Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Melbourne, FL

March 3, 1991Lake County, Florida

NWS Melbourne, FL issued this tornado warning at Mar 3, 1991, 9:27 AM EST for Lake County, Florida. It was in force for 48 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 3, 1991, 9:27 AM EST (14:27 UTC)
Expired
Mar 3, 1991, 10:15 AM EST
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Melbourne, FL
Area
Whole counties

County Lake County, FL

The nearest sounding before it

Cape Canaveral, FL (KXMR), launched 12:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 123 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, Cape Canaveral, FL at 12:00Z on 1991-03-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1051 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, Cape Canaveral, FL at 12:00Z on 1991-03-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 212 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
1051 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-40 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
807 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
212 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
186 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.4
Supercell composite
7.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMLB 031435 COR
TORMLB
FLC069-031515-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING...CORRECTED FOR STORM SPEED AND MOTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
927 AM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MELBOURNE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 AM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN CENTRAL FLORIDA

   ...LAKE COUNTY

AT 925 AM A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM SOUTH OF OCALA
TO 12 MILES WEST OF LEESBURG TO 25 MILES WEST OF CLERMONT. A TORNADO
WAS REPORTED FROM THIS LINE IN CITRUS COUNTY SINCE 9AM. THIS IS A FAST
MOVING...DANGEROUS LINE OF STORMS THAT WILL BE MOVING INTO THE
LEESBURG AREA BY 945AM AND SWEEP THROUGH ALL OF LAKE COUNTY IN THE
NEXT HOUR. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.


THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

BH

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, Mar 3, 6:49 AM EST, 2 hours 38 minutes before
FLZ006>017-020-031245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAYTONA BEACH FL
645 AM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 28 CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL
FLORIDA AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL NOON EST.

RAIN AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN EXTENDED FROM SOUTH
GEORGIA TO JACKSONVILLE SOUTHWEST TO GAINESVILLE AND THE GULF COASTAL
AREA AROUND TAMPA BAY WEST INTO THE GULF AND INTO THE BIG BEND AREA
WEST OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE BETWEEN JACKSONVILLE AND LAKE CITY.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST 50 MPH.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE uTHUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
Special weather statement, Mar 3, 6:52 AM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
FLZ017-011-012-009-031245-

SPECIAL EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA WEATHER UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
650 AM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

...RAPIDLY MOVING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING EAST
CENTRAL FLORIDA...

AT 645 AM RADAR INDICATED THE LEADING EDGE OF A LARGE RAIN
AREA WITH EMBEDDED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM
JACKSONVILLE TO GAINESVILLE AND OCALA AND CROSSED THE
WEST COAST INTO THE GULF NEAR TAMPA. THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS
WERE ALONG THE WEST COAST NEAR BAYPORT AND EXTENDED SOUTHWEST
OVER THE GULF COASTAL WATERS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

OVER THE NEXT TWO HOURS THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RAIN AREA WILL
EXTEND FROM PALATKA TO LEESBURG AND CLERMONT WITH STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE OCALA AREA. AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS
MOVE THROUGH WIND GUSTS OF 50 MPH AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS ARE LIKELY.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA
AND TzHE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL NOON EST. PLEASE REPORT ANY
SEVERE WEATHER TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.
Special weather statement, Mar 3, 7:45 AM EST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
FLZ006>017-020-031345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAYTONA BEACH FL
745 AM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 28 CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL
FLORIDA AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL NOON EST.

RAIN AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN EXTENDED FROM SOUTH
GEORGIA TO JACKSONVILLE...ST. AUGUSTINE...PALATKA AND SOUTHWEST TO
LEESBURG AND SOUTH TO WAUCHULA AND WEST INTO THE GULF AND TO THE
SUWANNEE RIVER.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE JUST WEST AND NORTH OF JACKSONVILLE.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST 50 MPH.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
Special weather statement, Mar 3, 7:53 AM EST, 1 hour 34 minutes before
FLZ017-011-012-009-031400-

SPECIAL EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA WEATHER UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
751 AM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

...RAPIDLY MOVING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING EAST CENTRAL
FLORIDA...

AT 750 AM RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING
FROM JACKSONVILLE TO GAINESVILLE AND OCALA AND CROSSED THE WEST
COAST INTO THE GULF NEAR TAMPA. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE WITHIN
A LARGE RAIN AREA COVERING MUCH OF NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA.
THE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED WIND GUSTS OF 50 MPH AS THEY MOVED
ONSHORE THE WEST COAST.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

OVER THE NEXT TWO HOURS STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO
MOVE THROUGH THE OCALA AREA AND REACH THE LEESBURG AREA. RESIDENTS CAN
EXPECT WIND GUSTS OF 50 MPH AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AS THE
THUNDERSTORMS PASS. THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RAIN AREA WILL COVER
MUCH OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA WEST OF LAKE GEORGE AND THE ORLANDO AREA.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA AND
THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL NOON EST. PLEASE KEEP ABREAST OF
THE WEATHER AND REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

PAF
Special weather statement, Mar 3, 8:40 AM EST, 47 minutes before
FLZ006>017-020-031445-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAYTONA BEACH FL
840 AM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 28 CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL
FLORIDA AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL NOON EST.

RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN EXTENDED FROM SOUTH
GEORGIA TO JACKSONVILLE...ST. AUGUSTINE...FLAGLER BEACH AND 25 MILES
WEST OF DAYTONA BEACH SOUTHWEST TO NEAR ORLANDO AND TO TAMPA BAY. THE
RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED WEST TO NEAR LAKE CITY AND INTO THE GULF
FROM CEDAR KEY TO SARASOTA.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST 50 MPH.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVSERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
Special weather statement, Mar 3, 8:54 AM EST, 33 minutes before
FLZ017-011-016-012-009-031500-

SPECIAL EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA WEATHER UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MELBOURNE FL
853 AM EST SUN MAR 3 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS RAPIDLY APPROACHING INTERIOR EAST
CENTRAL FLORIDA...

AT 850 AM RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM THE OCALA AREA SOUTHWEST CROSSING THE WEST
COAST OVER THE GULF COASTAL WATERS NEAR BAYPORT. THE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE WITHIN A LARGE RAIN AREA COVERING MUCH OF
NORTH AND CENTRAL FLORIDA WEST OF ORLANDO AND LAKE GEORGE.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

OVER THE NEXT TWO HOURS THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE
THROUGH THE OCALA AREA AND WILL BE OVER LAKE COUNTY FROM LEESBURG
TO CLERMONT BY 10 AM. RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH
AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AS THE THUNDERSTORMS PASS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAST CENTRAL FLORIDA AND
THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL NOON ESTg. IF A TORNADO THREATENS
YOUR AREA STAY IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME.
REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE.

PAF

The office that day

Everything else NWS Melbourne, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 3, 9:22 AM ESTTornado WarningMLBMarion53 min
Mar 3, 10:01 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBFlagler, Volusia59 min
Mar 3, 10:30 AM ESTTornado WarningMLBFlagler30 min
Mar 3, 10:55 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBOrange, Osceola65 min
Mar 3, 11:16 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBVolusia44 min
Mar 3, 11:45 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMLBBrevard60 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Florida, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.