Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 101, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

May 27, 1997Walker County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 27, 1997, 7:57 PM CDT for Walker County, Texas. It was in force for 63 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 27, 1997, 7:57 PM CDT (00:57 UTC)
Expired
May 27, 1997, 9:00 PM CDT
In force
63 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Walker County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 149 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:58 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 27, 7:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 238 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 1997-05-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3458 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 1997-05-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 19 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
3458 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-21 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
843 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
19 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
26 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KHOU 280057 RRA
SVRHOU
TXC471-280200-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
757 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  900 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
 
   ...WALKER COUNTY
 
AT 755 PM...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN MADISON COUNTY NEAR
COTTONWOOD. MOVEMENT WAS SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THIS MOVEMENT WILL BRING
THE STORM TO THE CRABBS PRAIRIE AND HUNTSVILLE AREA BETWEEN 830 PM AND
845 PM. THE MADISON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE REPORTED HAIL AT NORTH
ZULCH IN MADISON COUNTY AT 754 PM.
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.
 
 
 
&

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 27, 7:39 PM CDT, 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 27, 7:39 PM CDT, 18 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
739 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997

STG TO SVR TSTMS WERE BEGINNING TO AFFECT THE NWRN PTNS OF SETX AT
THIS HR.  WITH PW/S FM 1.5 TO 1.75...AM CONCERNED ABT POSSIBLE ADDED
FLOODING WITH TSTMS NW OF CLL.  RDR ESTIMATES WERE 1.5 TO 2.0 INCHES
PER HOUR WITH THESE STORMS...WHICH WERE OVR THE ALREADY FLOODING
NAVASOTA RIVER (1/2 OVR FLOOD STAGE AT 12Z TDY NR NORMANGEE).

CURRENT THINKING HERE IS THAT MCS REDEVELOPMENT IS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT
OVER SETX...EXCLUDING THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT.  WENT WITH THIS
SCENERIO IN THE TAF/S.  CURRENT FCSTS ARE OK AND NO UPDATES ARE
NEEDED XCP TO KEEP UP WITH ANY WATCHES THAT ARE OR WL BE IN EFFECT.
...40...

EARLIER PRELIMS...
CLL  E/E E/B  69/88 69/90  6422
IAH  E/E E/B  72/89 71/91  6432
GLS  E/E E/B  78/84 76/84  4432

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 27, 3:48 PM CDT, 4 hours 9 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>198-210-211-280400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
348 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS
UNTIL 1000 PM...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

BRAZOS...BURLESON...WASHINGTON...AUSTIN...AND COLORADO.

THE TORNADO WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM FOR MADISON...
HOUSTON...TRINITY...GRIMES...WALKER...SAN JACINTO...AND POLK
COUNTIES REMAINS IN EFFECT.

A SLOW SOUTHEAST MOVING COLD FRONT TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS IS THE FOCUS FOR SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT
THIS AFTERNOON.  AS THIS BOUNDARY CONTINUES TO DRIFT TO THE SOUTH AND
SOUTHEAST...SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF BECOMING SEVERE.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED BETWEEN WACO AND
AUSTIN...PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES.  ANY THUNDERSTORMS
THAT DO DEVELOP IN OR NEAR THE TORNADO WATCH AREAS HAVE A GOOD
POTENTIAL OF BECOMING SEVERE.

IF SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED...PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICE IMMEDIATELY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO
THE HOUSTON/GALVESTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER WEATHER NEWS SOURCES FOR
FURTHER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 27, 6:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>199-210-211-280600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
650 PM CDT TUE MAY 27 1997

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS
UNTIL 100 AM...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

BRAZOS...BURLESON...MADISON...GRIMES...WALKER...MONTGOMERY...
HOUSTON...TRINITY...SAN JACINTO...AND POLK.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM FOR WASHINGTON...
AUSTIN...AND COLORADO COUNTIES.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP TO THE NORTH AND WEST
OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS ACROSS A VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS.  THESE STORMS WILL
CONTINUE TO SLOWLY PROGRESS TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTH SOUTHEAST TOWARD
SOUTHEAST TEXAS...AND MAY DEVELOP INTO A SQUALL LINE AFTER SUNSET.
THUNDERSTORMS FROM THIS SAME SYSTEM HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES BETWEEN AUSTIN AND WACO RESULTING
IN NUMEROUS INJURIES AND FATALITIES.  THE THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP
ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE AS SEVERE AS THESE
STORMS EARLIER TODAY.

LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE GREATEST THREAT WITH THIS
EVENINGS THUNDERSTORMS.  CONDITIONS ARE ALSO FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES
TO DEVELOP IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREAS.

IF SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED...PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICE IMMEDIATELY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO
THE HOUSTON/GALVESTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OTHER WEATHER NEWS SOURCES FOR
FURTHER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 27, 7:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazos, Madison59 min
May 27, 7:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGrimes56 min
May 27, 11:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGrimes53 min
May 27, 11:40 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningHGXGrimes, Walker2 hr
May 28, 12:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGrimes, Montgomery, Walker67 min
May 28, 12:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHouston62 min
May 28, 10:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris62 min
May 28, 11:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris61 min
May 28, 12:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXMontgomery64 min
May 28, 1:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGalveston57 min
May 28, 1:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXSan Jacinto62 min
May 28, 2:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXWaller57 min
May 28, 2:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin68 min
May 28, 2:59 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXPolk31 min
May 28, 3:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria, Fort Bend59 min
May 28, 3:36 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXBrazoria, Fort Bend69 min
May 28, 4:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXJackson, Matagorda, Wharton67 min
May 28, 5:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXJackson63 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.