Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1996

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Fort Worth, TX

January 17, 1996Mills County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 17, 1996, 8:43 PM CST for Mills County, Texas. It was in force for 62 min. 2 reports 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 17, 1996, 8:43 PM CST (02:43 UTC)
Expired
Jan 17, 1996, 9:45 PM CST
In force
62 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Mills County, TX

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jan 17, 9:00 PM CSTThunderstorm WindGoldthwaite, TX
Jan 17, 9:05 PM CSTHail 0.75Priddy, 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 00:00Z, 2.7 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, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 1996-01-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 320 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 00:00Z on 1996-01-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 428 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156175Sfc1 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
320 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-52 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1337 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
82 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
428 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
374 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
2.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.

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, Jan 17, 2:44 PM CST, 5 hours 59 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jan 17, 5:15 PM CST, 3 hours 28 minutes before
TXZ093>097-103>112-118>126-131>138-144>153-157>167-174-175-180700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
515 PM CST WED JAN 17 1996

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT FOR THE
EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF NORTH TEXAS...GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF A
GAINESVILLE-FORT WORTH-GATESVILLE LINE.  THE CITIES OF SHERMAN...
PARIS...TYLER...LONGVIEW...MARSHALL...WACO...TEMPLE...KILLEEN...
LUFKIN...AND THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX ARE INCLUDED IN THE
SLIGHT RISK AREA.

AN INTENSE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM OVER ARIZONA CONTINUES TO MOVE
EAST INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THIS EVENING.  AHEAD OF THE UPPER
SYSTEM STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WERE GRADUALLY INCREASING MOISTURE
VALUES ACROSS CENTRAL AND EAST PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS.

THIS EVENING A FAST-MOVING COLD FRONT WILL OVERTAKE A STATIONARY DRY
LINE THAT EXTENDED NEAR A VERNON-ABILENE LINE AT 5PM.  SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT AFTER SUNSET... MOST
LIKELY NEAR A WICHITA FALLS-BRECKENRIDGE LINE.  THE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL FORM INTO A BROKEN TO SOLID SQUALL LINE NEAR A SHERMAN-DALLAS-
WAXAHACHIE LINE BY MIDNIGHT...THEN MOVE RAPIDLY EAST INTO EAST TEXAS.

CURRENT OBSERVATIONS AND SHORT-RANGE COMPUTER FORECASTS INDICATE THAT
THE COMBINATION OF MODEST INSTABILITIES AND RAPID INCREASE OF WIND
SPEEDS WITH HEIGHT THROUGH 6000 FEET WILL RESULT IN A FEW OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING SEVERE WIND STORMS.  THESE STORMS LIKELY WILL
ASSUME THE RADAR SHAPE OF "BOW ECHOES".  DAMAGING DOWNBURSTS WILL BE
THE MOST LIKELY MODE OF SEVERE WEATHER...HOWEVER THE VERY STRONG WIND
FIELDS COULD RESULT IN A FEW TORNADOES...MAINLY WITH THE BOW ECHO
STORMS.  SOME SMALL HAIL ALSO MAY OCCUR WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH A GIVEN AREA VERY QUICKLY...WITH THE
STORMS LIKELY TO MOVE WITH FORWARD SPEEDS ABOVE 45 MPH. THE THREAT OF
SEVERE WEATHER WILL END WITH THE ARRIVAL OF COOL NORTHWEST WINDS
BEHIND THE FRONT.  OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS AND BOTH AHEAD AND NORTH
OF THE COLD FRONT ENVIRONMENTAL WINDS WILL CONTINUE QUITE STRONG
TONIGHT.  SOME MINOR DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED ACROSS NORTH TEXAS
DURING THE DAY...AND MORE MINOR DAMAGE MAY OCCUR TONIGHT BECAUSE OF
THE STRONG WIND FIELD.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD BE READY FOR
POSSIBLE ACTIVATION TONIGHT...MAINLY IN CENTRAL SECTIONS THIS
EVENING...AND IN EAST TEXAS LATE TONIGHT.
Special weather statement, Jan 17, 5:22 PM CST, 3 hours 21 minutes before
TXZ093>097-103>112-118>126-131>138-144>153-157>167-174-175-180700-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
515 PM CST WED JAN 17 1996

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT FOR THE
EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF NORTH TEXAS...GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF A
GAINESVILLE-FORT WORTH-GATESVILLE LINE.  THE CITIES OF SHERMAN...
PARIS...TYLER...LONGVIEW...MARSHALL...WACO...TEMPLE...KILLEEN...
LUFKIN...AND THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX ARE INCLUDED IN THE
SLIGHT RISK AREA.

AN INTENSE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM OVER ARIZONA CONTINUES TO MOVE
EAST INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THIS EVENING.  AHEAD OF THE UPPER
SYSTEM STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WERE GRADUALLY INCREASING MOISTURE
VALUES ACROSS CENTRAL AND EAST PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS.

THIS EVENING A FAST-MOVING COLD FRONT WILL OVERTAKE A STATIONARY DRY
LINE THAT EXTENDED NEAR A VERNON-ABILENE LINE AT 5PM.  SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT AFTER SUNSET... MOST
LIKELY NEAR A WICHITA FALLS-BRECKENRIDGE LINE.  THE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL FORM INTO A BROKEN TO SOLID SQUALL LINE NEAR A SHERMAN-DALLAS-
WAXAHACHIE LINE BY MIDNIGHT...THEN MOVE RAPIDLY EAST INTO EAST TEXAS.

CURRENT OBSERVATIONS AND SHORT-RANGE COMPUTER FORECASTS INDICATE THAT
THE COMBINATION OF MODEST INSTABILITIES AND RAPID INCREASE OF WIND
SPEEDS WITH HEIGHT THROUGH 6000 FEET WILL RESULT IN A FEW OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS BECOMING SEVERE WIND STORMS.  THESE STORMS LIKELY WILL
ASSUME THE RADAR SHAPE OF "BOW ECHOES".  DAMAGING DOWNBURSTS WILL BE
THE MOST LIKELY MODE OF SEVERE WEATHER...HOWEVER THE VERY STRONG WIND
FIELDS COULD RESULT IN A FEW TORNADOES...MAINLY WITH THE BOW ECHO
STORMS.  SOME SMALL HAIL ALSO MAY OCCUR WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH A GIVEN AREA VERY QUICKLY...WITH THE
STORMS LIKELY TO MOVE WITH FORWARD SPEEDS ABOVE 45 MPH. THE THREAT OF
SEVERE WEATHER WILL END WITH THE ARRIVAL OF COOL NORTHWEST WINDS
BEHIND THE FRONT.  OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS AND BOTH AHEAD AND NORTH
OF THE COLD FRONT ENVIRONMENTAL WINDS WILL CONTINUE QUITE STRONG
TONIGHT.  SOME MINOR DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED ACROSS NORTH TEXAS
DURING THE DAY...AND MORE MINOR DAMAGE MAY OCCUR TONIGHT BECAUSE OF
THE STRONG` WIND FIELD.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD BE READY FOR
POSSIBLE ACTIVATION TONIGHT...MAINLY IN CENTRAL SECTIONS THIS
EVENING...AND IN EAST TEXAS LATE TONIGHT.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 17, 8:36 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDenton69 min
Jan 17, 9:10 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDErath35 min
Jan 17, 9:17 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHamilton28 min
Jan 17, 9:22 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHood, Somervell38 min
Jan 17, 9:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDParker, Tarrant62 min
Jan 17, 9:41 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCoryell34 min
Jan 17, 9:51 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJohnson54 min
Jan 17, 10:02 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDDallas, Tarrant58 min
Jan 17, 10:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDMcLennan45 min
Jan 17, 10:22 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHill68 min
Jan 17, 10:51 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDKaufman69 min
Jan 17, 10:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDNavarro52 min
Jan 17, 11:27 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDHopkins, Hunt, Rains63 min
Jan 17, 11:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHenderson26 min
Jan 17, 11:36 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDHenderson39 min
Jan 17, 11:56 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDVan Zandt49 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 1996Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1996

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.