Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 47, NWS Brownsville, TX

October 5, 1997Willacy County, Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 5, 1997, 7:09 AM CDT for Willacy County, Texas. It was in force for 61 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Oct 5, 1997, 7:09 AM CDT (12:09 UTC)
Expired
Oct 5, 1997, 8:10 AM CDT
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Willacy County, TX

The radar

The Brownsville radar (KBRO), 65 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:08 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

Brownsville Intl, TX (KBRO), launched 12:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 67 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 1997-10-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 916 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 12:00Z on 1997-10-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -1 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
916 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-28 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
666 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
1 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-1 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-11 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.

252 
WUUS1 KBRO 051212 RRA
SVRBRO
TXC489-TXZ512-051310-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
709 AM CDT SUN OCT 5 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE TX HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 810
AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS....

IN SOUTHERN TEXAS

   ...WILLACY COUNTY

INCLUDING THE MARINE INTERESTS IN THE COASTAL WATERS AROUND...

   ...<<BAFFIN BAY>> TO <<PORT MANSFIELD>>
 
AT 707 AM...BROWNSVILLE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES SOUTH OF PORT MANSFIELD MOVING NORTHWEST AT 15
MPH. THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS OVER THE LAGUNA MADRE AND WILL BE
PASSING OVER PORT MANSFIELD DURING THE NEXT HALF HOUR.
 
AT SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING STORM...TOWERING THUNDERHEADS...DARKENING
SKIES...LIGHTNING AND INCREASING WINDS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.
TUNE IN NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

BOATERS AND FISHERMEN MIGHT CONSIDER POSTPONING THEIR OUTINGS TODAY
DUE TO THE HIGH WINDS, OR PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION ON THE WATERS.

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 Oct 5, 2:50 AM CDT, 4 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 5, 2:50 AM CDT, 4 hours 19 minutes before
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...COR FOR FCST #
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
233 AM CDT SUN OCT 5 1997

HIGH TEMPS RANGED FM 92 IN MFE TO 87 IN BRO WITH LOWS 71 TO 75 DEG
F. SCT SHRAS AND TSRAS MVD OVR LAND AS PREDICTED SAT. UPR LOW DEFINED
WELL ON MICROSWIS H2OV IMAGES. ETA CLOSES THIS FEATURE BY 7 AM TDY
AND PLACES IT CLOSER TO NGM SOLUTION...WHICH HAS ELONGATED THE LOW
AND PLACED IT TOO FAR EAST. WL LEAN TOWARD ETA SOLUTION THRU 48H.

COMP REF FM BRO 88D...COMPARED TO 1 HR EARLIER...SHOWS AREA OF SHRAS
AND TSRAS OVR GULF HAS MVD CLOSER TO KENEDY COAST AND CRP AND INCREASED
IN AREAL COVERAGE AND INTENSITY. ANOTHER ACTIVE AREA NOTED ON STLT HAS
DEVELOPED EAST OF MISSION EXTENDING SOUTHWARD INTO OLE MEX AND NORTHWARD
OVR WRN HIDALGO COUNTY. THIS AREA IS NEW AND INCREASING IN BOTH INTENSITY
AND AREAL COVERAGE.

NET SERVER DOWN THIS AM...LEAVING NO STLT OR MDL DATA IN HP WORK STATION.
GRIDDED DATA INDICATES NO LET-UP IN ERLY LOW LVL FLOW WITH UPR SUPPORT.
ETA A LITTLE MORE GENEROUS WITH PVA IN VLY AND CONSEQUENTLY...GREATER
UVM AT H7 IS PROGD AT ALL TIME PDS. NGM ACTUALLY INDICATES PERIODIC
SUBSIDENCE THIS FCST PD. REGARDLESS...EVEN NGM PUTS VLY IN LIKELY
CAT FOR SHRAS/TSRAS TDY.

RUN THRU ETA GRIDDED DATA CONFIRMS THAT THE MDL IS NOT LETTING UP
ON BRINGING COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF RAFL TO VLY THRU PD. MONDAY LOOKING
WETTER WITH ELONGATED AREA OF H7 UVM PROGD AT 42H (MON 1 PM). UPR LOW
DEEPENS BY 30H THEN OPEN UP AND RELEASES NEWRD. PWATS CONT TO INCREASE
THRU 48H FM THE ADJ MEX COAST WITH ETA 6-HR PCPN ALGORITHM SHOWING
INCREASED AMOUNT DEEPER INTO CENTRAL TX WITH TIME.

LATEST AVN NUMBERS SHOWING 60% POPS MON AND 80% TUE! PMDEPD SAYS IT
ALL FOR THE EXTENDED. "THE SRN TX COAST SHOULD REMAIN WET THRU PD
REGARDLESS OF WHICH MDL IS CORRECT WITH WET EASTERLY FLOW..CANADIAN
MDL DEVELOPS SIGNIFICANT SFC LOW WITH APPARENT SUBTROPICAL
CHARACTERISTICS OFF THE SRN TX COAST THRU DAY THREE..". BELIEVE MORE
EMPHASIS ON THE LIKELYHOOD POPS AND HVY RAFL NEEDED IN THE EXTENDED
AS ENUF INDICATORS EXISTS TO SUFFICIENTLY INFORM THE PUBLIC. PLEASE
BRING POP CAT TO "LIKELY" TUE AND "CHC" WED AND THU. 58

EXTENDED:
TUE...MC WITH SHRAS AND TSRAS LIKLEY. LOWS 70S. HIGHS 90S INLAND TO
80S COAST.
WED AND THU...PC WITH CHC OF SHRAS AND TSRAS. LOWS 70S. HIGHS 90S
INLAND TO THE 80S COAST.

FCST:
.TDY...MC WITH A 50% CHC FOR SHRAS AND TSRAS. LOCALLY HVY RAFL
POSSIBLE. SE WIND NEAR 15 MPH.
.TNGT AND MON...CONTINUED MC WITH A 40% CHC FOR SHRAS AND TSRAS.
LOCALLY HVY RAFL POSSIBLE. WINDS LIGHT FROM THE SOUTHEAST TONIGHT
AND SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH MON.

FWC:
BRO TE 087/074 087/074 086  50/40/40/50
MFE TE 090/075 090/075 090  50/40/40/50
RGC TE 093/073 091/073 091  50/40/40/50
SPI TE 085/077 085/077 085  50/40/40/50

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 5, 4:41 AM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before
TXZ248>255-512-514-051545-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
441 AM CDT SUN OCT 5 1997

...ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ON TAP FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS TODAY...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PASSED OVER MANY AREAS OF DEEP SOUTH
TEXAS EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. RAINFALL RATES OF TWO INCHES AN HOUR
WERE RECORDED IN NORTHEASTERN STARR AND COASTAL KENEDY COUNTIES
EARLY THIS MORNING. BROWNSVILLE...MCALLEN AND HARLINGEN ALL RECEIVED
RAIN OVERNIGHT...AND THE CHANCE FOR ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS LIKELY
TODAY.

ABUNDANT AMOUNTS OF TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARD
THE VALLEY TODAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN ADJACENT
MEXICO CONTINUES TO DRAW TROPICAL MOISTURE NORTHWESTWARD. ISOLATED
TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE LIKELY TODAY...WITH PONDING OF ROADWAYS
AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. ALWAYS REMAIN ALERT TO HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS
CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. USE CAUTION WHEN APPROACHING FLOODED
AREAS AND NEVER DRIVE YOUR CAR INTO WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.

THE ABUNDANT RAINFALL IS NOT FORECAST TO QUIT SOON...AS SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN LIKELY THROUGH MID WEEK.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION OR
YOUR LOCAL CABLE OUTLET FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

PHILO
Special weather statement, Oct 5, 4:45 AM CDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before
TXZ248>255-512-514-051545-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
441 AM CDT SUN OCT 5 1997

...ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ON TAP FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS TODAY...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PASSED OVER MANY AREAS OF DEEP SOUTH
TEXAS EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. RAINFALL RATES OF TWO INCHES AN HOUR
WERE RECORDED IN NORTHEASTERN STARR AND COASTAL KENEDY COUNTIES
EARLY THIS MORNING. BROWNSVILLE...MCALLEN AND HARLINGEN ALL RECEIVED
RAIN OVERNIGHT...AND THE CHANCE FOR ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS LIKELY
TODAY.

ABUNDANT AMOUNTS OF TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARD
THE VALLEY TODAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN ADJACENT
MEXICO CONTINUES TO DRAW TROPICAL MOISTURE NORTHWESTWARD. ISOLATED
TOTALS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE LIKELY TODAY...WITH PONDING OF ROADWAYS
AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. ALWAYS REMAIN ALERT TO HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS
CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. USE CAUTION WHEN APPROACHING FLOODED
AREAS AND NEVER DRIVE YOUR CAR INTO WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.

THE ABUNDANT RAINFALL IS NOT FORECAST TO QUIT SOON...AS SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN LIKELY THROUGH MID WEEK.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION OR
YOUR LOCAL CABLLE OUTLET FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

PHILO

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.