Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997

Tornado Warning 55, NWS Fort Worth, TX

June 16, 1997Throckmorton County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Jun 16, 1997, 8:57 PM CDT for Throckmorton County, Texas. It was in force for 48 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
Jun 16, 1997, 8:57 PM CDT (01:57 UTC)
Expired
Jun 16, 1997, 9:45 PM CDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Throckmorton County, TX

The radar

The Dyess AFB radar (KDYX), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:59 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 16, 9:15 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52Throckmorton, 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
Jun 16, 6:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 183 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 1997-06-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 5256 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 1997-06-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 43 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
5256 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
968 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
43 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
2.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFTW 170155 RRA
TORFTW
TXC447-170245-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
857 PM CDT MON JUN 16 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  945 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...THROCKMORTON COUNTY
 
AT 855PM... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A DEVELOPING
TORNADO 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THROCKMORTON MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25
MPH. PERSONS IN WOODSON ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM.
 
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 16, 3:55 PM CDT, 5 hours 2 minutes before
TXZ091>095-098>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-170200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
355 PM CDT MON JUN 16 1997

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS UNTIL SUNRISE
TUESDAY MORNING ACROSS NORTH TEXAS WEST OF A LINE FROM PARIS TO MEXIA
TO FRANKLIN. THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF PARIS...SHERMAN...
GAINESVILLE ...MINERAL WELLS...THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH METROPLEX
...GREENVILLE...STEPHENVILLE...HAMILTON...AND WACO/TEMPLE/KILLEEN.
THE REMAINDER OF NORTH TEXAS HAS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.

A WARM...MOIST AND VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS CONTINUES ACROSS NORTH
TEXAS WITH DEEP MOISTURE EXTENDING FROM THE SURFACE TO 10,000 FEET.
AN UNUSUALLY STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR
WAS MOVING OUT OF THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES AND WILL RESULT IN FURTHER
DESTABILIZATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE. A WEAK SURFACE WINDSHIFT BOUNDARY
EXTENDED FROM NEAR GAINESVILLE SOUTHWESTWARD TO ABILENE...AND THIS
BOUNDARY WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR INITIAL STORM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH
EARLY EVENING.

AS THE ATMOSPHERE COOLS ALOFT...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME MORE
NUMEROUS AND MOVE EAST ACROSS THE RISK AREA TO NEAR A PARIS TO DALLAS
TO WACO LINE BY MIDNIGHT AND INTO THE SLIGHT RISK AREA DURING THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS TUESDAY.

SUFFICIENT WIND SHEAR AND INSTABILITY ARE PRESENT FOR A FEW TORNADOES
...ESPECIALLY THIS EVENING ACROSS THE MODERATE RISK AREA...BUT THE
GREATER THREAT WILL BE FROM LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE
WINDS. HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING WILL BE ANOTHER CONCERN...ESPECIALLY
AFTER MIDNIGHT AS THE STORMS ENCOUNTER INCREASINGLY DEEP LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTORS AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS WEST OF A
MONTAGUE TO STEPHENVILLE TO LAMPASAS LINE MAY BE ACTIVATED BETWEEN 5
AND 7 PM...WEST OF A PARIS TO KAUFMAN TO CAMERON LINE BETWEEN 7 PM
AND MIDNIGHT..AND ELSEWHERE IN THE RISK AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT.
Special weather statement, Jun 16, 3:56 PM CDT, 5 hours 1 minute before
TXZ091>095-098>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-170200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
355 PM CDT MON JUN 16 1997

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS UNTIL SUNRISE
TUESDAY MORNING ACROSS NORTH TEXAS WEST OF A LINE FROM PARIS TO MEXIA
TO FRANKLIN. THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF PARIS...SHERMAN...
GAINESVILLE ...MINERAL WELLS...THE DALLAS/FORT WORTH METROPLEX
...GREENVILLE...STEPHENVILLE...HAMILTON...AND WACO/TEMPLE/KILLEEN.
THE REMAINDER OF NORTH TEXAS HAS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.

A WARM...MOIST AND VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS CONTINUES ACROSS NORTH
TEXAS WITH DEEP MOISTURE EXTENDING FROM THE SURFACE TO 10,000 FEET.
AN UNUSUALLY STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR
WAS MOVING OUT OF THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES AND WILL RESULT IN FURTHER
DESTABILIZATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE. A WEAK SURFACE WINDSHIFT BOUNDARY
EXTENDED FROM NEAR GAINESVILLE SOUTHWESTWARD TO ABILENE...AND THIS
BOUNDARY WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR INITIAL STORM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH
EARLY EVENING.

AS THE ATMOSPHERE COOLS ALOFT...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME MORE
NUMEROUS AND MOVE EAST ACROSS THE RISK AREA TO NEAR A PARIS TO DALLAS
TO WACO LINE BY MIDNIGHT AND INTO THE SLIGHT RISK AREA DURING THE
EARLY MORNING HOURS TUESDAY.

SUFFICIENT WIND SHEAR AND INSTABILITY ARE PRESENT FOR A FEW TORNADOES
...ESPECIALLY THIS EVENING ACROSS THE MODERATE RISK AREA...BUT THE
GREATER THREAT WILL BE FROM LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE
WINDS. HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING WILL BE ANOTHER CONCERN...ESPECIALLY
AFTER MIDNIGHT AS THE STORMS ENCOUNTER INCREASINGLY DEEP LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTORS AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS WEST OF A
MONTAGUE TO STEPHENVILLE TO LAMPASAS LINE MAY BE ACTIVATED BETWEEN 5
AND 7 PM...WEST OF A PARIS TO KAUFMAN TO CAMERON LINE BETWEEN 7 PM
AND MIDNIGHT..AND ELSEWHERE IN THE RISK AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 16, 7:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDallas60 min
Jun 16, 7:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDenton47 min
Jun 16, 7:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCollin65 min
Jun 16, 7:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDPalo Pinto63 min
Jun 16, 7:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDComanche63 min
Jun 16, 8:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHunt, Rockwall52 min
Jun 16, 8:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDallas, Tarrant49 min
Jun 16, 8:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDEastland62 min
Jun 16, 8:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDWise45 min
Jun 16, 8:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHaskell43 min
Jun 16, 8:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDParker56 min
Jun 16, 8:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDenton51 min
Jun 16, 9:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDTarrant69 min
Jun 16, 9:09 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDDenton3 hr
Jun 16, 9:31 PM CDTTornado WarningFWDYoung44 min
Jun 16, 9:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDStephens64 min
Jun 16, 10:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJack57 min
Jun 16, 10:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDPalo Pinto57 min
Jun 16, 10:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDallas, Tarrant62 min
Jun 16, 10:23 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDTarrant3 hr
Jun 16, 11:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDallas, Tarrant61 min
Jun 16, 11:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHunt57 min
Jun 16, 11:54 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningFWDDallas3 hr
Jun 16, 11:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDEllis, Johnson63 min
Jun 17, 12:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHopkins, Rains63 min
Jun 17, 12:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDComanche29 min
Jun 17, 12:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHamilton67 min
Jun 17, 12:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDallas60 min
Jun 17, 12:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDKaufman63 min
Jun 17, 1:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDVan Zandt61 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.