Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Brownsville, TX

March 14, 1997Hidalgo County, Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 14, 1997, 1:20 PM CST for Hidalgo County, Texas. It was in force for 55 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
Mar 14, 1997, 1:20 PM CST (19:20 UTC)
Expired
Mar 14, 1997, 2:15 PM CST
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Hidalgo County, TX

The radar

The Brownsville radar (KBRO), 93 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:21 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 14, 1:30 PM CSTHail 1.75Mccook, TX
Mar 14, 2:05 PM CSTHail 4.5Mission, 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

Brownsville Intl, TX (KBRO), launched 12:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 96 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 1997-03-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 1997-03-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -22 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2062 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-22 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-3 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

216 
WUUS1 KBRO 141921 RRA
SVRBRO
TXC215-142015-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
120 PM CST FRI MAR 14 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  215 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS......
 
IN SOUTH TEXAS
 
   ...WESTERN HIDALGO COUNTY
 
BROWNSVILLE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN
WESTERN HIDALGO COUNTY WERE BEGINNING TO PRODUCE HAIL. STRONG GUSTY
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM CELLS WERE LOCATED FROM 15 MILES
NORTHWEST OF MCCOOK TO 10 MILES SOUTH OF MCCOOK. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
 
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DONT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
 
 
 
&

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.

NWS Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Mar 14, 9:50 AM CST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 14, 9:50 AM CST, 3 hours 30 minutes before
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
945 AM CST FRI MAR 14 1997

CDFNT FASTER AND STRONGER THAN EARLIER MODELS SUGGESTED SO WILL
HAVE TO ADJUST FCST FOR THESE CHANGES. PRE-FRONTAL TROF JUST WENT
THRU NQI AND BARRELING SWD AT 40 MPH OR MORE. FNT NOT FAR BEHIND.
WSHFT WILL RCH NRN COUNTIES OF DEEP S TX BEFORE NOON AND REST OF
VALLEY IN ERY AFTN. MOCLR SKIES AHD OF TROF WILL CLOUD UP BEHIND
WSHFT THIS AFTN. WNDS BEHIND TROF NR 15 MPH BUT BEHIND FNT WILL
BE 20-30 AND GUSTY. SCA IN ORDER AS IS WND ADVY FOR THIS AFTN.
CAA WILL BE STG AND LKLY TO PRODUCE TEMPS HERE SVRL DEGS UNDER
MOS FCST BOTH TNGT AND SAT...BASED ON UPSTREAM TEMPS THAT ARE
DROPPING 20-25 DEGS IMMEDIATELY BEHIND FNT. READINGS IN 40S OVR
CNTRL TX AND 20S TX PNHDL PORTEND A CHILLY COUPLE OF DAYS FOR
OUR AREA. NOT SEEING ANY CNVCTN NR FNT ATTM AND WOULD EXPCT MSTLY
PTCHY LGT RAIN POST-FRONT AS OVRNG QUICKLY DVLPS. RDG BLDG DOWN
S TX AND MEXICAN COASTS SHUD HOLD THE N WNDS AND COLD AIR IN THRU
SUN AT LEAST WITH ETA SHOWING THIS TREND BETTER THAN NGM...THE
LATTER MOVING RDG OUT TO E TOO FAST.

FCST AS FOLLOWS:

...WND ADVY IN EFFECT THIS AFTN...
.THIS AFTN...INCRSG CLDS AND BCMG WINDY. HIGHS IN MID-UPR 80S WITH
TEMPS FALLING INTO 60S BY LT AFTN. SW WIND 10-15 SHIFTING TO N AND
INCRSG TO 20-30 MPH AND GUSTY DURG AFTN.
.TNGT...CLDY/WINDY/COLDER. 20 PCT CHC RAIN. LOWS UPR 40S W TO LWR
50S E AND MID 50S CST. N WIND 15-25 MPH/GSTY.
.SAT...CLDY/BREEZY/COOL. 20 PCT CHC RAIN. HIGHS IN UPR 50S/LWR 60S.
N WND 15-20 MPH/GSTY.

57

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 14, 10:38 AM CST, 2 hours 42 minutes before
TXZ248>255-142300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1045 AM CST FRI MAR 14 1997

...STRONG COLD FRONT RACING TOWARD DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...

AT LATE MORNING AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM CORPUS CHRISTI
TO LAREDO AND WAS MOVING SOUTH NEAR 40 MPH. THE COLD AIR BEHIND THIS
FRONT WILL BRING A SHARP CHANGE TO DEEP SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER COMPARED
TO THE QUITE WARM CONDITIONS OF THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS.

THERE IS A PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH WHICH WILL BRING A WIND SHIFT TO THE
NORTH BY EARLY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WILL NOT BE AFFECTED MUCH BY
THIS WIND SHIFT. HOWEVER...THE ACTUAL FRONT WILL FOLLOW BY JUST A
FEW HOURS AND WILL BRING WITH IT A QUICK TEMPERATURE DROP OF 20
DEGREES OR MORE ALONG WITH A STRONGER NORTH WIND OF 20 TO 30 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS. BY THE LATTER HALF OF THE AFTERNOON...ALL OF
THE AREA WILL BE FEELING THIS COLD WIND.

SKIES WILL EXHIBIT PLENTY OF SUNSHINE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TROUGH
BUT CLOUDS WILL INCREASE RAPIDLY BEHIND THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON.
NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF RAIN IS EXPECTED WITH THE FRONT...BUT LIGHT
RAIN COULD BECOME MORE PREVALENT OVER THE WEEKEND AS OVERRUNNING
CONDITIONS BECOME BETTER ESTABLISHED.

WEEKEND WEATHER ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS WILL BE MORE LIKE WINTER
THAN THE SPRINGLIKE CONDITIONS OF THE RECENT PAST. WITH THE COLD
AIR CONTINUING TO POUR IN ON SATURDAY ALONG WITH OVERCAST SKIES...
TEMPERATURES DURING THE DAY WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH THE 60S.
OVERNIGHT READINGS TONIGHT MAY DROP INTO THE 40S INLAND AND
50S AT THE COAST. SUNDAY WILL LIKELY SEE LITTLE IMPROVEMENT AS
THE CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE RAIN KEEP THE COLD AIR TRAPPED OVER THE
VALLEY. A GRADUAL WARMUP SHOULD COMMENCE BY EARLY NEXT WEEK.

NEWMAN
Special weather statement, Mar 14, 10:45 AM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
TXZ248>255-142300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1045 AM CST FRI MAR 14 1997

...STRONG COLD FRONT RACING TOWARD DEEP SOUTH TEXAS...

AT LATE MORNING AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM CORPUS CHRISTI
TO LAREDO AND WAS MOVING SOUTH NEAR 40 MPH. THE COLD AIR BEHIND THIS
FRONT WILL BRING A SHARP CHANGE TO DEEP SOUTH TEXAS WEATHER COMPARED
TO THE QUITE WARM CONDITIONS OF THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS.

THERE IS A PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH WHICH WILL BRING A WIND SHIFT TO THE
NORTH BY EARLY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WILL NOT BE AFFECTED MUCH BY
THIS WIND SHIFT. HOWEVER...THE ACTUAL FRONT WILL FOLLOW BY JUST A
FEW HOURS AND WILL BRING WITH IT A QUICK TEMPERATURE DROP OF 20
DEGREES OR MORE ALONG WITH A STRONGER NORTH WIND OF 20 TO 30 MPH
WITH HIGHER GUSTS. BY THE LATTER HALF OF THE AFTERNOON...ALL OF
THE AREA WILL BE FEELING THIS COLD WIND.

SKIES WILL EXHIBIT PLENTY OF SUNSHINE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TROUGH
BUT CLOUDS WILL INCREASE RAPIDLY BEHIND THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON.
NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF RAIN IS EXPECTED WITH THE FRONT...BUT LIGHT
RAIN COULD BECOME MORE PREVALENT OVER THE WEEKEND AS OVERRUNNING
CONDITIONS BECOME BETTER ESTABLISHED.

WEEKEND WEATHER ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS WILL BE MORE LIKE WINTER
THAN THE SPRINGLIKE CONDITIONS OF THE RECENT PAST. WITH THE COLD
AIR CONTINUING TO POUR IN ON SATURDAY ALONG WITH OVERCAST SKIES...
TEMPERATURES DURING THE DAY WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH THE 60S.
OVERNIGHT READINGS TONIGHT MAY DROP INTO THE 40S INLAND AND
50S AT THE COAST. SUNDAY WILL LIKELY SEE LITTLE IMPROVEMENT AS
THE CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE RAIN KEEP THE COLD AIR TRAPPED OVER THE
VALLEY. A GRADUAL WARMUP SHOULD COMMENCE BY EARLY NEXT WEEK.

NEWMAN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 14, 2:13 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBROHidalgo47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.