Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 15, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

March 19, 2002Bastrop County, Caldwell County, Travis County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 19, 2002, 8:33 PM CST for Bastrop County, Caldwell County, Travis County, Texas. It was in force for 57 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Mar 19, 2002, 8:33 PM CST (02:33 UTC)
Expired
Mar 19, 2002, 9:30 PM CST
In force
57 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Bastrop County, TX, Caldwell County, TX, Travis County, TX

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 52 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:35 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
Mar 19, 8:45 PM CSTThunderstorm WindCountywide, TXTrees were blown down in an west-southwest to east-northeast direction by the derecho that had begun in eastern Bexar County and had consistently continued through Guadalupe County. Only very minor, spotty damage was reported to roofs of homes and windows of
Mar 19, 9:00 PM CSTThunderstorm WindCountywide, TXThe widespread derecho continued to blow down trees in an west-southwest to east-northeast direction, continuing the damage sustained from eastern Bexar County through Guadalupe and Caldwell Counties. Only spotty damage was indicated to roofs of homes and win

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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 19, 7:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 2.6 hours before the alert went out and 264 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 2002-03-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 932 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 2002-03-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 130 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
932 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-500 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1142 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
130 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
114 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KEWX 200233
SVRSAT
TXC021-055-453-200330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
833 PM CST TUE MAR 19 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN TEXAS...
  TRAVIS
  BASTROP
  CALDWELL

* UNTIL 930 PM CST

* AT 833 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES SOUTH OF ONION CREEK...OR ABOUT 11
  MILES NORTHEAST OF SAN MARCOS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE...
  5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GARFIELD AT 900 PM
  OVER WYLDWOOD AT 905 PM
  7 MILES NORTHWEST OF BASTROP AT 915 PM

NATIONAL WEATHER DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES WINDS OF 60 TO 70 MPH WITH 
THIS STORM

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO 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 3019 9793 3004 9773 2990 9786 2972 9769
          3009 9721 3046 9762

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 Mar 19, 8:21 PM CST, 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 19, 8:21 PM CST, 12 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
821 PM CST TUE MAR 19 2002

SEVERE WEATHER ONGOING ACROSS PARTS OF THE CWA AT THIS TIME.  HAVE
SENT AN UPDATE TO REFLECT THE NEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL
MIDNIGHT.  OTHERWISE...LITTLE OR NO CHANGE TO ONGOING FORECAST.
CP/MF/NR/MB/DC/JB.

.EWX...TORNADO WATCH CENTRAL AND WEST UNTIL 03Z
       SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH EAST UNTIL 06Z

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 19, 3:00 PM CST, 5 hours 33 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-192300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
300 PM CST TUE MAR 19 2002

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6PM THIS EVENING
   FOR PORTIONS OF THE HILL COUNTRY AND RIO GRANDE PLAINS REGION...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
HAS A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...BANDERA...EDWARDS...GILLESPIE...KERR...KINNEY...LLANO...
MAVERICK...REAL...UVALDE...VAL VERDE.

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...BANDERA...BRACKETTVILLE...DEL RIO...
EAGLE PASS...FREDERICKSBURG...KERRVILLE...LEAKEY...LLANO...
ROCKSPRINGS...UVALDE

AN APPROACHING UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE...COUPLED WITH
ABUNDANT LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE...WILL TRIGGER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD
BECOME SEVERE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY AND ADJACENT AREAS
OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...FREQUENT
LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURRING.

ALTHOUGH THE MAIN FOCUS FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE TO THE NORTH OF
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...SPOTTER NETWORKS MAY NEED TO BE ACTIVATED IF
CONDITIONS WARRANT.

A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO AND THROUGH THE REGION THIS EVENING...
WITH COOLER AND DRIER AIR SPREADING OVER THE HILL COUNTRY AND SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS WEDNESDAY.

FOR INFORMATION ON WEATHER THREATS IN SURROUNDING AREAS...PLEASE
REFER TO OUTLOOKS FROM OFFICES IN MIDLAND/ODESSA...SAN ANGELO...
FORT WORTH...HOUSTON/GALVESTON AND CORPUS CHRISTI.
Special weather statement, Mar 19, 4:00 PM CST, 4 hours 33 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-200000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
400 PM CST TUE MAR 19 2002

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM THIS EVENING FOR ALL OF
   THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY AND MOST OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST FOR TONIGHT HAS A GOOD CHANCE
OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE WITH TORNADOS...LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
ATASCOSA...BANDERA...BASTROP...BEXAR...BLANCO...BURNET...CALDWELL...
COMAL...DIMMIT...EDWARDS...FRIO...GILLESPIE...GUADALUPE...HAYS...
KENDALL...KERR...KINNEY...LLANO...MAVERICK...MEDINA...REAL...
TRAVIS...UVALDE...VAL VERDE...WILLIAMSON...WILSON...ZAVALA.

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...AUSTIN...BANDERA...BASTROP...
BOERNE...BRACKETTVILLE...BURNET...CARRIZO SPRINGS...CRYSTAL CITY...
DEL RIO...EAGLE PASS...FLORESVILLE...FREDERICKSBURG...GEORGETOWN...
HONDO...JOHNSON CITY...JOURDANTON...KERRVILLE...LEAKEY...LLANO...
LOCKHART...NEW BRAUNFELS...PEARSALL...ROCKSPRINGS...SAN ANTONIO...SAN
MARCOS...SEGUIN...UVALDE

AN APPROACHING UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE...COUPLED WITH
ABUNDANT LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE...WILL TRIGGER SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE HILL COUNTRY
AND ADJACENT AREAS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS...TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...
DAMAGING WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL
OCCURRING.

SPOTTER NETWORKS MAY NEED TO BE ACTIVATED.

A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO AND THROUGH THE REGION THIS EVENING...
WITH COOLER AND DRIER AIR SPREADING OVER THE HILL COUNTRY AND SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS WEDNESDAY.

FOR INFORMATION ON WEATHER THREATS IN SURROUNDING AREAS...PLEASE
REFER TO OUTLOOKS FROM OFFICES IN MIDLAND/ODESSA...SAN ANGELO...
FORT WORTH...HOUSTON/GALVESTON AND CORPUS CHRISTI.
Local storm report, Mar 19, 7:27 PM CST, 1 hour 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO, TX
727 PM CST TUE MAR 19 2002

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

0659 PM    HONDO                     TX   80 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
03/19/02   MEDINA

0707 PM    HONDO                     TX   2.75 INCH HAIL
03/19/02   MEDINA                         REPORTED BY CO-OP OBSERVER

DC
Local storm report, Mar 19, 8:24 PM CST, 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO, TX
824 PM CST TUE MAR 19 2002

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

0730 PM    PEARSALL                  TX   1.75 INCH HAIL
03/19/02   FRIO                           REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT

0733 PM    MCNAIR MIDDLE SCHOOL
           SAN ANTONIO               TX   63 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
03/19/02   BEXAR                          REPORTED BY SCHOOL
                                          NETWORK

0748 PM    BROOKS AFB                TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
03/19/02   BEXAR                          REPORTED BY MEDIA

0750 PM    LEON VALLEY
E ROAD AND LOOP 410 LEON VALLEY      TX   2.00 INCH HAIL
03/19/02   BEXAR                          REPORTED BY HAMS

0740 PM    KELLY AFB                 TX   .75 INCH HAIL
03/19/02   BEXAR                          REPORTED BY METAR
METAR

0755 PM    STINSON FIELD             TX   67 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
03/19/02   BEXAR                          REPORTED BY METAR

0805 PM    MARION                    TX
           TRAINER HALLE ROAD             BLDG ROOF BLOWN OFF
           AND I 10                       CAUSING I10 TO BE
                                          CLOSED
                                          REPORTED BY HAMS

DC

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 19, 6:08 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXUvalde52 min
Mar 19, 6:18 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXZavala42 min
Mar 19, 6:23 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBurnet52 min
Mar 19, 6:25 PM CSTTornado WarningEWXFrio, Zavala35 min
Mar 19, 6:39 PM CSTTornado WarningEWXMedina, Uvalde51 min
Mar 19, 7:03 PM CSTTornado WarningEWXBexar57 min
Mar 19, 7:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa, Frio60 min
Mar 19, 7:51 PM CSTTornado WarningEWXBexar, Guadalupe, Wilson54 min
Mar 19, 7:58 PM CSTTornado WarningEWXDimmit, Maverick62 min
Mar 19, 8:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXComal25 min
Mar 19, 8:14 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXHays61 min
Mar 19, 8:20 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXGonzales55 min
Mar 19, 9:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXDimmit60 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.