Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 1998

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

January 11, 1998Montgomery County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Jan 11, 1998, 8:31 PM CST for Montgomery County, Texas. It was in force for 34 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
Jan 11, 1998, 8:31 PM CST (02:31 UTC)
Expired
Jan 11, 1998, 9:05 PM CST
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Montgomery County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:32 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
Jan 11, 4:45 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 222 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 1998-01-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 16 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 1998-01-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 148 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
16 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-82 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
953 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
148 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
253 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KHOU 120231 RRA
TORHOU
TXC339-120305-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
831 PM CST SUN JAN 11 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 905 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS

   ...NORTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY

AT 828 PM CST... WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM 8
MILES NORTHWEST OF CONROE OR 2 MILES WEST OF WILLIS MOVING
EAST NORTHEAT AT 30 MPH.

THIS TORNADO IS NEAR WILLIS AT THIS TIME.THIS STORM WILL APPROACH
THE SAN JACINTO COUNTY LINE AROUND 845PM.


THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE IN
THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR
A REINFORCED BUILDING OR 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 11, 8:27 PM CST, 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 11, 8:27 PM CST, 4 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
827 PM CST SUN JAN 11 1998

A COUPLE OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS OVER GRIMES/MONTGOMERY COUNTY
MOVING EAST.  SOUTHERNMOST STORM TRAVELLING TO THE RIGHT WITH A STRONG
MESOCYCLONE SIGNATURE.  S/W PASSING BY TO THE NORTH WITH DRYING
EVIDENT SO EXPECT THE SEVERE THREAT TO END AFTER 2 AM OR SO BUT THE
CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE WITH THE SSW LLJ OVER THE AREA...(ONLY HOPE
IS THE CAP GETS STRONGER.)

THE DRY LINE WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO RETREAT LEAVING THE OLD
STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY AS A FOCUS FOR MORE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG AS THE NEXT S/W OVER NM APPROACHES THE
AREA IN THE MORNING.  WILL LEAVE IN THE MENTION OF SVR AND HOLD OFF ON
ALTER TORNADO WATCH.  WOULD LIKE TO ADD THE MENTION OF LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL POSSIBLE FOR THE NORTHERN ZONES.

WILL ALSO INCLUDE CHICKEN 20 POPS FOR MONDAY FOR THE TIME BEING.

45

PRELIMS...
NE  T/E>B  B/>E  053/072 048/070  7202  LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE
CLL T/E>B  B/>E  051/074 049/070  7202  LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE
IAH T/E>B >E/E   055/074 052/071  6223
GLS T/E>B >E/E   060/069 058/069  6223

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 11, 4:32 PM CST, 3 hours 59 minutes before
TXZ211-237-210-227-198-213-163-200-511-236-199-179-178-164-177-
212-197-226-196-195-214-238-235-176-120430-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
432 PM CST SUN JAN 11 1998

...TORNADO WATCH ISSUED FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 1000 PM...

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS FROM
445 PM UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING.  THE COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE
WATCH AREA...BURLESON...BRAZOS...MADISON...HOUSTON...WASHINGTON...
GRIMES...WALKER...TRINITY...COLORADO...AUSTIN...WALLER...MONTGOMERY...
SAN JACINTO...POLK...JACKSON...WHARTON...FORT BEND...HARRIS...
LIBERTY...MATAGORDA...BRAZORIA...GALVESTON AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL TEXAS WILL SPREAD
OVER EAST TEXAS THROUGH THE EVENING...WITH THE POTENTIAL OF SOME
STORMS BECOMING SEVERE.  IN ADDITION...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY
PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL UP TO 2 INCHES WHICH WILL AGGRAVATE
THE FLOODING PROBLEMS OVER ALREADY SATURATED GROUNDS.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL
MEDIA FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Jan 11, 4:32 PM CST, 3 hours 59 minutes before
TXZ211-237-210-227-198-213-163-200-511-236-199-179-178-164-177-
212-197-226-196-195-214-238-235-176-120430-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
432 PM CST SUN JAN 11 1998

...TORNADO WATCH ISSUED FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS UNTIL 1000 PM...

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS FROM
445 PM UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING.  THE COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE
WATCH AREA...BURLESON...BRAZOS...MADISON...HOUSTON...WASHINGTON...
GRIMES...WALKER...TRINITY...COLORADO...AUSTIN...WALLER...MONTGOMERY...
SAN JACINTO...POLK...JACKSON...WHARTON...FORT BEND...HARRIS...
LIBERTY...MATAGORDA...BRAZORIA...GALVESTON AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL TEXAS WILL SPREAD
OVER EAST TEXAS THROUGH THE EVENING...WITH THE POTENTIAL OF SOME
STORMS BECOMING SEVERE.  IN ADDITION...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY
PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL UP TO 2 INCHES WHICH WILL AGGRAVATE
THE FLOODING PROBLEMS OVER ALREADY SATURATED GROUNDS.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL
MEDIA FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 11, 6:31 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXBrazos, Burleson59 min
Jan 11, 6:36 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXWashington69 min
Jan 11, 7:01 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXGrimes59 min
Jan 11, 7:42 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXMontgomery48 min
Jan 11, 9:23 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXSan Jacinto27 min
Jan 11, 9:38 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXPolk57 min
Jan 11, 9:38 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXPolk67 min
Jan 12, 1:34 AM CSTTornado WarningHGXLiberty61 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.