Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

February 18, 1998Refugio County, Victoria County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 18, 1998, 10:40 PM CST for Refugio County, Victoria County, Texas. It was in force for 50 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
Feb 18, 1998, 10:40 PM CST (04:40 UTC)
Expired
Feb 18, 1998, 11:30 PM CST
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Refugio County, TX, Victoria County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 97 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:39 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
Feb 18, 11:15 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 50Refugio, TXStrong thunderstorm wind gust overturned two semi-tractor trailers on Highway 77.

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

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 96 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 1998-02-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 274 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 1998-02-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 175 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
274 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
794 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
82 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
175 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
127 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
3.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

430 
WUUS1 KCRP 190441 RRA
SVRCRP
TXC391-469-190530-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1040 PM CST WED FEB 18 1998
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1130 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...S...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...REFUGIO COUNTY...VICTORIA COUNTY
 
AT 1038 PM CST DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM FROM
NEAR MISSION VALLEY TO GOLIAD TO BERCLAIR. GOLFBALL TO TENNIS BALL SIZED
HAIL IS POSSIBLE AS WELL AS VERY STRONG DAMAGING WINDS OVER 60 MPH.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. PERSONS IN REFUGIO...
MCFADDIN AND BLOOMINGTON SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.  GOLF BALL
SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED IN GOLIAD AT 1030 PM.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Feb 18, 8:10 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 18, 8:10 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
COASTAL BEND FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
810 PM CST WED FEB 18 1998

NO TIME TO TALK.  WILL UPDATE VCT AREA WITH 40% POPS SOME SVR.
WILL UPDATE CRP ZONES...WITH 30% POPS...SOME SVR FOR STORMS FIRING TO
THE NW.  WILL UPDATE LASALLE...MCMULLEN AND DUVAL WITH 30% CHC OF
STORMS...SOME SVR BASED ON LATEST TRENDS AND BACKBUILDING INTO FRIO
COUNTY.  WEBB COUNTY LOOKS TO GET MISSED.  COULD BE A LONG EVENING.

JM...075

The office that day

Everything else NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 18, 6:22 PM CSTTornado WarningCRPLive Oak68 min
Feb 18, 7:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPGoliad63 min
Feb 18, 8:00 PM CSTTornado WarningCRPGoliad45 min
Feb 18, 8:29 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPVictoria76 min
Feb 18, 8:38 PM CSTTornado WarningCRPRefugio67 min
Feb 18, 9:03 PM CSTTornado WarningCRPCalhoun57 min
Feb 18, 9:24 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPLive Oak66 min
Feb 18, 9:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPLa Salle44 min
Feb 18, 10:02 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPBee, Goliad58 min
Feb 18, 11:18 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPAransas, Calhoun57 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998

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.