Scurry County, TX

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 2, 3:30 PM CDTHail 1.75Scurry, 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

Midland Regional, TX (KMAF), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 150 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, Midland Regional, TX at 12:00Z on 1991-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 357 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, Midland Regional, TX at 12:00Z on 1991-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 249 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
357 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-318 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
954 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
249 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
248 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KABI 022013
TORABI
TXC415-022115-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ABILENE 
313 PM CDT THU MAY 2 1991

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 415 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE WEST PART OF TEXAS
      SCURRY

AT 312 PM RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
HERMLEIGH MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST 20 MILES AN HOUR.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...GO TO A BASEMENT OR
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING.

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, May 2, 1:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before
TXZ031-037-021910-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR DATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
110 PM CDT THU MAY  2 1991

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM FOR BELL...
BOSQUE...CORYELL AND MCLENNAN COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 102 PM CDT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...
EXTENDED ACROSS THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF CENTRAL TEXAS
FROM NORTHWEST OF COMANCHE TO NEAR CALDWELL.  THE HEAVIEST RAIN WAS
OVER BELL AND CORYELL COUNTIES FROM NORTHWEST OF GEORGETOWN TO  WEST
OF GATESVILLE.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM AND A SURFACE WARM FRONT WERE COMBINING
TO PRODUCE THESE THUNDERSTORMS AND VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE
A POSSIBLITY THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON.  PERSONS IN CORYELL AND BELL
COUNTIES SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR VERY HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY
WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.  PERSONS ON LAKES BELTON AND STILLHOUSE
SHOULD BE ALERT TO THE POSSIBLITY OF RAPIDLY INCREASING WINDS AND BE
READY TO GO TO SHORE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST IN WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 2, 1:51 PM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
TXZ019>033-022000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
150 PM CDT THU MAY 2 1991

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS.
AT 1245 PM...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ON A LINE
FROM ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF AUSTIN TO 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF
STEPHENVILLE TO JUST EAST OF ABILENE.  THE STRONGEST STORMS IN THIS
BAND WERE LOCATED IN SOUTHERN PARKER COUNTY AND EASTERN EASTLAND
COUNTY.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 25 MPH.

A VERY STRONG STORM WAS NOTED ABOUT 30 MILES EAST OF SAN ANTONIO ALONG
WITH MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WEST OF AN ABILENE TO
WICHITA FALLS LINE.  THIS ACTIVITY WAS ALSO MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHWEST TEXAS
AS WELL AS NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS GENERALLY INSIDE A LINE FROM CROWELL TO
JACKSBORO TO TEMPLE TO COLEMAN.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNEINGS.
Special weather statement, May 2, 2:00 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
TXZ019>033-022000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION TO RADAR TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
150 PM CDT THU MAY 2 1991

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS.
AT 145 PM...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ON A LINE
FROM ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF AUSTIN TO 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF
STEPHENVILLE TO JUST EAST OF ABILENE.  THE STRONGEST STORMS IN THIS
BAND WERE LOCATED IN SOUTHERN PARKER COUNTY AND EASTERN EASTLAND
COUNTY.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 25 MPH.

A VERY STRONG STORM WAS NOTED ABOUT 30 MILES EAST OF SAN ANTONIO ALONG
WITH MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WEST OF AN ABILENE TO
WICHITA FALLS LINE.  THIS ACTIVITY WAS ALSO MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHWEST TEXAS
AS WELL AS NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS GENERALLY INSIDE A LINE FROM CROWELL TO
JACKSBORO TO TEMPLE TO COLEMAN.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 2, 2:22 PM CDT, 51 minutes before
TXZ031-037-021910-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
220 PM CDT THU MAY  2 1991

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM FOR BELL...
BOSQUE...CORYELL AND MCLENNAN COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 212 PM CDT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...
EXTENDED ACROSS THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF CENTRAL TEXAS
FROM NEAR COMANCHE TO NEAR GIDDINGS.  THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY EXTENDED
FROM 15 MILES NORTH OF GATESVILLE TO 15 MILES SOUTH OF TEMPLE TO NEAR
LEXINGTON.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

NONE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE SEVERE...HOWEVER AS AN UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE APPROACHES CENTRAL TEXAS FROM THE WEST...THE THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.
PERSONS IN BELL AND CORYELL COUNTIES SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR BRIEF
VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.  PERSONS IN
MCLENNAN AND BOSQUE COUNTIES SHOULD zALSO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THESE
THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY WILL BE MOVING INTO THESE COUNTIES DURING THE
NEXT HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST IN WEATHER INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, May 2, 3:02 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
TXZ019>033-022100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
300 PM CDT THU MAY 2 1991

AT 255 PM...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ON A LINE
FROM WACO TO STEPHENVILLE TO 15 MILES WEST OF WICHITA FALLS.  THE
STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN WESTERN BOSQUE COUNTY AND IN STEPHENS COUNTY
NEAR BRECKENRIDGE.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AND NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

ANOTHER PATCH OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS NOTED IN WISE COUNTY
WITH THE HEAVIER ACTIVITY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THAT COUNTY.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 25 MPH.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS INSIDE A
LINE FROM CROWELL TO JACKSBORO TO TEMPLE AND TO COLEMAN.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 2, 3:08 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
TXZ031-037-022130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WACO TX
305 PM CDT THU MAY 2 1991

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM FOR BELL...
   BOSQUE...CORYELL AND MCLENNAN COUNTIES OF CENTRAL TEXAS...

AT 300 PM CDT WACO WEATHER RADAR SHOWED NUMEROUS LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS
AND SCATTERED STRONG TO VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT CENTRAL AND
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS.  THE VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN PARTS
OF EASTERN CORYELL...WESTERN MCLENNAN AND SOUTHERN BELL COUNTIES.  OTHER
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN PARTS OF BOSQUE...HILL...CORYELL...
MCLENNAN...BELL...FALLS...ROBERTSON AND BRAZOS COUNTIES.  ALL THE
PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

NONE OF THE STORMS IN CENTRAL TEXAS WERE SEVERE...HOWEVER THE POTENTIAL
FOR SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOPEMENT REMAINS AND PERSON IN OR NEAR THE WATCH
AREA SHOULD KEEP UP WITH CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.  THE STORMS NOW
OCCURRING IN CENTRAL TEXAS AREA CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...
GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND BRIEF FLASH FLOODING OF LOW LYING
AND NORMALLY FLOOD PRONE AREAS SUCH AS LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.06

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 2, 2:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDKnox54 min
May 2, 2:24 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDFisher66 min
May 2, 2:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDBrown55 min
May 2, 2:39 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDJones36 min
May 2, 2:56 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDHaskell64 min
May 2, 3:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDKnox41 min
May 2, 3:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFisher62 min
May 2, 3:56 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDHaskell64 min
May 2, 4:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJones64 min
May 2, 4:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFisher66 min
May 2, 6:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDNolan66 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.