Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2001

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 20, NWS Brownsville, TX

May 21, 2001Brooks County, Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 21, 2001, 7:19 PM CDT for Brooks County, Texas. It was in force for 56 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
May 21, 2001, 7:19 PM CDT (00:19 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 2001, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
56 min
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX
Area
Whole counties

County Brooks County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:21 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, 8:10 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 50 EFalfurrias, TXBrooks County Sheriff reported a large number of tree branches down in Falfurrias.

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 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 116 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 00:00Z on 2001-05-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3375 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 00:00Z on 2001-05-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -43 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
3375 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
717 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-43 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-31 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.4
Supercell composite
-2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KBRO 220020
SVRBRO
TXC047-220115-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN BROOKS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS

* UNTIL 815 PM CDT

* AT 721 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES EAST OF HEBBRONVILLE...MOVING EAST AT
  15 MPH. THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE HAIL TO THE
  SIZE OF QUARTERS... AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF...  
  NORTHERN BROOKS COUNTIES.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE ADVANCE
WARNING. PREPARE TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A STURDY STRUCTURE
SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED.

$$

LAT...LON 2731 9853 2710 9849 2716 9808 2738 9809
K
SPEECE

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, 4 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 21, 3:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 19 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, 4:15 PM CDT, 3 hours 4 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, 1 hour 56 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 21, 7:13 PM CDTTornado WarningBROBrooks, Hidalgo, Kenedy62 min
May 21, 7:50 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningBROStarr3 hr
May 21, 8:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBROHidalgo, Starr59 min
May 21, 8:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBROHidalgo61 min
May 21, 9:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBROKenedy54 min
May 21, 9:14 PM CDTTornado WarningBROHidalgo46 min
May 21, 10:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBROJim Hogg50 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.