Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1995

Tornado Warning 17, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

April 4, 1995Matagorda County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 4, 1995, 10:51 AM CDT for Matagorda County, Texas. It was in force for 69 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 4, 1995, 10:51 AM CDT (15:51 UTC)
Expired
Apr 4, 1995, 12:00 PM CDT
In force
69 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Matagorda County, TX

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 176 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 12:00Z on 1995-04-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2580 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 1995-04-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 100 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
2580 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
535 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
100 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
131 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.8
Supercell composite
7.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KHOU 041553
TORHOU
TXC321-041700-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
1051 AM CDT TUE APR 4 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL NOON CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
 
   ...MATAGORDA COUNTY
 
AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS
 
 
AT 1050 AM...RADAR INDICATED A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 10 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF PALACIOS. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
 
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO... SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR
ROOM... SUCH AS A CLOSET OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE.
AVOID WINDOWS AND PROTECT YOUR BODY FROM FLYING DEBRIS WITH
CUSHIONS... BLANKETS... OR PILLOWS.

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.

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Apr 4, 9:46 AM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 4, 9:46 AM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
940 AM CDT TUE APR 4 1995

GOOD THERMAL AND MOISTURE ADVECTION SHOWN AT 850 MB LVL THIS MORNING.
700/500 MB LAPSE RATES OF 20 DEG JUST TO SW OF RGN. ADAP SHOWS SURFACE
MOISTURE CONVERGENCE VALUES TO 40 G/KG BETWEEN SAT AND VCT.  PATTERN FOR
CONTINUOUS RW/TRW DEVELOPMENT UNTIL WED MORNING. WL CONT W/FFA OVR RGN
UNTIL TONITE. SVR TSTM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MOST COUNTIES UNTIL 2 PM CxDT
TODAY. WL MAKE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO LOWER MAX TEMPS 1ST PD A TAD DUE TO
CONSIDERABLE CLD COVER AND PCPN. #37

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 4, 5:16 AM CDT, 5 hours 35 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-511-513-041700-

SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
515 AM CDT TUE APR 4 1995

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS ALL SOUTHEAST TEXAS
TODAY.  A COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE AREA...LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING ALONG THE
FRONT...AND FAVORABLE UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS WILL CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT
CONDUCIVE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.  THE PRIMARY THREAT
FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS.  THE CITIES
INCLUDED IN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA INCLUDE COLLEGE STATION...BRENHAM...
HOUSTON... EL CAMPO...GALVESTON...LIVINGSTON...JASPER AND BEAUMONT/PORT ARTHUR.

IN ADDITION A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT.  THE STRONG TO
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL TEXAS EARLY THIS MORNING WILL BE MOVING INTO
THE REGION TODAY PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN OVER MUCH OF SOUTHEAST
TEXAS...GENERALLY WEST OF A HIGH ISLAND TO KOUNTZE LINE TODAY BEFORE THE AREA
OF HEAVY RAIN SHIFTS SOUTH AND EAST TONIGHT.  RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3
INCHES WILL BE COMMON OVER MUCH OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS WITH ISOLATED TOTALS OF 4
TO 6 INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT.  THIS THREAT MzAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED
WEDNESDAY AS THE FRONT BECOMES NEARLY STATIONARY NEAR THE COAST.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 8:30 AM CDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-511-513-042000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
830 AM CDT TUE APR 4 1995
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 2 PM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
INCLUDED IN THIS WATCH ARE THE COUNTIES OF WASHINGTON...AUSTIN
...BRAZOS...COLORADO...JACKSON...WHARTON...BURLESON...
BRAZORIA...GRIMES...LIBERTY...SAN JACINTO...CHAMBERS...MATAGORDA...FORT
BEND...HARRIS...MONTGOMERY...WALKER...GALVESTON...POLK AND WALLER.

VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS OVER THE REGION...IN COMBINATION WITH AN
APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM FROM THE SOUTHWEST...WILL
RESULT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST
TEXAS.  SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS
AND VERY HEAVY RAINS.

AT MID MORNING...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER MUCH
OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. THE
STRONGEST STORMS WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINS WERE MAINLY SOUTH OF A
KOUNTZE...COLLEGE STATION LINE.

REMEMBER...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS. THE
FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT.  STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL
RADIO...TELEVISION OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 8:41 AM CDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-511-513-042000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON TX
830 AM CDT TUE APR 4 1995
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 2 PM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.
INCLUDED IN THIS WATCH ARE THE COUNTIES OF WASHINGTON...AUSTIN
...BRAZOS...COLORADO...JACKSON...WHARTON...BURLESON...
BRAZORIA...GRIMES...LIBERTY...SAN JACINTO...CHAMBERS...MATAGORDA...FORT
BEND...HARRIS...MONTGOMERY...WALKER...GALVESTON...POLK AND WALLER.

VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS OVER THE REGION...IN COMBINATION WITH AN
APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM FROM THE SOUTHWEST...WILL
RESULT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST
TEXAS.  SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS
AND VERY HEAVY RAINS.

AT MID MORNING...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER MUCH
OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. THE
STRONGEST STORMS WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINS WERE MAINLY SOUTH OF A
KOUNTZE...COLLEGE STATION LINE.

REMEMBER...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS. THE
FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT.  STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL
RADIO...TELEVISION OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 4, 7:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris53 min
Apr 4, 9:34 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria, Matagorda56 min
Apr 4, 10:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXFort Bend57 min
Apr 4, 10:09 AM CDTTornado WarningHGXJackson66 min
Apr 4, 11:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria68 min
Apr 4, 11:58 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXMatagorda62 min
Apr 4, 12:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria61 min
Apr 4, 1:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXMatagorda41 min
Apr 4, 1:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGalveston61 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1995Every tornado warning in 1995Tornadoes in 1995

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.