Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 521, NWS Fort Worth, TX

November 3, 1994Dallas County, Rockwall County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 3, 1994, 3:25 PM CST for Dallas County, Rockwall County, Texas. It was in force for 65 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Nov 3, 1994, 3:25 PM CST (21:25 UTC)
Expired
Nov 3, 1994, 4:30 PM CST
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Dallas County, TX, Rockwall County, TX

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:24 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 65 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, Fort Worth, TX at 12:00Z on 1994-11-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1716 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, Fort Worth, TX at 12:00Z on 1994-11-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 302 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1716 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
562 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
302 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
279 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.8
Supercell composite
11.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFTW 032126 RRA
SVRFTW
TXC113-397-032230-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
325 PM CST THU NOV 3 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  430 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...DALLAS COUNTY...ROCKWALL COUNTY
 
AT 325 PM CST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS MILE EAST OF DOWNTOWN DALLAS. THIS STORMS WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT
30 MILES AN HOUR AND LIKELY CONTAINS HAIL TO 1 INCH AND WINDS IN EXCEESS
OF 60 MILES AN HOUR.
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...YOU SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.  DO NOT DRIVE
INTO WATER CROSSING ROADWAYS.

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, Nov 3, 2:00 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before
TXZ118-119-133-032100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
200 PM CST THU NOV 3 1994

AT 200 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER JOHNSON COUNTY JUST NORTHEAST OF
CLEBURNE.  THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR
AND LIKELY CONTAINS VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT CLOUD TO CLOUD
LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR AND HAIL TO
1/2 INCH.   THIS STORM WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEASTERN TARRANT COUNTY
BY 220 PM AND INTO DALLAS COUNTY BEFORE 3 PM.
INDICES AT OR BELOW -8 DEGREES OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF
THE RISK AREA.

ALTHOUGH UNSTABLE...THE AIRMASS OVER NORTH TEXAS IS CAPPED BY A LAYER
OF WARM AIR 4000 TO 8000 FEET ABOVE THE EARTH'S SURFACE.  THIS CAPPING
LAYER OF WARM AIR WILL BE WEAKENED BY SURFACE HEATING THIS AFTERNOON.
FURTHERMORE...A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL BE EJECTED
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FROM A POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL STORM OVER THE
SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES.  THE LIFT PROVIDED BY THESE DISTURBANCES
AS THEY MOVE OVER NORTH TEXAS WILL ALSO SERVE TO WEAKEN THE CAPPING
LAYER OF WARM AIR.

LATER THIS AFTERNOON...THE DRYLINE WILL MOVE EAST TOWARD THE WESTERN
PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS.  CONVERGENCE OF WINDS ALONG THE DRYLINE...
COMBINED WITH AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND THE WEAKENING CAP OF WARM
AIR...WILL PERMIT THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS THE WEST THIS AFTERNOON.  A JET OF STRONG WINDS JUST ABOVE THE
SURFACE WILL DEVELOP OVER NORTH TEXAS OVERNIGHT...AIDING CONTINUED
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS MAINLY CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF
THE RISK AREA.

THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL
BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.  HOWEVER...SUFFICIENT TURNING OF THE
WINDS WITH HEIGHT IN THE LOW LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE INDICATE SOME
TORNADIC POTENTIAL WITH THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS THE
RISK AREA SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS TODAY AND BE
READY FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION.

COMPUTER GUIDANCE THIS MORNING SUGGESTS A SIGNIFICANT OUTBREAK OF
SEVERE WEATHER MAY OCCUR OVER MOST OF NORTH TEXAS TOMORROW.  SPOTTER
GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS MAY ALSO REQUIRE ACTIVATION
ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR
COMMERCIAL TELEVISION OR RADIO...FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

70
Special weather statement, Nov 3, 2:03 PM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes before
TXZ118-119-133-032100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
200 PM CST THU NOV 3 1994

AT 200 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER JOHNSON COUNTY JUST NORTHEAST OF
CLEBURNE.  THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR
AND LIKELY CONTAINS VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT CLOUD TO CLOUD
LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR AND HAIL TO
1/2 INCH.   THIS STORM WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEASTERN TARRANT COUNTY
BY 220 PM AND INTO DALLAS COUNTY BEFORE 3 PM.
INDICES AT OR BELOW -8 DEGREES OVER WESTERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF
THE RISK AREA.

ALTHOUGH UNSTABLE...THE AIRMASS OVER NORTH TEXAS IS CAPPED BY A LAYER
OF WARM AIR 4000 TO 8000 FEET ABOVE THE EARTH'S SURFACE.  THIS CAPPING
LAYER OF WARM AIR WILL BE WEAKENED BY SURFACE HEATING THIS AFTERNOON.
FURTHERMORE...A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL BE EJECTED
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT FROM A POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL STORM OVER THE
SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES.  THE LIFT PROVIDED BY THESE DISTURBANCES
AS THEY MOVE OVER NORTH TEXAS WILL ALSO SERVE TO WEAKEN THE CAPPING
LAYER OF WARM AIR.

LATER THIS AFTERNOON...THE DRYLINE WILL MOVE EAST TOWARD THE WESTERN
PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS.  CONVERGENCE OF WINDS ALONG THE DRYLINE...
COMBINED WITH AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND THE WEAKENING CAP OF WARM
AIR...WILL PERMIT THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS THE WEST THIS AFTERNOON.  A JET OF STRONG WINDS JUST ABOVE THE
SURFACE WILL DEVELOP OVER NORTH TEXAS OVERNIGHT...AIDING CONTINUED
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS MAINLY CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF
THE RISK AREA.

THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL
BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.  HOWEVER...SUFFICIENT TURNING OF THE
WINDS WITH HEIGHT IN THE LOW LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE INDICATE SOME
TORNADIC POTENTIAL WITH THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS THE
RISK AREA SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS TODAY AND BE
READY FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION.

COMPUTER GUIDANCE THIS MORNING SUGGESTS A SIGNIFICANT OUTBREAK OF
SEVERE WEATHER MAY OCCUR OVER MOST OF NORTH TEXAS TOMORROW.  SPOTTER
GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS MAY ALSO REQUIRE ACTIVATION
ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR
COMMERCIAL TELEVISION OR RADIO...FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

70
Special weather statement, Nov 3, 2:08 PM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes before
TXZ118-119-133-032100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
200 PM CST THU NOV 3 1994

CORRECTED TO DELETE EXTRANEOUS INFORMATION

AT 200 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER JOHNSON COUNTY JUST NORTHEAST OF
CLEBURNE.  THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR
AND LIKELY CONTAINS VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT CLOUD TO CLOUD
LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR AND HAIL TO
1/2 INCH.   THIS STORM WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEASTERN TARRANT COUNTY
BY 220 PM AND INTO DALLAS COUNTY BEFORE 3 PM.
Special weather statement, Nov 3, 2:18 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
TXZ091-032115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
218 PM CST THU NOV 3 1994

TEST...TEST...TEST...THIS IS A TEST!
Special weather statement, Nov 3, 2:24 PM CST, 1 hour 1 minute before
TXZ091-032115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
218 PM CST THU NOV 3 1994

TEST...TEST...TEST...THIS IS A TEST!
Special weather statement, Nov 3, 2:25 PM CST, 1 hour before
TXZ091-032115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
218 PM CST THU NOV 3 1994

TEST...TEST...TEST...THIS IS A TEST!

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 2, 11:51 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCollin, Dallas, Denton54 min
Nov 3, 12:26 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHill20 min
Nov 3, 2:15 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDJohnson30 min
Nov 3, 2:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDallas47 min
Nov 3, 3:01 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDEllis59 min
Nov 3, 4:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDKaufman65 min
Nov 3, 4:46 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDHunt44 min
Nov 3, 5:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDelta, Lamar62 min
Nov 3, 5:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHunt62 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 1994Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1994

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.