Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

February 21, 1998Live Oak County, McMullen County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this tornado warning at Feb 21, 1998, 4:45 PM CST for Live Oak County, McMullen County, Texas. It was in force for 45 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
Feb 21, 1998, 4:45 PM CST (22:45 UTC)
Expired
Feb 21, 1998, 5:30 PM CST
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area
Whole counties

Counties Live Oak County, TX, McMullen County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 104 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:45 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
Feb 21, 3:00 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 121 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 12:00Z on 1998-02-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 1998-02-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 255 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
857 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
255 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
424 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

299 
WFUS1 KCRP 212248 RRA
TORCRP
TXC311-297-212330-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
445 PM CST SAT FEB 21 1998
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  530 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES......
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...NORTHEAST MCMULLEN COUNTY...NORTHERN LIVE OAK COUNTY...
 
AT 445 PM DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A DEVELOPING TORNADO 3 MILES
NORTHEAST OF TILDEN AND WILL APPROACH THE CHOKE CANYON AREA AS
IT MOVES EAST NORTHEAST AT 20 TO 25 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 CLOSET 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.

NWS Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Feb 21, 3:10 PM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 3:10 PM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
COASTAL BEND FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
310 PM CST SAT FEB 21 1998

A VERY ACTIVE WX PATTERN CONTINUES TO UNFOLD ACROSS THE CWA THIS
AFTERNOON.  LOOK LIKE THE EVENT IS NOW UNDERWAY AND SPC HAS JUST COME
OUT WITH TOR WATCH 52.  THIS COVERS THE ENTIRE CWA.  AFTER STORMS
MOVE THROUGH TONIGHT THINGS WILL CLR FAIRLY RAPIDLY BEHIND THE SYSTEM
ON SUN.  WITH A W/NW FLOW AT H5 DRY WX PATTERN WILL AGAIN TAKE OVER
WITH SUNNY DRY DAYS AND CLEAR COOL NIGHTS.  THEN NEXT IN THE NEVER
ENDING SERIES OF WEST COAST SYSTEMS WILL ARRIVE BY MID WEEK WITH
INCREASING PCPN CHCS AGAIN.

STRONG S/W CONTINUES TO HEAD E/SE AND WILL MOVE ACROSS LATER TONIGHT.
SFC LOW WILL DEVELOP TO THE S CRP AND MOVE NE TO OFF THE COAST OF GLS
BY 12Z SUN AND CONTINUE NEWRD FROM THERE.  ADAP SMC INDICATES A
BULLSEYE OVER THE CWA FROM THE COASTAL BEND/RIO GRANDE PLAINS TO VCT
AND LIS HAVE FALLEN TO -4 TO -6 ACROSS THE LOWER VALLEY.  VIS
SATELLITE PIX SHOW BREAKS W/SW OF CRP AND THIS COULD LEAD TO
ADDITIONAL HEATING TO HELP DESTABILIZE THINGS FURTHER.

WILL CONTINUE WIND ADVSRY UNTIL 9 PM FOR CRP/VCT.  LRD CAN BE
DROPPED.  NEED TO MAINTAIN SCA ON THIS PKG.  ALL NECESSARY PRODUCTS
HAVE BEEN UPDATED.

.TONIGHT...CLOUDY WITH AN 60 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS
CRP...80% VCT...SOME LIKELY SEVERE.  SE WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH AND GUSTY
CRP...E WIND 20 TO 30 MPH AND GUSTY VCT.

//LRD// 40% CHC OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING THEN DECREASING
CLOUDINESS LATE.  S WIND 10 TO 15 MPH...SHIFTING TO THE W/NW AT 10 TO
15 MPH BY MIDNIGHT.

.SUNDAY...BECOMING MOSTLY SUNNY AND BREEZY.  W/NW WINDS 15 TO 20 MPH
AND GUSTY.

.SUNDAY NIGHT...CLEAR.

.MONDAY...SUNNY.

CRP UU  052/073  048/077  054  6100
NGP     058/073  052/075  058
ALI UU  050/073  048/078  054  6100
LRD UU  052/075  052/079  055  4100
VCT UU  047/071  048/074  053  8100

MSL..73..

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 21, 2:45 PM CST, 2 hours before
TXZ229>234-239>247-212300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
245 PM CST SAT FEB 21 1998

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 900 PM CST FOR ALL OF THE COASTAL BEND...RIO
GRANDE PLAINS...AND VICTORIA AREAS.  THE COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE
WATCH ARE NUECES...KLEBERG...SAN PATRICIO...JIM WELLS...LIVE OAK...
BEE...REFUGIO...ARANSAS...DUVAL...WEBB...LA SALLE...MCMULLEN...
GOLIAD...CALHOUN...AND VICTORIA.

A STRONG UPPER-LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN MEXICO TO THE SOUTH OF
THE BIG BEND AREA WILL MOVE EAST TOWARDS SOUTH TEXAS.  THIS SYSTEM
COMBINED WITH A PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL RESULT IN SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.  SOME OF
THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE.

AS OF 240 PM DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED NO SEVERE WEATHER...HOWEVER
A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTH OF COTULLA
TO HONDO.  THIS ACTIVITY WAS MOVING EAST AT 20 TO 25 MPH AND WAS ALSO
DEVELOPING TO THE SOUTH TOWARDS LAREDO.  OTHER LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS WERE
LOCATED FROM FREER TO GEORGE WEST TO NORTH OF VICTORIA.

IN ADDITION...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT
FOR ALL OF SOUTH TEXAS...AND A WIND ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT THROUGH
THIS EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 2:45 PM CST, 2 hours before
TXZ229>234-239>247-212300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
245 PM CST SAT FEB 21 1998

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 900 PM CST FOR ALL OF THE COASTAL BEND...RIO
GRANDE PLAINS...AND VICTORIA AREAS.  THE COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE
WATCH ARE NUECES...KLEBERG...SAN PATRICIO...JIM WELLS...LIVE OAK...
BEE...REFUGIO...ARANSAS...DUVAL...WEBB...LA SALLE...MCMULLEN...
GOLIAD...CALHOUN...AND VICTORIA.

A STRONG UPPER-LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN MEXICO TO THE SOUTH OF
THE BIG BEND AREA WILL MOVE EAST TOWARDS SOUTH TEXAS.  THIS SYSTEM
COMBINED WITH A PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL RESULT IN SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.  SOME OF
THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE.

AS OF 240 PM DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED NO SEVERE WEATHER...HOWEVER
A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM SOUTH OF COTULLA
TO HONDO.  THIS ACTIVITY WAS MOVING EAST AT 20 TO 25 MPH AND WAS ALSO
DEVELOPING TO THE SOUTH TOWARDS LAREDO.  OTHER LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS WERE
LOCATED FROM FREER TO GEORGE WEST TO NORTH OF VICTORIA.

IN ADDITION...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT
FOR ALL OF SOUTH TEXAS...AND A WIND ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT THROUGH
THIS EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 21, 5:10 AM CSTTornado WarningCRPJim Wells50 min
Feb 21, 3:48 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPDuval57 min
Feb 21, 3:55 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPLa Salle, Webb50 min
Feb 21, 4:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPMcMullen90 min
Feb 21, 4:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPJim Wells, Live Oak77 min
Feb 21, 4:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPDuval60 min
Feb 21, 4:58 PM CSTTornado WarningCRPDuval47 min
Feb 21, 5:10 PM CSTTornado WarningCRPJim Wells50 min
Feb 21, 5:33 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPLive Oak57 min
Feb 21, 5:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPKleberg65 min
Feb 21, 5:47 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPBee58 min
Feb 21, 5:48 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPDuval42 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 1998Every tornado warning in 1998Tornadoes 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.