Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

January 6, 1998Gillespie County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jan 6, 1998, 8:45 AM CST for Gillespie County, Texas. It was in force for 60 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
Jan 6, 1998, 8:45 AM CST (14:45 UTC)
Expired
Jan 6, 1998, 9:45 AM CST
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Gillespie County, TX

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:44 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
Jan 6, 9:02 AM CSTHail 0.75Fredericksburg, 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

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 12:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 211 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 1998-01-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1357 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 1998-01-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 68 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1357 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
514 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
68 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
156 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

762 
WUUS1 KSAT 061441 RRA
SVRSAT
TXC171-061545-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
845 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  945 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS
 
   ...GILLESPIE COUNTY
 
AT 8:40 AM...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM SOUTH OF
FREDERICKSBURG NEAR S.H. 16...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM
WILL LIKELY AFFECT THE FREDERICKSBURG AREA IN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.
 
PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD BE ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY
OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.  FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY
HEAVY RAIN CAN ALSO OCCUR WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...FLOODING SMALL
STREAMS...LOW AREAS...AND LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 6, 5:30 AM CST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-070000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
530 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT.

AN APPROACHING UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE FROM THE WEST...
COUPLED WITH ABUNDANT LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE FROM THE GULF...WILL COMBINE
TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT
ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY AND
EASTWARD INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND BEYOND.  SOME OF THESE STORMS
COULD APPROACH SEVERE CRITERIA...ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
BUT THE MAIN THREAT WILL LIKELY COME FROM LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL
AND FLASH FLOODING.

RAINFALL TOTALS TODAY AND TONIGHT WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN HALF AN INCH
AND AN INCH IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY...WITH SOME
ISOLATED TOTALS BETWEEN 2 AND 4 INCHES POSSIBLE.  FARTHER EAST IN
SOUTHEAST TEXAS...RAINFALL TOTALS COULD APPROACH 5 INCHES OR MORE
BEFORE THE RAINS TAPER OFF WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  AN
APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL ALSO AID IN TRIGGERING CONVECTION TODAY
AND TONIGHT AND USHER IN MUCH COOLER AIR AS WELL.

NEARBY HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS INCLUDE:
FOR SOUTHWEST TEXAS...FROM MIDLAND...LBBSPSMAF
FOR THE CONCHO VALLEY...FROM SAN ANGELO...LBBSPSSJT
FOR NORTH TEXAS...FROM FORT WORTH...FTWSPSFTW
FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...FROM HOUSTON/GALVESTON...SATSPSHOU
FOR COASTAL BEND/RIO GRANDE PLAINS...FROM CORPUS CHRISTI...SATSPSCRP.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NORMALLY WILL BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF
THE ZONE FORECASTS...SHORT TERM FORECAST...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED
ONLY IF UNEXPECTED HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF EXPECTED
HAZARDOUS WEATHER NO LONGER IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP.
Special weather statement, Jan 6, 5:30 AM CST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-070000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
530 AM CST TUE JAN 6 1998

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT.

AN APPROACHING UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE FROM THE WEST...
COUPLED WITH ABUNDANT LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE FROM THE GULF...WILL COMBINE
TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT
ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY AND
EASTWARD INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND BEYOND.  SOME OF THESE STORMS
COULD APPROACH SEVERE CRITERIA...ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
BUT THE MAIN THREAT WILL LIKELY COME FROM LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL
AND FLASH FLOODING.

RAINFALL TOTALS TODAY AND TONIGHT WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN HALF AN INCH
AND AN INCH IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY...WITH SOME
ISOLATED TOTALS BETWEEN 2 AND 4 INCHES POSSIBLE.  FARTHER EAST IN
SOUTHEAST TEXAS...RAINFALL TOTALS COULD APPROACH 5 INCHES OR MORE
BEFORE THE RAINS TAPER OFF WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  AN
APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL ALSO AID IN TRIGGERING CONVECTION TODAY
AND TONIGHT AND USHER IN MUCH COOLER AIR AS WELL.

NEARBY HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOKS INCLUDE:
FOR SOUTHWEST TEXAS...FROM MIDLAND...LBBSPSMAF
FOR THE CONCHO VALLEY...FROM SAN ANGELO...LBBSPSSJT
FOR NORTH TEXAS...FROM FORT WORTH...FTWSPSFTW
FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...FROM HOUSTON/GALVESTON...SATSPSHOU
FOR COASTAL BEND/RIO GRANDE PLAINS...FROM CORPUS CHRISTI...SATSPSCRP.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NORMALLY WILL BE UPDATED BY MEANS OF
THE ZONE FORECASTS...SHORT TERM FORECAST...WATCHES...WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES.  THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK ITSELF WILL BE UPDATED
ONLY IF UNEXPECTED HAZARDOUS WEATHER DEVELOPS OR IF EXPECTED
HAZARDOUS WEATHER NO LONGER IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 5, 10:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBurnet50 min
Jan 6, 6:56 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXBandera, Gillespie, Kerr5 hr
Jan 6, 8:11 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXLlano4 hr
Jan 6, 9:52 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilliamson68 min
Jan 6, 11:02 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFrio43 min
Jan 6, 11:51 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXFrio69 min
Jan 6, 11:51 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXFrio69 min
Jan 6, 12:17 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXMedina3 hr
Jan 6, 12:41 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXBexar2 hr
Jan 6, 12:55 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXFrio2 hr
Jan 6, 1:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa59 min
Jan 6, 2:08 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXAtascosa2 hr
Jan 6, 2:32 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXBexar, Comal118 min
Jan 6, 4:13 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningEWXDeWitt, Gonzales, Lavaca3 hr

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.