Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

May 27, 1997Frio County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this tornado warning at May 27, 1997, 8:18 PM CDT for Frio County, Texas. It was in force for 57 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, 8:18 PM CDT (01:18 UTC)
Expired
May 27, 1997, 9:15 PM CDT
In force
57 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Frio County, TX

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 27, 8:20 PM CDTTornado F0Moore, TXThe tornado, observed by the Sheriff in open country, was accompanied by nickle-sized hail.
May 27, 8:20 PM CDTHail 0.88Moore, TX
May 27, 8:30 PM CDTHail 1.5Pearsall, TX
May 27, 8:55 PM CDTHail 1Dilley, 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, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 177 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.

000 
TTAA00 KSAT 280118 RRA
TORSAT
TXC163-280215-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
818 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  915 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...FRIO COUNTY
 
AT 815 PM...RADAR INDICATED A DEVELOPING TORNADO BETWEEN PEARSALL
AND DILLEY. THE COUNTY SHERRIFF IN PEARSALL SPOTTED A FUNNEL
CLOUD NEAR THE CITY.
 
MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
 
RADAR ALSO INDICATED THE STORM WAS PRODUCING GOLF BALL-SIZED HAIL.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING.  AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW
SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD.
 
PEOPLE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION
TO PROTECT THEIR LIVES.  GO TO THE CENTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR
BUILDING...COVER YOUR HEAD.  STAY AWAY FROM DOORS AND WINDOWS.  DO
NOT STAY IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...GET INTO A STURDY BUILDING.
 
TORNADOES WHICH OCCUR AFTER DARK ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS.  GET TO
A PLACE OF SAFETY NOW!  STAY AWAY FROM DOORS AND WINDOWS...BUT GET
OUT OF MOBILE HOMES AND CARS.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM...ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH
OF THIS TORNADO...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF A STURDY BUILDING.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 27, 7:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXEdwards, Kerr, Val Verde98 min
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, 8:19 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

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1997Every tornado warning in 1997Tornadoes 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.