Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1997
Tornado Warning 4, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Jan 27, 1997, 3:46 PM CST for Harris County, Texas. It was in force for 59 min. 3 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
- Jan 27, 1997, 3:46 PM CST (21:46 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 27, 1997, 4:45 PM CST
- In force
- 59 min
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
County Harris County, TX
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 52 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:46 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 27, 3:49 PM CST | Tornado F0 | Deer Park, TX | |
| Jan 27, 3:53 PM CST | Tornado F0 | Deer Park, TX | |
| Jan 27, 4:15 PM CST | Hail 0.75 | Houston, 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
Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 213 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 531 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -80 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 480 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 19 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 102 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 208 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KHOU 272146 RRA TORHOU TXC201-272245- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 346 PM CST MON JAN 27 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 445 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS ...EASTERN HARRIS COUNTY AT 345...DOPPLER RADAR AND STORM SPOTTERS INDICATE A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM OVER PASADENA HEADING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. DEER PARK AND THE SHIP CHANNEL ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION. ACT QUICKLY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO... GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE. AVOID WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT. &
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.
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Jan 27, 9:40 AM CST, 6 hours 6 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 27, 9:40 AM CST, 6 hours 6 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 940 AM CST MON JAN 27 1997 THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL STILL APPEARS TO BE SHAPING UP FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND ON INTO TONIGHT. SEE SPCS UPDATED DAY 1 OUTLOOK FOR REASONING. CONSENSUS APPEARS TO BE FAVORING A FASTER FRONTAL MOVEMENT...AND THE CURRENT FORECAST COVERS THIS SCENARIO WELL. WILL UPDATE THE SPSHOU WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR. 42
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jan 27, 11:19 AM CST, 4 hours 27 minutes before
TXZ176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-511-513-280300- SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1120 AM CST MON JAN 27 1997 THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO DEEPEN OVER WEST TEXAS AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE PUSHES OUT OF THE LOW AND TOWARD EAST TEXAS BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL DRAG A STRONG COLD FRONT LOCATED NEAR THE RED RIVER VALLEY INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS BY EARLY EVENING...THEN OFF THE UPPER TEXAS COAST SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. HELPING TO ENHANCE THE UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE A CONTINUED INFLUX OF GULF MOISTURE...HOLDING DEWPOINTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S. THE COMBINATION OF A STRONG COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE COUPLED WITH A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE SOUTHEAST TEXAS AIRMASS WILL PRODUCE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA BY MID AFTERNOON AS AN INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE INTERACTS WITH AFTERNOON HEATING IN THE MID 70S. THESE STORMS WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD BY EARLY EVENING AS THE COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE DRAW NEAR. THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE COUPLED WITH REDEVELOPING STORMS WILL MAKE HEAVY RAINFALL A POSSIBILITY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE NEAR 1 INCH WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS BETWEEN 2 TO 3 INCHES POSSIBLE AROUND STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS. STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATER THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS EVENING. MARINERS SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE BAYS OR THE GULF AS WELL. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL OR CABLE TELEVISION... OR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jan 27, 11:20 AM CST, 4 hours 26 minutes before
TXZ176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-511-513-280300- SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1120 AM CST MON JAN 27 1997 THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO DEEPEN OVER WEST TEXAS AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE PUSHES OUT OF THE LOW AND TOWARD EAST TEXAS BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL DRAG A STRONG COLD FRONT LOCATED NEAR THE RED RIVER VALLEY INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS BY EARLY EVENING...THEN OFF THE UPPER TEXAS COAST SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. HELPING TO ENHANCE THE UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE A CONTINUED INFLUX OF GULF MOISTURE...HOLDING DEWPOINTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S. THE COMBINATION OF A STRONG COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE COUPLED WITH A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE SOUTHEAST TEXAS AIRMASS WILL PRODUCE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA BY MID AFTERNOON AS AN INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE INTERACTS WITH AFTERNOON HEATING IN THE MID 70S. THESE STORMS WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD BY EARLY EVENING AS THE COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE DRAW NEAR. THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE COUPLED WITH REDEVELOPING STORMS WILL MAKE HEAVY RAINFALL A POSSIBILITY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE NEAR 1 INCH WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS BETWEEN 2 TO 3 INCHES POSSIBLE AROUND STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS. STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATER THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS EVENING. MARINERS SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE BAYS OR THE GULF AS WELL. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL OR CABLE TELEVISION... OR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jan 27, 1:47 PM CST, 1 hour 59 minutes before
TXZ164-177>179-199-200-213-214-227-237-238-511-513-280100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 148 PM CST MON JAN 27 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS THROUGH 7 PM THIS EVENING... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR BRAZORIA...GALVESTON...CHAMBERS...HARRIS...FORT BEND... LIBERTY...MONTGOMERY...SAN JACINTO...WALKER...POLK AND TRINITY COUNTIES UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA ARE GALVESTON...ANGELTON...HOUSTON...RICHMOND...CONROE... LIBERTY...HUNTSVILLE AND LIVINGSTON. THE COMBINATION OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL INTERACT WITH A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE SOUTHEAST TEXAS AIRMASS TO PRODUCE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH COULD BECOME SEVERE. THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MARINERS SHOULD ALSO PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE BAYS AND IMMEDIATE COASTAL WATERS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL NEW MEDIAS FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jan 27, 1:48 PM CST, 1 hour 58 minutes before
TXZ164-177>179-199-200-213-214-227-237-238-511-513-280100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 148 PM CST MON JAN 27 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS THROUGH 7 PM THIS EVENING... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR BRAZORIA...GALVESTON...CHAMBERS...HARRIS...FORT BEND... LIBERTY...MONTGOMERY...SAN JACINTO...WALKER...POLK AND TRINITY COUNTIES UNTIL 7 PM THIS EVENING. SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH AREA ARE GALVESTON...ANGELTON...HOUSTON...RICHMOND...CONROE... LIBERTY...HUNTSVILLE AND LIVINGSTON. THE COMBINATION OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL INTERACT WITH A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE SOUTHEAST TEXAS AIRMASS TO PRODUCE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF WHICH COULD BECOME SEVERE. THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MARINERS SHOULD ALSO PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE BAYS AND IMMEDIATE COASTAL WATERS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL NEW MEDIAS FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Jan 27, 3:06 PM CST, 40 minutes before
TXZ163-164-179-280210- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 306 PM CST MON JAN 27 1997 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CST FOR A LARGE PORITON OF EAST TEXAS... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A LARGE PORTION OF EAST TEXAS INCLUDING TRINITY...POLK AND HOUSTON COUNTIES. SOME OF THE CITIES IN THE WATCH AREA ARE CROCKETT ...TRINITY...GROVETON...AND LIVINGSTON. THE COMBINATION OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL INTERACT WITH A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE SOUTHEAST TEXAS AIRMASS TO PRODUCE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THE PRIMARY THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 7 PM CST. REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO/TV STATION FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 27, 2:31 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Harris | 59 min |
| Jan 27, 2:34 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Brazoria | 56 min |
| Jan 27, 3:20 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Harris, Liberty | 55 min |
| Jan 27, 3:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Harris | 58 min |
| Jan 27, 4:10 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Chambers, Liberty | 65 min |
| Jan 27, 4:25 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Fort Bend | 65 min |
| Jan 27, 4:43 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Fort Bend, Harris | 62 min |
| Jan 27, 4:52 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Harris | 68 min |
| Jan 27, 4:58 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Trinity | 62 min |
| Jan 27, 5:02 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Polk | 88 min |
| Jan 27, 5:15 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HGX | Chambers, Liberty | 60 min |
| Jan 27, 5:44 PM CST | Tornado Warning | HGX | Brazoria, Harris | 61 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.