Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997

Tornado Warning 62, NWS Fort Worth, TX

December 20, 1997Milam County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Dec 20, 1997, 9:11 PM CST for Milam County, Texas. It was in force for 64 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
Dec 20, 1997, 9:11 PM CST (03:11 UTC)
Expired
Dec 20, 1997, 10:15 PM CST
In force
64 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Milam County, TX

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Dec 20, 9:40 PM CSTThunderstorm WindRockdale, TXStrong winds damaged a home.

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
Dec 20, 5:30 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 342 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 00:00Z on 1997-12-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 968 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 00:00Z on 1997-12-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 123 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
968 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
587 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
123 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
105 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
2.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KFTW 210312
TORFTW
TXC331-210415-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
911 PM CST SAT DEC 20 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
   ...MILAM COUNTY
 
AT 911 PM...DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A DEVELOPING TORNADO 5 MILES
NORTHEAST OF CAMERON.
 
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.
 
 
 D

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 20, 6:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDMcLennan55 min
Dec 20, 6:09 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDBosque, Ellis, Hill, Johnson, McLennan5 hr
Dec 20, 6:09 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDBell, Coryell5 hr
Dec 20, 7:40 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDCollin, Dallas, Hunt, Rockwall4 hr
Dec 20, 7:40 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDTarrant4 hr
Dec 20, 8:30 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDFalls3 hr
Dec 20, 8:52 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDMilam3 hr
Dec 20, 9:01 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDLimestone, Navarro3 hr
Dec 20, 9:01 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDKaufman3 hr
Dec 20, 9:35 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDFannin, Grayson2 hr
Dec 20, 9:35 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDKaufman2 hr
Dec 20, 9:55 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDHenderson, Van Zandt4 hr
Dec 20, 9:55 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDDelta, Hopkins, Lamar4 hr
Dec 20, 9:55 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDRains4 hr
Dec 20, 11:12 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDBosque, Ellis, Hill, Johnson2 hr
Dec 20, 11:12 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDBell, Coryell, Falls, McLennan2 hr
Dec 20, 11:29 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDCollin, Dallas, Rockwall, Tarrant2 hr
Dec 20, 11:29 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDHunt2 hr
Dec 20, 11:51 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDFannin, Grayson3 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.