Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2000

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 80, NWS Lake Charles, LA

April 3, 2000Jefferson County, Orange County, Texas

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 3, 2000, 4:08 AM CDT for Jefferson County, Orange County, Texas. It was in force for 67 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Apr 3, 2000, 4:08 AM CDT (09:08 UTC)
Expired
Apr 3, 2000, 5:15 AM CDT
In force
67 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

Counties Jefferson County, TX, Orange County, TX

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:14 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
Apr 3, 4:15 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 56 MPort Arthur, TX
Apr 3, 4:20 AM CDTTornado F1Groves, TX
Apr 3, 4:30 AM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52 EPort Acres, 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 00:00Z, 9.1 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 2000-04-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 656 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 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 2000-04-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 95 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
656 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-45 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
541 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
95 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
251 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.0
Supercell composite
9.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KLCH 030911
SVRLCH
TXC245-361-031015-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
408 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  JEFFERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  
* UNTIL 515 AM 

* AT 359 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  A DEVELOPING TORNADO 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BEAUMONT...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THIS TORNADIC STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  NEDERLAND...ROSE CITY BY 415 AM   
  BEAUMONT...BY 425 AM

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE NEAR ITS PATH...BE READY
FOR DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...VIOLENT WIND...AND POSSIBLY A TORNADO.N

CALL 337-477-5285 TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 2994 9442 2981 9427 2989 9382 3020 9396

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 Lake Charles, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 3, 2:43 AM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 2:43 AM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
243 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

AT 07Z...QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT WAS LOCATED NEAR A KSHV-KIAH-KVCT
LINE. THE CANADIAN COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM NEAR A KIRK-KTUL-KLBB
LINE. THE CANADIAN COLD FRONT WILL CATCH UP WITH THE STATIONARY
FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND PUSH THROUGH THE ENTIRE FA BY 00Z.
UNTIL THEN WE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH SEVERAL MORE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS AS SEVERAL 500MB SHORTWAVES EMBEDDED IN THE
SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT MOVE ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE MAIN 500 MB TROF
MOVING THROUGH OVERNIGHT. THE MAIN CONCERN TODAY WILL BE THE HEAVY
RAIN WITH AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 4 INCHES POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA.
HOWEVER...WILL NOT ISSUE A FFA AT THIS TIME. ANY FLOODING PROBLEMS
THAT OCCUR TODAY CAN BE HANDLED BY URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD
ADVISORIES. THERE WILL ALSO BE ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
THE AREA TODAY AS AIRMASS ACROSS THE AREA REMAINS RATHER UNSTABLE.
THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS.

SKIES WILL CLEAR OUT TONIGHT AS THE 500 MB TROF MOVES EAST OF THE
AREA AND HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT.

.LCH...NONE
TX...NONE
LA...NONE

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS...
LCH 76/46/65/43 +000
BPT 74/46/67/43 +000
LFT 77/47/64/42 +200
AEX 71/45/64/39 +000

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 2, 11:38 PM CDT, 4 hours 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
1138 PM CDT SUN APR 2 2000

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1125 PM    MERRYVILLE                LA   .88 INCH HAIL
04/02/00   BEAUREGARD                     REPORTED BY PUBLIC

1137 PM    3 W DE RIDDER             LA   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/02/00   BEAUREGARD                     REPORTED BY PUBLIC

FN
Local storm report, Apr 3, 12:29 AM CDT, 3 hours 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
1229 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1203 AM    ROSEPINE                  LA   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/03/00   VERNON                         REPORTED BY SHERIFFS DEPT

FN
Local storm report, Apr 3, 12:54 AM CDT, 3 hours 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
1254 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....
*
1218 AM    SINGER                    LA   WIND DAMAGE
04/03/00   BEAUREGARD                     TREES DOWN ON 110 EAST

FN
Local storm report, Apr 3, 1:47 AM CDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
147 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....
c
1235 AM    GRANT                     LA   WIND DAMAGE
04/03/00   ALLEN                          TREES DOWN ON POWERLINES

FN
Local storm report, Apr 3, 2:00 AM CDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
200 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1209 AM    DEVILLE                   LA   WIND DAMAGE
04/03/00   RAPIDES                        LARGE TREE DOWN ACROSS
                                          BARRON CHAPEL ROAD

FN
Local storm report, Apr 3, 2:52 AM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
252 AM CDT MON APR 3 2000

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0253 AM    SOUR LAKE                 TX   .75 INCH HAIL
04/03/00   HARDIN

0254 AM    SILSBEE                   TX   .75 INCH HAIL
04/03/00   HARDIN

0254 AM    KOUNTZE                   TEX   .75 INCH HAIL
04/03/00   HARDIN

FN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 2, 10:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHNewton61 min
Apr 2, 11:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJasper42 min
Apr 3, 2:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHHardin60 min
Apr 3, 3:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJasper60 min
Apr 3, 3:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHNewton47 min
Apr 3, 3:51 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJefferson54 min
Apr 3, 4:08 AM CDTTornado WarningLCHJefferson67 min
Apr 3, 4:20 AM CDTTornado WarningLCHOrange55 min
Apr 3, 9:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJefferson, Orange60 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2000Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2000

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.