Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 96, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 27, 1997Hays County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 27, 1997, 6:01 PM CDT for Hays County, Texas. It was in force for 59 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 27, 1997, 6:01 PM CDT (23:01 UTC)
Expired
May 27, 1997, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Hays County, TX

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 39 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:00 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
May 27, 6:45 PM CDTHail 0.75San Marcos, 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

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 11.0 hours before the alert went out and 267 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 1997-05-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2602 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 1997-05-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -6 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
2602 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-226 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
841 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-6 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
44 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

596 
WUUS1 KSAT 272301 RRA
SVRSAT
TXC209-280000-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
601 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  700 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...HAYS COUNTY
 
AT 600 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EFFECTING MUCH OF
CENTRAL HAYS COUNTY. GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL HAD BEEN REPORTED IN DRIFTWOOD
WITH WIDESPREAD NICKEL SIZE HAIL. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARDS THE SOUTH AT 15
MPH AND WILL EFFECT WIMBERLY AND SAN MARCOS.
 
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.
 
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, 1 hour 16 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, 56 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, 55 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, 3:30 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXWilliamson60 min
May 27, 3:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXEdwards56 min
May 27, 3:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXReal62 min
May 27, 4:09 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXTravis66 min
May 27, 4:26 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXEdwards, Real2 hr
May 27, 4:32 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXTravis, Williamson118 min
May 27, 4:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilliamson68 min
May 27, 4:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXEdwards56 min
May 27, 4:58 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXHays62 min
May 27, 5:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXTravis56 min
May 27, 5:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBlanco66 min
May 27, 5:37 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXUvalde98 min
May 27, 5:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXUvalde98 min
May 27, 5:52 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXKendall68 min
May 27, 5:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBastrop, Caldwell2 hr
May 27, 6:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXVal Verde69 min
May 27, 6:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXComal61 min
May 27, 6:24 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXUvalde36 min
May 27, 6:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXEdwards62 min
May 27, 6:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGuadalupe61 min
May 27, 6:56 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXKendall64 min
May 27, 6:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar91 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.