Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997

Tornado Warning 45, NWS Fort Worth, TX

June 12, 1997Jack County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Jun 12, 1997, 11:20 PM CDT for Jack County, Texas. It was in force for 40 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
Jun 12, 1997, 11:20 PM CDT (04:20 UTC)
Expired
Jun 13, 1997, 12:00 AM CDT
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Jack County, TX

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:21 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
Jun 12, 11:42 PM CDTTornado F1Bryson, TX
Jun 13, 12:05 AM CDTThunderstorm WindJacksboro, TXStrong winds blew down trees.

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
Jun 12, 10:15 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 00:00Z, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 94 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, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 1997-06-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3593 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 1997-06-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 64 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
3593 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1254 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
64 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
188 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.4
Supercell composite
10.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

646 
WFUS1 KFTW 130420 RRA
TORFTW
TXC237-130500-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1120 PM CDT THU JUN 12 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...JACK COUNTY
 
AT 1120 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DECTECTED A
POSSIBLE TORNADO JUST NORTH OF FARMER. THIS STORM WAS MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. PERSONS IN JERMYN...SENATE AND JACKSBORO ARE IN
THE PATH OF THIS STORM AND SHOULD TAKE COVER NOW.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, Jun 12, 6:22 PM CDT, 4 hours 58 minutes before
TXZ091>095-098>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-131100-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
624 PM CDT THU JUN 12 1997

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE EXTREME
NORTHERN SECTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS TONIGHT.  THE MODERATE RISK AREA IS
GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM JACKSBORO TO MCKINNEY TO
PARIS.

IN ADDITION...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE
REMAINDER OF NORTH TEXAS TONIGHT.

THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE FROM LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS.  A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING TORNADOES...PARTICULARLY NEAR AND ALONG THE RED RIVER.

A WEAK STATIONARY FRONT WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND
EXTENDED NORTHWEST INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.  ELSEWHERE...IN WEST
TEXAS A DRYLINE STRETCHED FROM NORTH OF AMARILLO SOUTHWARD INTO THE
EDWARDS PLATEAU.  THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL TAKE PLACE ALONG AND
NEAR THESE BOUNDARIES AND MOVE INTO THE NORTHWESTERN AREAS OF NORTH
TEXAS LATER TONIGHT...PRODUCING STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG
THE WAY.  THE ATMOSPHERE OVER NORTH TEXAS REMAINS VERY UNSTABLE...BUT
A CAPPING LAYER OF WARM AIR SOME 5000 TO 7000 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE
HAS AND CONTINUES TO INHIBIT THUNDERSTORM ACROSS THE AREA.

AS THUNDERSTORMS OVER WEST TEXAS MOVE EASTWARD LATER TONIGHT...A
SPEED MAX WILL BE APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTHWEST AND MIDDLE LEVEL
COOLING BEGINS TO TAKE PLACE.  THIS WILL DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE
OVER NORTH TEXAS.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR
HAIL LARGER THAN GOLFBALL SIZE AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND OTHER STORM SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD
MONITOR THIS SITUATION AND TAKE NECESSARY ACTION SHOULD SEVERE
WEATHER THREATEN YOUR AREA.  AREAS WEST OF A GAINESVILLE TO
GATESVILLE LINE MAY BE CALLED UPON FOR ACTIVATION BY 800 PM.

LISTEN FOR LATER INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
Special weather statement, Jun 12, 6:24 PM CDT, 4 hours 56 minutes before
TXZ091>095-098>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-131100-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
624 PM CDT THU JUN 12 1997

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE EXTREME
NORTHERN SECTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS TONIGHT.  THE MODERATE RISK AREA IS
GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM JACKSBORO TO MCKINNEY TO
PARIS.

IN ADDITION...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE
REMAINDER OF NORTH TEXAS TONIGHT.

THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE FROM LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS.  A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING TORNADOES...PARTICULARLY NEAR AND ALONG THE RED RIVER.

A WEAK STATIONARY FRONT WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND
EXTENDED NORTHWEST INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.  ELSEWHERE...IN WEST
TEXAS A DRYLINE STRETCHED FROM NORTH OF AMARILLO SOUTHWARD INTO THE
EDWARDS PLATEAU.  THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL TAKE PLACE ALONG AND
NEAR THESE BOUNDARIES AND MOVE INTO THE NORTHWESTERN AREAS OF NORTH
TEXAS LATER TONIGHT...PRODUCING STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG
THE WAY.  THE ATMOSPHERE OVER NORTH TEXAS REMAINS VERY UNSTABLE...BUT
A CAPPING LAYER OF WARM AIR SOME 5000 TO 7000 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE
HAS AND CONTINUES TO INHIBIT THUNDERSTORM ACROSS THE AREA.

AS THUNDERSTORMS OVER WEST TEXAS MOVE EASTWARD LATER TONIGHT...A
SPEED MAX WILL BE APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTHWEST AND MIDDLE LEVEL
COOLING BEGINS TO TAKE PLACE.  THIS WILL DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE
OVER NORTH TEXAS.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR
HAIL LARGER THAN GOLFBALL SIZE AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND OTHER STORM SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD
MONITOR THIS SITUATION AND TAKE NECESSARY ACTION SHOULD SEVERE
WEATHER THREATEN YOUR AREA.  AREAS WEST OF A GAINESVILLE TO
GATESVILLE LINE MAY BE CALLED UPON FOR ACTIVATION BY 800 PM.

LISTEN FOR LATER INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Fort Worth, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 12, 10:59 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDYoung46 min
Jun 12, 11:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJack58 min
Jun 12, 11:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDWise64 min
Jun 13, 12:01 AM CDTTornado WarningFWDJack59 min
Jun 13, 12:06 AM CDTTornado WarningFWDWise69 min
Jun 13, 12:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDenton, Tarrant76 min
Jun 13, 12:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDParker76 min
Jun 13, 1:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDWise60 min
Jun 13, 2:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDenton53 min
Jun 13, 2:11 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDDenton3 hr
Jun 13, 2:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCollin62 min
Jun 13, 3:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHunt69 min
Jun 13, 4:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDGrayson60 min
Jun 13, 4:51 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFannin54 min
Jun 13, 6:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDelta, Lamar61 min
Jun 13, 6:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHopkins48 min
Jun 13, 3:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFannin, Lamar60 min
Jun 13, 4:12 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDLamar63 min
Jun 13, 4:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFannin60 min
Jun 13, 5:08 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDLamar4 hr
Jun 13, 5:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDLamar65 min
Jun 13, 5:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDelta60 min
Jun 13, 5:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFannin60 min
Jun 13, 5:45 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDDelta30 min
Jun 13, 5:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHopkins70 min
Jun 13, 5:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHunt65 min
Jun 13, 6:00 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDHopkins60 min
Jun 13, 6:23 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDFannin, Hunt52 min
Jun 13, 6:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDelta60 min
Jun 13, 6:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHopkins65 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.