Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Fort Worth, TX

April 4, 1997Parker County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 4, 1997, 1:32 PM CST for Parker County, Texas. It was in force for 43 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
Apr 4, 1997, 1:32 PM CST (19:32 UTC)
Expired
Apr 4, 1997, 2:15 PM CST
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Parker County, TX

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 52 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:35 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
Apr 4, 1:40 PM CSTHail 0.88Millsap, 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 nearest sounding before it

Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 12:00Z, 7.5 hours before the alert went out and 274 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, Norman, OK at 12:00Z on 1997-04-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 78 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Norman, OK at 12:00Z on 1997-04-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 267 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 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
78 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-46 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
490 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
267 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
300 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFTW 041931 RRA
TORFTW
TXC367-042015-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
132 PM CST FRI APR 4 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  215 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...PARKER COUNTY
 
AT 132 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A
DEVELOPING TORNADO JUST SOUTHEAST OF MINERAL WELLS. THIS STORM WAS
MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
 
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 CLOS8ET 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, Apr 4, 11:40 AM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes before
TXZ091>095-098>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-051000-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1140 AM CST FRI APR 4 1997

THERE IS SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR ALL OF NORTH TEXAS
THIS AFTERNOON AND ACROSS MAINLY THE EASTERN TWO THIRDS TONIGHT.

A VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL STORM WAS MOVING ACROSS THE ROCKIES AND WILL
DRIVE ACROSS ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS BY LATE TONIGHT. A SURFACE
DRY LINE OVER WEST TEXAS AT MIDDAY WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. THE DRY
LINE WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS BY LATE AFTERNOON
AND WILL REACH THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX AND WACO DURING THE
EVENING HOURS. THE BOUNDARY WILL EVENTUALLY REACH EASTERN PARTS FROM
PARIS TO ATHENS TO CENTERVILLE AROUND MIDNIGHT.

AN ABUNDANCE OF DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE REMAINS IN PLACE OVER THE
REGION. COLD AIR ALOFT AND SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER LATER THIS
AFTERNOON WILL AID IN THE RAPID DESTABILIZATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
MOISTURE CONVERGENCE WILL BE MAXIMIZED ALONG THE DRY LINE WHERE THE
ERUPTION OF SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND IN ADVANCE OF
THE BOUNDARY WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS. A FEW SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED MAINLY IN
THE WACO VICINITY WHERE AN ISOLATED TORNADO COULD BE OBSERVED.

ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WITH THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY COMPOUND THE FLASH FLOOD THREAT OVER THE
AREA. THE GROUND REMAINS AT OR NEAR SATURATION AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS
AND ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS WILL RAPIDLY RUNOFF AND PRODUCE HIGH
WATER PROBLEMS.

A VERY TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN WAKE
OF THE DRY LINE BY LATE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY. WEST TO SOUTHWEST
WINDS SATURDAY WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL
PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS WHERE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WILL
OCCUR. HIGHER GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE LIKELY SATURDAY.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND STORM SPOTTERS WEST OF A JACKSBORO...
STEPHENVILLE...TO WACO LINE SHOULD BE READY FOR SPOTTER ACTIVATION
THIS AFTERNOON. SPOTTERS FROM SHERMAN TO THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH
METROPLEX WILL LIKELY BE ACTIVATED DURING THE EVENING HOURS.
ELSEWHERE...SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY FROM LATE EVENING UNTIL
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER
FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

48
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 11:41 AM CST, 1 hour 51 minutes before
TXZ091>095-098>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-051000-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1140 AM CST FRI APR 4 1997

THERE IS SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR ALL OF NORTH TEXAS
THIS AFTERNOON AND ACROSS MAINLY THE EASTERN TWO THIRDS TONIGHT.

A VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL STORM WAS MOVING ACROSS THE ROCKIES AND WILL
DRIVE ACROSS ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS BY LATE TONIGHT. A SURFACE
DRY LINE OVER WEST TEXAS AT MIDDAY WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. THE DRY
LINE WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS BY LATE AFTERNOON
AND WILL REACH THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH METROPLEX AND WACO DURING THE
EVENING HOURS. THE BOUNDARY WILL EVENTUALLY REACH EASTERN PARTS FROM
PARIS TO ATHENS TO CENTERVILLE AROUND MIDNIGHT.

AN ABUNDANCE OF DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE REMAINS IN PLACE OVER THE
REGION. COLD AIR ALOFT AND SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER LATER THIS
AFTERNOON WILL AID IN THE RAPID DESTABILIZATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
MOISTURE CONVERGENCE WILL BE MAXIMIZED ALONG THE DRY LINE WHERE THE
ERUPTION OF SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND IN ADVANCE OF
THE BOUNDARY WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS. A FEW SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED MAINLY IN
THE WACO VICINITY WHERE AN ISOLATED TORNADO COULD BE OBSERVED.

ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WITH THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY COMPOUND THE FLASH FLOOD THREAT OVER THE
AREA. THE GROUND REMAINS AT OR NEAR SATURATION AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS
AND ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINS WILL RAPIDLY RUNOFF AND PRODUCE HIGH
WATER PROBLEMS.

A VERY TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN WAKE
OF THE DRY LINE BY LATE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY. WEST TO SOUTHWEST
WINDS SATURDAY WILL INCREASE DRAMATICALLY ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL
PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS WHERE SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WILL
OCCUR. HIGHER GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE LIKELY SATURDAY.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND STORM SPOTTERS WEST OF A JACKSBORO...
STEPHENVILLE...TO WACO LINE SHOULD BE READY FOR SPOTTER ACTIVATION
THIS AFTERNOON. SPOTTERS FROM SHERMAN TO THE DALLAS-FORT WORTH
METROPLEX WILL LIKELY BE ACTIVATED DURING THE EVENING HOURS.
ELSEWHERE...SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY FROM LATE EVENING UNTIL
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER
FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHnER SERVICE.

48

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 4, 2:35 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDLimestone, Robertson55 min
Apr 4, 2:35 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDLimestone, Robertson55 min
Apr 4, 8:23 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDBell, Falls, McLennan4 hr
Apr 4, 8:57 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDDallas, Johnson, Tarrant3 hr
Apr 4, 9:24 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDLimestone3 hr
Apr 4, 9:57 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDEllis, Navarro3 hr
Apr 4, 10:20 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDHunt, Kaufman, Rockwall3 hr
Apr 4, 10:52 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDBell68 min
Apr 4, 11:30 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDEllis2 hr
Apr 4, 11:40 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFalls65 min
Apr 4, 11:45 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDBell, Falls3 hr
Apr 4, 11:45 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDLimestone3 hr
Apr 4, 12:17 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDLimestone58 min
Apr 4, 12:22 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDHopkins2 hr
Apr 4, 1:01 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDPalo Pinto44 min
Apr 4, 1:05 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDHunt2 hr
Apr 4, 1:16 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDParker59 min
Apr 4, 1:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDEastland48 min
Apr 4, 2:18 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDComanche, Erath57 min
Apr 4, 3:03 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDParker57 min
Apr 4, 3:10 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDParker2 hr
Apr 4, 3:13 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDErath62 min
Apr 4, 3:23 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHood67 min
Apr 4, 4:18 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCooke, Grayson27 min
Apr 4, 4:26 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDenton49 min
Apr 4, 4:33 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDTarrant57 min
Apr 4, 4:40 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDDenton, Grayson50 min
Apr 4, 5:15 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDTarrant2 hr
Apr 4, 5:32 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDCoryell, Lampasas28 min
Apr 4, 5:54 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDBell3 hr

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.