Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 138, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Dec 23, 2002, 7:26 PM CST for Caldwell County, Gonzales County, Texas. It was in force for 49 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
- Dec 23, 2002, 7:26 PM CST (01:26 UTC)
- Expired
- Dec 23, 2002, 8:15 PM CST
- In force
- 49 min
- Issued by
- NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Caldwell County, TX, Gonzales County, TX
The radar
The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 46 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:29 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 3:35 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 4 hr |
| Dec 23, 7:10 PM CST | Tornado Watch | SPC | 8 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 214 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2559 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -59 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 644 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 75 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 85 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 104 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.2
- Supercell composite
- 4.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
852 WUUS54 KEWX 240126 SVRSAT TXC055-177-240215- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 724 PM CST MON DEC 23 2002 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN TEXAS... CALDWELL GONZALES * UNTIL 815 PM CST * AT 724 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM FROM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FENTRESS TO 8 MILES WEST OF NIXON...OR FROM 11 MILES WEST OF LULING TO 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF STOCKDALE...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. * SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE... OVER LULING AT 730 PM OVER SMILEY AT 735 PM OVER GONZALES AT 745 PM IF SEVERE WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...GO INSIDE A STURDY SHELTER AWAY FROM CREEK BEDS AND OTHER FLOOD-PRONE AREAS. REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAN PRODUCE LARGE DAMAGING HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. HAIL UP TO BASEBALL SIZE HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS STORM IN WILSON COUNTY. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THE STORM...PUT YOUR CAR IN A GARAGE AND MOVE TO A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. $$
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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Dec 23, 2:45 PM CST, 4 hours 41 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 23, 2:45 PM CST, 4 hours 41 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 245 PM CST MON DEC 23 2002 COLD FRONT HAS MOVED INTO WESTERN HILL COUNTRY. CONVECTION FIRING OUT WEST WILL BE ROUTINE THUNDERSTORMS WILL SOME HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THE BREAK IN THE CLOUD COVER WILL HELP GENERATE ANOTHER ROUND OF SUPERCELLS OVER EXTREME EASTERN COUNTIES THIS EVENING. UPPER LOW MOVING EAST ABOUT 30 MPH, FAST ENUF TO KEEP CONVECTION MOVING ALONG AND NEGATING FLASH FLOOD WATCH. GOOD PRESSURE GRADIENT BEHIND COLD FRONT WILL KEEP TEMPS ON MILD SIDE. CLEARING SKIES WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO RISE TO NEAR NORMAL TUESDAY. A COLD NIGHT IN STORE TUESDAY NIGHT AS LIGHT WINDS AND NEAR CLEAR SKIES WILL ALLOW GOOD RADIATION COOLING. FOR THE REST OF THE PERIOD SOME MINOR SHORT WAVES MOVE THROUGH TEXAS IN THE NORTHWEST FLOW BRINGING PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. TEMPS TO REMAIN NEAR SEASONAL NORMALS OVER THE WEEKEND WITH A SLOW WARM UP EXPECTED FOR THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. PRELIMINARY NUMBERS... AUS 44 52 30 55 32 5100 DRT 45 57 34 59 36 3000 SAT 46 57 30 59 33 4-00 .EWX...TOR WATCH #799 TIL 8 PM LEE LAVACA AND FAYETTE 06/08/DC/VL
Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 23, 5:54 AM CST, 13 hours 32 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-241200- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 554 AM CST MON DEC 23 2002 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY FOR THE EASTERN-MOST AREAS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF BASTROP...GIDDINGS...GONZALES...CUERO...LA GRANGE AND HALLETTSVILLE. A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER EXISTS TODAY OVER THE REST OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY. A POTENT UPPER AIR SYSTEM WILL INTERACT WITH A WARM FRONT TO TRIGGER THE SEVERE WEATHER. TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS ARE THE MAJOR THREATS THIS MORNING...MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE I-35 CORRIDOR. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD START TO DECREASE DURING THE EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED FROM AROUND SUNRISE INTO THIS EVENING.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Dec 23, 1:45 PM CST, 5 hours 41 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-232200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX 145 PM CST MON DEC 23 2002 ...INCREASING CHANCE OF RAIN...SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS LATER TODAY AND MUCH COOLER TONIGHT AND CHRISTMAS EVE... A NEW AREA OF RAIN WITH SHOWERS IN FORMING OVER THE WEST PART OF VAL VERDE COUNTY...WHILE A COLD FRONT LIES FROM NEAR BURNET TO NORTHWEST OF DEL RIO. AN UPPER LEVEL WEATHER SYSTEM OVER THE SOUTHWEST U.S. IS MOVING EAST. THIS WEATHER SYSTEM...ALONG WITH THE COLD FRONT...WILL HELP CAUSE AN INCREASING CHANCE OF RAIN...SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE EAST PART OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS COULD BECOME SEVERE. IN WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT TONIGHT...MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS FALLING TO THE 30S OVER THE HILL COUNTRY AND NEAR 40 TO MID 40S OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. AS THE UPPER LEVEL WEATHER SYSTEM MOVES CLOSE TO THE AREA TONIGHT...A CHANCE OF RAIN OR SHOWERS MAY CONTINUE AFTER MIDNIGHT AND TOWARD EARLY MORNING. MUCH COOLER DAYTIME TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY... CHRISTMAS EVE. SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO CLEAR UP IN THE DAY OR AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING ON TUESDAY. A FREEZE IS EXPECTED TUESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING...WITH LOWS FALLING TO THE 20S OVER THE HILL COUNTRY AND IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S OVER SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.
Local storm report, Dec 23, 3:00 PM CST, 4 hours 26 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
300 PM CST MON DEC 23 2002
TIME(BEST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0625 AM NEAR AUSTIN BERGSTROM TX LARGE SIGNS BLOWN OVER
12/23/02 INTL AIRPORT AND POWER POLE BENT
AT BURLESON AND HALFWAY OVER
GENERAL AVIATION RD.
TRAVIS
0704 AM BETWEEN MANOR AND TX TORNADO. CARS FLIPPED
12/23/02 ELGIN...JUST EAST OVER, GAS STATION ROOF
OF MANOR BLOWN OFF. HOME ALSO
TRAVIS HAD MISSING ROOF. ONE
MOBIL HOME WAS DESTROYED.
POWER LINES DOWN AND
TREES UPROOTED.
0850 AM NEAR LEDBETTER TX POSSIBLE TORNADO.
12/23/02 FAYETTE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE IN AREA.
LOTS OF DEBRIS IN AREA...
TIN...LIMBS...ETC.
0905 AM NEAR AMMANNSVILLE... TX FUNNEL CLOUDS.
12/23/02 ST. JOHN...AND NO TOUCHDOWN.
FREYBURG.Local storm report, Dec 23, 6:31 PM CST, 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO, TX
631 PM CST MON DEC 23 2002
TIME(CST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0540 PM INGRAM TX .88 INCH HAIL
12/23/02 KERR REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT
0540 PM HUNT TX 1.75 INCH HAIL
12/23/02 KERR REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT
DCThe office that day
Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 6:03 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Bastrop | 42 min |
| Dec 23, 6:17 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | EWX | Bastrop | 3 hr |
| Dec 23, 6:22 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Lee | 53 min |
| Dec 23, 6:39 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Bexar | 51 min |
| Dec 23, 6:43 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Comal | 47 min |
| Dec 23, 6:50 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Wilson | 40 min |
| Dec 23, 6:53 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Guadalupe | 52 min |
| Dec 23, 7:40 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | DeWitt, Karnes | 50 min |
| Dec 23, 8:00 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Lee | 15 min |
| Dec 23, 8:02 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Fayette | 43 min |
| Dec 23, 8:18 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EWX | Lavaca | 42 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002
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.