Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 102, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 27, 1997Edwards County, Kerr County, Val Verde County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 27, 1997, 7:22 PM CDT for Edwards County, Kerr County, Val Verde County, Texas. It was in force for 98 min. 4 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
May 27, 1997, 7:22 PM CDT (00:22 UTC)
Expired
May 27, 1997, 9:00 PM CDT
In force
98 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Edwards County, TX, Kerr County, TX, Val Verde County, TX

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 27, 7:45 PM CDTHail 0.75Del Rio, TX
May 27, 8:30 PM CDTHail 0.88Del Rio, TX
May 27, 8:36 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 53Laughlin Afb, TX
May 27, 9:00 PM CDTHail 1.5Comstock, 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 27, 3:45 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 87 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, Del Rio, TX at 00:00Z on 1997-05-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 5979 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, Del Rio, TX at 00:00Z on 1997-05-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 11 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
5979 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
887 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
91 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
6.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

014 
WUUS1 KSAT 280021 RRA
SVRSAT
TXC137-265-465-280200-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
722 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  900 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...EDWARDS COUNTY...KERR COUNTY...VAL VERDE COUNTY
 
AT 720 PM CDT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS BETWEEN DEL RIO AND LOMA ALTO IN
VAL VERDE COUNTY MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
NEAR HWY 277 IN NOTHWEST EDWARDS COUNTY AND NEAR HWY 83 WEST OF MOUNTAIN
HOME IN KERR COUNTY.
 
RADAR INDICATED HAIL UP TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER IN VAL VERDE
COUNTY...NEAR 1.50 INCH DIAMETER IN KERR COUNTY.
 
 
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WINDS CAN REACH SPEEDS OVER 60 MPH.  THESE WINDS
BLOW DOWN TREES...POWER LINES...AND SEVERELY DAMAGE MOBILE HOMES...
SOMETIMES BUILDINGS.  VERY LARGE HAIL CAN INJURE ANYONE CAUGHT
OUTSIDE.
 
IF YOU SEE SEVERE WEATHER TAKING PLACE...CALL YOUR REPORT TO
THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR IMMEDIATE RELAY TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

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

Local storm report, May 27, 4:45 PM CDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TEXAS
445 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0405 PM    JARRELL                   TX   TORNADO
05/27/97   WILLIAMSON                     REPORTS OF FATALITIES AND
                                          MULTIPLE INJURIES

0415 PM    CEDAR PARK                     TX   TORNADO
05/27/97   WILLIAMSON                     REPORT OF GROCERY STORE
                                          COLLAPSE IN CEDAR PARK.
                                          REPORTS OF FATALITIES AND
                                          MULTIPLE INJURIES
Special weather statement, May 27, 5:05 PM CDT, 2 hours 17 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-281000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
506 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
AND THE HILL COUNTRY...

A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BECOME STATIONARY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
TONIGHT AND PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE ACROSS THE REGION THIS
EVENING AND CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF
SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WINDS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL.

THIS ACTIVITY WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND DECREASE IN
SEVERITY LATER TONIGHT.  THIS SYSTEM WILL EVOLVE INTO A HEAVY RAIN
EVENT OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS... THE HILL COUNTRY
AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WITH ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE FROM 1/2 TO 1 INCH WITH ISOLATED TOTALS
NEAR 3 INCHES POSSIBLE WHERE THUNDERSTORMS MERGE OR REDEVELOP ACROSS
A PARTICULAR LOCATION.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MAY BE REQUIRED LATER
TONIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL NORMALLY BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF
THE ZONE FORECAST...SHORT TERM FORECAST...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED
ONLY IF UNFORECAST HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF FORECAST
HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NO LONGER EXPECTED.
Special weather statement, May 27, 5:06 PM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-281000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
506 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
AND THE HILL COUNTRY...

A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BECOME STATIONARY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
TONIGHT AND PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THE ATMOSPHERE IS VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE ACROSS THE REGION THIS
EVENING AND CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF
SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WINDS...
ISOLATED TORNADOES AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL.

THIS ACTIVITY WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND DECREASE IN
SEVERITY LATER TONIGHT.  THIS SYSTEM WILL EVOLVE INTO A HEAVY RAIN
EVENT OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS... THE HILL COUNTRY
AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY WITH ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE FROM 1/2 TO 1 INCH WITH ISOLATED TOTALS
NEAR 3 INCHES POSSIBLE WHERE THUNDERSTORMS MERGE OR REDEVELOP ACROSS
A PARTICULAR LOCATION.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MAY BE REQUIRED LATER
TONIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL NORMALLY BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF
THE ZONE FORECAST...SHORT TERM FORECAST...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED
ONLY IF UNFORECAST HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF FORECAST
HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NO LONGER EXPECTED.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 27, 7:27 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBlanco, Kendall3 hr
May 27, 7:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGonzales56 min
May 27, 7:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFrio97 min
May 27, 7:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMedina68 min
May 27, 8:00 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBexar60 min
May 27, 8:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar60 min
May 27, 8:01 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXGonzales59 min
May 27, 8:13 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXVal Verde2 hr
May 27, 8:13 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXBandera2 hr
May 27, 8:18 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXFrio57 min
May 27, 8:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa56 min
May 27, 8:29 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXGonzales3 hr
May 27, 8:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXDeWitt, Lavaca65 min
May 27, 8:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXKarnes, Wilson65 min
May 27, 8:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde69 min
May 27, 8:58 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXFrio2 hr
May 27, 9:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXDimmit85 min
May 27, 9:39 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXKarnes3 hr
May 27, 9:56 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXFayette3 hr
May 27, 10:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde102 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.