Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 176, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

October 23, 1997Blanco County, Gillespie County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 23, 1997, 7:43 AM CDT for Blanco County, Gillespie County, Texas. It was in force for 62 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
Oct 23, 1997, 7:43 AM CDT (12:43 UTC)
Expired
Oct 23, 1997, 8:45 AM CDT
In force
62 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Blanco County, TX, Gillespie County, TX

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:47 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
Oct 23, 8:00 AM CDTHail 0.75Stonewall, TX
Oct 23, 8:15 AM CDTHail 0.88Hye, 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

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 12:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 233 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 12:00Z on 1997-10-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 162 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 12:00Z on 1997-10-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 270 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
162 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-119 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
482 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
270 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
381 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 231246 RRA
SVRSAT
TXC031-171-231345-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
743 AM CDT THU OCT 23 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  845 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...BLANCO COUNTY...EAST CENTRAL GILLESPIE COUNTY
 
A FAST MOVING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST GILLESPIE
COUNTY NEAR LUCKENBACH AND SOUTHERN BLANCO COUNTY. THIS STORM HAS HAD
HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL IN KERR COUNTY DURING THE PAST HOUR.
THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
 
 
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

Special weather statement, Oct 23, 5:41 AM CDT, 2 hours 2 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-232300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
600 AM CDT THU OCT 23 1997

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY GENERALLY EAST OF A
LINE FROM BURNET TO SAN ANTONIO TO KARNES CITY.  THERE IS A MODERATE
RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM GEORGETOWN TO
AUSTIN TO SAN MARCOS TO HALLETTSVILLE TODAY.

A STRONG UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL
TEXAS INTO NORTH TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AS VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR
FEEDS INTO SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO.  STRONG
DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND EVEN ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THE DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MAINLY THE
NORTHEAST AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS TODAY.

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL END BY THE EVENING HOURS AS THE
STRONG DISTURBANCE MOVES INTO EAST TEXAS AND MORE STABLE AIR MOVES IN
FROM THE WEST.

RAINFALL FROM THE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WILL
AVERAGE 1/4 TO 1/2 INCH WITH AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE.  NO
SIGNIFICANT RAIN IS EXPECTED TONIGHT.

NEARBY HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS INCLUDE:
FOR SOUTHWEST TEXAS...FROM MIDLAND...LBBSPSMAF
FOR THE CONCHO VALLEY...FROM SAN ANGELO...LBBSPSSJT
FOR NORTH TEXAS...FROM FORT WORTH...FTWSPSFTW
FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...FROM HOUSTON/GALVESTON...SATSPSHOU
FOR COASTAL BEND/RIO GRANDE PLAINS...FROM CORPUS CHRISTI...SATSPSCRP.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NORMALLY WILL BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF
THE ZONE FORECASTS...SHORT TERM FORECAST...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED
ONLY IF UNEXPECTED HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF EXPECTED

HAZARDOUS WEATHER NO LONGER IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP.
Special weather statement, Oct 23, 6:00 AM CDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-232300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
600 AM CDT THU OCT 23 1997

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY GENERALLY EAST OF A
LINE FROM BURNET TO SAN ANTONIO TO KARNES CITY.  THERE IS A MODERATE
RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM GEORGETOWN TO
AUSTIN TO SAN MARCOS TO HALLETTSVILLE TODAY.

A STRONG UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL
TEXAS INTO NORTH TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AS VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR
FEEDS INTO SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO.  STRONG
DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND EVEN ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THE DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MAINLY THE
NORTHEAST AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS TODAY.

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL END BY THE EVENING HOURS AS THE
STRONG DISTURBANCE MOVES INTO EAST TEXAS AND MORE STABLE AIR MOVES IN
FROM THE WEST.

RAINFALL FROM THE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WILL
AVERAGE 1/4 TO 1/2 INCH WITH AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE.  NO
SIGNIFICANT RAIN IS EXPECTED TONIGHT.

NEARBY HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS INCLUDE:
FOR SOUTHWEST TEXAS...FROM MIDLAND...LBBSPSMAF
FOR THE CONCHO VALLEY...FROM SAN ANGELO...LBBSPSSJT
FOR NORTH TEXAS...FROM FORT WORTH...FTWSPSFTW
FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...FROM HOUSTON/GALVESTON...SATSPSHOU
FOR COASTAL BEND/RIO GRANDE PLAINS...FROM CORPUS CHRISTI...SATSPSCRP.

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

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 23, 8:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBurnet, Travis, Williamson61 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.