Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 45, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

May 20, 1997Victoria County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 1997, 4:40 AM CDT for Victoria County, Texas. It was in force for 50 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
May 20, 1997, 4:40 AM CDT (09:40 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 1997, 5:30 AM CDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Victoria County, TX

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 124 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 00:00Z on 1997-05-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2048 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 00:00Z on 1997-05-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 34 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
2048 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-32 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
771 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
34 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-17 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

479 
WUUS1 KCRP 200941 RRA
SVRCRP
TXC469-201030-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
440 AM CDT TUE MAY 20 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  530 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY......
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...VICTORIA COUNTY
 
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER VICTORIA. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE
LARGE HAIL AND WINDS OF 50 TO 60 MPH.
 
MOVEMENT OF THE STORM WAS EAST AT 20 MPH.
 
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT THE CITY OF VICTORIA AND INEZ.
 
 
 
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 20, 2:27 AM CDT, 2 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 2:27 AM CDT, 2 hours 13 minutes before
COASTAL BEND FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
215 AM CDT TUE MAY 20 1997

OUTFLOW AND TSRA MOVING INTO A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN
SOUTH TX.  TSRA TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING LEAVING SOME
BOUNDRIES AROUND THIS AFTERNOON.  DAYTIME HEATING COMBINES WITH A
DISTURBANCE AND THESE BOUNDRIES TO PRODUCE SCATTERED SHRA/TSRA.

THE FRONT TO PULL UP STATIONARY TODAY...EGP-SAT-CLL THUS NORTHERN
COUNTIES WILL HAVE HIGHER POPS TODAY.  SOME STORMS WILL MOVE VERY
SLOWLY TODAY AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE.  STALLED FRONT WILL
STAY JUST NORTH OF US TONIGHT WITH SOME POPS ON TAP.

ON WEDNESDAY THE FRONT MOVES NORTH AS A WARM FRONT IN RESPONSE TO
DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS.  PRECIP CHANCES TO
BECOME WIDELY SCATTERED DUE TO LACK OF FOCUSING BOUNDRIES LATE ON
WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY AS WARM FRONT MOVES NORTH.  ANOTHER FRONT
TO AFFECT THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT INCREASING OUR CHANCES FOR RAIN
ONCE AGAIN.
ZONES...
VCT INCLUDE...MCMULLEN...LIVE OAK...BEE...GOLIAD AND VCT...
TODAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY POP 60 SHRA/TSRA...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.
VARIABLE WIND 5 TO 10 MPH BECOMING SOUTH 10 TO 15 IN AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY POP 40 SHRA/TSRA.  SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 10.
WEDNESDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY POP 30 SHRA/TSRA.  SOUTHEAST WIND 10-15.

CRP...TODAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY POP 40 SHRA/TSRA...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN.
LIGHT AND VARIABLE WIND BECOMING SOUTHEAST 10-15 IN AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY POP 30 SHRA/TSRA.  SOUTHEAST 5 TO 10.
WEDNESDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY POP 20 SHRA/TSRA.  SOUTHEAST WIND 10-15.

LRD...TODAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY POP 30 SHRA/TSRA.  VARIABLE WIND 5-10
BECOMING SOUTHEAST NEAR 10 IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY PO
P 30 SHRA/TSRA.  SOUTHEAST WIND NEAR 10.
WEDNESDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY POP 20 SHRA/TSRA.  SOUTHEAST 10-15.

TEMPS AND POPS...
VCT  083/069 083/071 643
CRP  084/072 085/073 432    NGP  081/073 082/074
LRD  088/072 091/073 342

LUNA...0074

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.