Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 22, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

April 3, 1997Bexar County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 3, 1997, 11:10 PM CST for Bexar County, Texas. It was in force for 65 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
Apr 3, 1997, 11:10 PM CST (05:10 UTC)
Expired
Apr 4, 1997, 12:15 AM CST
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Bexar County, TX

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 55 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:09 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

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 5.2 hours before the alert went out and 223 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 1997-04-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1324 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 1997-04-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 90 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1324 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
503 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
111 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.9
Supercell composite
3.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 040511 RRA
SVRSAT
TXC029-040615-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
1110 PM CST THU APR 3 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...BEXAR COUNTY
 
AT 1110 PM CST WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MOVING
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF BEXAR COUNTY. THE STORM WAS MOVING
NORTH..NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH AND WILL AFFECT EASTERN PORTIONS OF SAN
ANTONIO.
 
PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD BE ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY
OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.  FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY
HEAVY RAIN CAN ALSO OCCUR WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...FLOODING SMALL
STREAMS...LOW AREAS...AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU ARE IN
ITS PATH.  FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR BUILDING...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS!  SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS CAN CAUSE AS MUCH DAMAGE AS A TORNADO.

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, Apr 3, 5:59 PM CST, 5 hours 11 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-041200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
600 PM CST THU APR 3 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT
AND FRIDAY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY
RAIN... FLASH FLOODING... AND RIVER FLOODING IN OR NEAR THE WATCH
AREA.

AN INTENSE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM CENTERED OVER NORTHERN BAJA
CALIFORNIA IS BEGINNING TO MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
WIND PATTERNS CONTINUE TO PUMP UNUSUALLY HIGH MOISTURE LEVELS FROM
THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN INTO TEXAS.

A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES AHEAD OF THE MAIN SYSTEM WILL
INTERACT WITH THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS TO CONTINUE WIDESPREAD
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY AND SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS.  RAINFALL TOTALS WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED
TOTALS APPROACHING 5 INCHES TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY.

THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM WILL PICK UP SPEED ON FRIDAY AND BE LOCATED
JUST WEST OF THE BIG BEND BY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON.  THE AIRMASS IS
EXPECTED TO BECOME EXTREMELY UNSTABLE BY THAT TIME.  AS A RESULT...
A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS IN ADDITION TO THE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

AREAS WET FROM RECENT HEAVY RAINS ARE AT PRIME RISK OF FLOODING IF
HEAVY RAIN DEVELOPS.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NORMALLY WILL BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF
THE ZONE FORECASTS...SHORT TERM FORECASTS...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED
ONLY IF UNFORECAST HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF FORECAST
HAZARDOUS WEATHER NO LONGER IS EXPECTED.
Special weather statement, Apr 3, 6:00 PM CST, 5 hours 10 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-041200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
600 PM CST THU APR 3 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT
AND FRIDAY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY
RAIN... FLASH FLOODING... AND RIVER FLOODING IN OR NEAR THE WATCH
AREA.

AN INTENSE UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM CENTERED OVER NORTHERN BAJA
CALIFORNIA IS BEGINNING TO MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD LATE THIS AFTERNOON.
WIND PATTERNS CONTINUE TO PUMP UNUSUALLY HIGH MOISTURE LEVELS FROM
THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN INTO TEXAS.

A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES AHEAD OF THE MAIN SYSTEM WILL
INTERACT WITH THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS TO CONTINUE WIDESPREAD
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY AND SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS.  RAINFALL TOTALS WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH ISOLATED
TOTALS APPROACHING 5 INCHES TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY.

THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM WILL PICK UP SPEED ON FRIDAY AND BE LOCATED
JUST WEST OF THE BIG BEND BY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON.  THE AIRMASS IS
EXPECTED TO BECOME EXTREMELY UNSTABLE BY THAT TIME.  AS A RESULT...
A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS IN ADDITION TO THE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

AREAS WET FROM RECENT HEAVY RAINS ARE AT PRIME RISK OF FLOODING IF
HEAVY RAIN DEVELOPS.

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

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 3, 8:33 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXDimmit42 min
Apr 3, 8:33 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXDimmit42 min
Apr 3, 9:18 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMedina, Zavala57 min
Apr 3, 10:36 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXGillespie69 min
Apr 3, 10:47 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXKerr58 min
Apr 3, 11:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXComal58 min
Apr 3, 11:55 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXHays65 min
Apr 4, 12:25 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXWilliamson65 min
Apr 4, 12:25 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilliamson65 min
Apr 4, 12:43 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXHays62 min
Apr 4, 1:17 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXDeWitt, Lavaca3 hr
Apr 4, 1:34 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXTravis, Williamson116 min
Apr 4, 5:36 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXLavaca3 hr
Apr 4, 6:23 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXTravis, Williamson3 hr
Apr 4, 6:31 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXBlanco3 hr
Apr 4, 6:43 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXKendall3 hr
Apr 4, 9:24 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXTravis, Williamson3 hr
Apr 4, 10:12 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXDeWitt2 hr
Apr 4, 11:30 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde60 min
Apr 4, 2:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXUvalde56 min
Apr 4, 2:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXReal65 min
Apr 4, 3:00 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXReal2 hr
Apr 4, 3:25 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXBandera65 min
Apr 4, 3:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBandera65 min
Apr 4, 3:32 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXUvalde58 min
Apr 4, 3:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXUvalde58 min
Apr 4, 3:53 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXKerr2 hr
Apr 4, 4:24 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXBandera2 hr
Apr 4, 4:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXMedina56 min
Apr 4, 5:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar, Kendall79 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.