Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2001

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 17, NWS Brownsville, TX

May 21, 2001Jim Hogg County, Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 21, 2001, 5:35 PM CDT for Jim Hogg County, Texas. It was in force for 55 min. 2 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
May 21, 2001, 5:35 PM CDT (22:35 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 2001, 6:30 PM CDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Jim Hogg County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 153 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:35 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
May 21, 6:15 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 50 EHebbronville, TXThe public reported large tree limbs down southeast of Hebbronville.
May 21, 6:15 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 50 EHebbronville, TXThe public reported large tree limbs down south of Hebbronville.

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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 21, 5:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 164 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 2001-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1153 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 2001-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 253 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
1153 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-306 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
718 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
253 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
248 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KBRO 212240
SVRBRO
TXC247-212330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
535 PM CDT MON MAY 21 2001

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS EXTENDED THE

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  JIM HOGG COUNTY IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 536 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
   A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HEBBRONVILLE
   ...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL
   LIKELY PRODUCE QUARTER TO GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL... AND WINDS IN      
   EXCESS OF 60 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLOODING CAN  
   BE ANTICIPATED.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAoIN OVER MOST OF JIM HOGG COUNTY.

LAT...LON 2682 9896 2681 9854 2737 9860 2725 9892

PHILO

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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 21, 3:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 21, 3:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 35 minutes before
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
300 PM CDT MON MAY 21 2001

WELL-DEFINED UPPER TROUGH DIGGING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL
PLAINS HAS ALLOWED AN UNSEASONABLY COLD AIRMASS TO MOVE INTO CENTRAL
PORTIONS OF TEXAS.  AT 19Z THE POLAR FRONT EXTENDED FROM TEXARKANA
TEXAS...TO LUFKIN...TO SOUTH OF AUSTIN...TO SOUTH OF DEL RIO...WITH
MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES LAGGING THE INITIAL WINDSHIFT BY ROUGHLY 75
NM.  STRONG LOW-LEVEL COLD ADVECTION AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE PRESSURE
RISES OF 5 MB/3 HOURS ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS WILL ACCELERATE THE
SOUTHWARD PROPAGATION OF THE FRONT...WITH FRONT LIKELY CROSSING THE
RIO GRANDE RIVER AROUND MIDNIGHT.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY FROM LATE THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT.  THE 21/12Z RUNS OF THE MESO-ETA AND AVN
ARE BOTH ADVERTISING WEAK 500 MB FLOW.  HOWEVER...BOTH MODELS ALSO
GENERATE DECENT QPF ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA...POSSIBLY DUE TO A
SUBTLE 500 MB SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND FAVORABLE LOCATION OF 300 MB JET
APPROACHING THE AREA BY 22/06Z.  CURRENT THINKING IS THAT A SQUALL
LINE WILL FORM ALONG A PRE-FRONTAL WINDSHIFT LINE IN SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS...AND WILL BACKBUILD INTO NORTHERN MEXICO WITH TIME.

21/12Z KBRO RAOB REVEALS WEAK MID-LEVEL FLOW...WHICH WILL LIKELY
PRECLUDE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCELLULAR STORM STRUCTURES...AND SHOULD
LIMIT DAMAGING WIND THREAT FROM THUNDERSTORMS.  HOWEVER...CAPE
GREATER THAN 4000 J/KG...AND A MODIFIED SOUNDING YIELDING CAPE OF
5500 J/KG SUGGEST THAT SEVERE HAIL THREAT IS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY
WITH ANY ORGANIZED CONVECTION.  AS ALWAYS...STRENGTH OF INVERSION
WILL DICTATE STRENGTH AND AREAL COVERAGE OF CONVECTION.  MOST
PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE OVER SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT...WITH SOME
LIGHT RAIN POSSIBLE INTO MID-MORNING ON TUESDAY.  A CLEARING TREND
WILL BEGIN BY LATE TUESDAY.

UPPER NORTHWEST FLOW WILL KEEP THE UPPER TROPOSPHERE DRY THROUGH THE
WEEKEND...WHILE RETURN FLOW WILL BEGIN ON WEDNESDAY AND PERSIST
THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK.  FOR NOW...WILL MAINTAIN A
PARTLY CLOUDY AND RAIN-FREE FORECAST...WITH A GRADUAL WARMING TREND.

MARINE...CURRENT OBS FROM BUOY020 INDICATE SOUTHEAST WINDS AT 8
KNOTS PRODUCING 5 FOOT SEAS.  SCA WILL LIKELY BE CONTINUED THROUGH
TOMORROW...WITH STRONG NORTHEAST WINDS EXPECTED BEHIND COLD FRONT.
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY
MORNING.

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS:
BRO EB 068/079 063/083 067  50/20/00/00/00
HRL EB 067/079 062/084 066  50/20/00/00/00
MFE EB 066/077 061/086 066  50/20/00/00/00
RGC EB 064/075 059/087 066  50/20/00/00/00
SPI EB 072/079 066/079 069  $50/20/00/00/00

SYNOPTIC...DD (65) / AVIATION-MARINE...60 / MESO...SM

INTERNET ADDRESS...WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/BRO

.BRO...SCA FOR GMZ130-150-155-170-175 TODAY.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 21, 11:58 AM CDT, 5 hours 37 minutes before
TXZ248>257-212100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1158 AM CDT MON MAY 21 2001

...AN UNUSUALLY STRONG COLD FRONT TO MOVE THROUGH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS
   THIS EVENING...

A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL TEXAS AT MIDDAY TODAY AND IS
EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS LATER THIS EVENING. AN
UNSEASONABLY COOL AIRMASS WILL SETTLE OVER THE AREA LATER TONIGHT AND
TUESDAY...WITH WINDS SHIFTING TO THE NORTH AND INCREASING TO 15 TO 25
MPH BEFORE MIDNIGHT OVER WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE VALLEY...AND NEAR
MIDNIGHT OVER THE REST OF THE VALLEY.

HIGH TEMPERATURES TUESDAY ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM THE UPPER 70S IN
THE EAST TO THE LOWER 80S OUT WEST...WITH THE RECORD LOWEST MAXIMUM
TEMPERATURE OF 78 DEGREES FOR BROWNSVILLE POSSIBLY BEING TIED OR BROKEN.
THIS RECORD WAS ORIGINALLY SET IN 1882 AND TIED IN 1895.

WARM...MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR OVER THE REGION...WILL PROVIDE THE
POTENTIAL FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT...AS THE FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTH. SOME OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE STRONG WITH ONE OR TWO POSSIBLY REACHING SEVERE
LEVELS...ESPECIALLY OVER WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE VALLEY...WHERE HIGH
TEMPERATURES NEAR OR ABOVE THE 100 DEGREE MARK THIS AFTERNOON WILL
PRODUCE VERY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS. THE GREATEST THREAT WITH ANY SEVERE
STORMS THAT DEVELOP IS LIKELY TO BE LARGE HAIL...WITH ALSO THE
POSSIBILITY OF STRONG DAMAGING WINDS.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...STORM
SPOTTER GROUPS...AND OTHER INTERESTED CONCERNS SHOULD MONITOR THIS
SITUATION AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN
YOUR AREA.

r
SPEECE
Special weather statement, May 21, 4:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before
TXZ248>257-220100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
415 PM CDT MON MAY 21 2001

...SEVERE WEATHER REMAINS A POSSIBILITY TONIGHT ACROSS DEEP SOUTH
TEXAS...

A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS LATE THIS
AFTERNOON WILL MOVE THROUGH DEEP SOUTH TEXAS LATER THIS EVENING.

WARM...MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR OVER THE REGION AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WILL
PROVIDE THE POTENTIAL FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS
EVENING AND TONIGHT...AS THE FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST. SOME
OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE STRONG WITH SOME POSSIBLY REACHING SEVERE
LEVELS. THE GREATEST THREAT WITH ANY STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS THAT
DEVELOP IS LIKELY TO BE LARGE HAIL AND THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG
DAMAGING WINDS.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS...STORM
SPOTTER GROUPS...AND OTHER INTERESTED CONCERNS SHOULD MONITOR THIS
SITUATION AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN
YOUR AREA.

SPEECE
Special weather statement, May 21, 5:23 PM CDT, 12 minutes before
TXZ248>257-220300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
523 PM CDT MON MAY 21 2001

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH
TEXAS...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
VALID UNTIL 10 PM CDT MONDAY EVENING FOR ALL OF DEEP SOUTH TEXAS. THIS
WATCH INCLUDES THE COUNTIES OF BROOKS...CAMERON...HIDALGO...JIM HOGG...
KENEDY...STARR...WILLACY AND ZAPATA COUNTIES.

THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE CITIES AND TOWNS OF...FALFURRIAS...
HEBBRONVILLE...MCALLEN...WESLACO...RIO GRANDE CITY...ZAPATA...
BROWNSVILLE...HARLINGEN...SAN BENITO...RAYMONDVILLE...SARITA...PORT
MANSFIELD...SOUTH PADRE ISLAND...PORT ISABEL...LAGUNA VISTA AND LAGUNA
HEIGHTS.

THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDES THE BAYS AND INLAND WATERWAYS...
FROM BAFFIN BAY TO THE RIO GRANDE...AS WELL AS THE NEAR SHORE WATERS
FROM BAFFIN BAY TO THE RIO GRANDE OUT TO 20 NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE
FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN
THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS
AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.  SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

SPEECE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 7:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBROZapata63 min
May 21, 4:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBROJim Hogg, Zapata49 min
May 21, 5:40 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROJim Hogg3 hr
May 21, 6:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBROBrooks60 min
May 21, 6:19 PM CDTTornado WarningBROBrooks, Jim Hogg, Starr56 min
May 21, 6:19 PM CDTTornado WarningBROHidalgo56 min
May 21, 6:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBROHidalgo, Starr65 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2001Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2001

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.