Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

May 15, 1997La Salle County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 15, 1997, 5:37 PM CDT for La Salle County, Texas. It was in force for 53 min. 1 report 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
May 15, 1997, 5:37 PM CDT (22:37 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 1997, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area
Whole counties

County La Salle County, TX

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 15, 5:45 PM CDTHail 0.75Cotulla, 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

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 186 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 1997-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1447 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 1997-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 101 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1447 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-161 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1052 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
101 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
243 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
7.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

032 
WUUS1 KCRP 152240 RRA
SVRCRP
TXC283-152330-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
537 PM CDT THU MAY 15 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  630 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY......
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...NORTHERN LA SALLE COUNTY
 
AT 535 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF WOODWARD. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 10 MPH.
THE COMMUNITIES OF WOODWARD AND MILLET ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM.
 
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
DO NOT 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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 15, 2:38 PM CDT, 2 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 2:38 PM CDT, 2 hours 59 minutes before
COASTAL BEND FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
230 PM CDT THU MAY 15 1997

KCRP 88D REF SHOWS SCT RW/TRW N OF VCT AND A FEW NOW BETWEEN MFE AND
HRL.  SCT ACTIVITY N OF VCT IN REGION OF GOOD MOISTURE CONVERGENCE.
MOVMT HAS BEEN TO THE NE DURING THE AFTERNOON.  CONVECTION STILL
POSSIBLE ALONG BOUNDARIES THAT PREVIOUS CONVECTION HAS LAID DOWN.
FRONT STILL HUNG UP OVER N TX AND WILL MOST LIKELY NOT PROGRESS MUCH
FURTHER S.  IF A WSHFT OCCURS HERE IT WOULD BE FROM OUTFLOW MOVG THRU
RATHER THAN ACTUAL FROPA.

UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WILL CONTINUE AS VORT MAX MOVES EWD ACROSS THE FA
THRU FRI.  MORNING SOUNDING STILL UNSTABLE WITH A PWAT OF 1.39...CAPE
OF 3060 J/KG...LI OF -8 AND K INDEX OF 27.  CAP WAS 2.7 SO CONVECTION
RESTRICTED AGAIN.  DO HAVE A FEW TCU OUTSIDE.  SATELLITE PIX SHOW
CONVECTION FIRING ALONG THE MTNS IN MEXICO ATTM.  ONCE AGAIN TONIGHT
SOME OF THIS CONVECTION WILL LIKELY MOVE ACROSS THE RIVER AND INTO S
TX.  MODELS ARE NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH TEMPS AND WILL TREND TOWARDS
HIGHER VALUES OF MOS GUIDANCE.  MOISTURE OVER THE REGION SEEMS TO
REACH A PEAK ABOUT 18Z FRI.  PWAT VALUES ARE FCST TO INCREASE TO NEAR
1.60 BY 12Z.  A MOIST TONGUE OF 1.60 TO 1.70 EXTENDED NW FROM THE
GULF OF MEXICO TO THE COAST FROM JUST N OF CRP TO THE HOU/GLS REGION.
PWAT VALUES REMAIN NEAR 1.40 THRU 12Z SAT.  GOOD H7 VVEL NOTED OVER
THE CWA THRU 00Z FRI.  WITH MESO LOW MEANDERING IN THE AREA SOME POPS
WILL NEED TO BE KEPT THRU THE FCST PERIOD.  H85 WNDS BECOME SW BY 06Z
FRI AS SYSTEMS MOVE E.

DURING THE EXTENDED PERIOD...H5 SW FLOW REDEVELOPS BY 00Z TUE AS A
TROF TAKES SHAPE OUT WEST.  COULD KEEP POPS AT OR ABOVE THE NORMS FOR
MID MAY.  TEMPS SHD REMAIN NEAR THE NORMS.

MARINE INFO:  CRP-PTA HARBOR PILOTS HAD NO SEA CONDITION
REPORTS...BUT WINDS WERE SE AT 15 KTS.  OFFSHORE BUOY HAS SEAS
RUNNING 4FT AND WNDS ARE NOW BACK TO SE AT 14KTS AFTER BEING
INFLUENCED MOST OF THE DAY BY LG COMPLEX OF CONVECTION IN THE GULF.

TONIGHT...BECMG CLDY WITH % CHANCE OF SHRA/TSRA.  SE WND 10 TO 15
MPH. (VCT WNDS NEAR 10 MPH)
FRI...MOSTLY CLDY DURING THE AM...BECMG P/C WITH % CHANCE OF
SHRA/TSRA.  E-SE WND 10 TO 15 MPH.
FRI NIGHT...BECMG CLDY WITH % CHANC,E OF SHRA/TSRA.

CRP 068/086 068/086 2322
NGP 071/084 070/084
LRD 068/093 070/095 2222
VCT 067/083 067/084 2322

MSL...73

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 15, 4:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
TXZ229>234-160330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
435 PM CDT THU MAY 15 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE
RIO GRANDE PLAINS...COASTAL BEND AND VICTORIA AREAS UNTIL 11PM...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
LASALLE...MCMULLEN...LIVE OAK...BEE...GOLIAD...AND VICTORIA.  THIS
INCLUDES THE CITIES OF COTULLA...TILDEN...THREE RIVERS...BEEVILLE...
GOLIAD AND VICTORIA.

HAIL UP TO 1 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

REMEMBER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE
FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.  PERSONS IN
THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND
LISTEN TO LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR
WARNINGS.

METZ
Special weather statement, May 15, 4:38 PM CDT, 59 minutes before
TXZ229>234-160330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
435 PM CDT THU MAY 15 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE
RIO GRANDE PLAINS...COASTAL BEND AND VICTORIA AREAS UNTIL 11PM...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
LASALLE...MCMULLEN...LIVE OAK...BEE...GOLIAD...AND VICTORIA.  THIS
INCLUDES THE CITIES OF COTULLA...TILDEN...THREE RIVERS...BEEVILLE...
GOLIAD AND VICTORIA.

HAIL UP TO 1 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

REMEMBER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE
FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.  PERSONS IN
THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND
LISTEN TO LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATNHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR
WARNINGS.

METZ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 6:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPLa Salle, McMullen63 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.