Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Watches in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 280

May 10, 200220 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this severe thunderstorm watch at May 10, 2002, 11:00 PM CDT for 20 counties in Texas. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 10, 2002, 11:00 PM CDT (04:00 UTC)
Expired
May 11, 2002, 4:00 AM CDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center

Counties Armstrong County, TX, Carson County, TX, Collingsworth County, TX, Dallam County, TX, Deaf Smith County, TX, Donley County, TX, Gray County, TX, Hansford County, TX, Hartley County, TX, Hemphill County, TX, Hutchinson County, TX, Lipscomb County, TX, Moore County, TX, Ochiltree County, TX, Oldham County, TX, Potter County, TX, Randall County, TX, Roberts County, TX, Sherman County, TX, Wheeler County, TX

The radar

The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 75 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:02 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.

Warnings issued inside it

10 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 10, 11:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAHartley38 min
May 10, 11:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAPotter, Randall51 min
May 10, 11:59 PM CDTTornado WarningAMAOldham46 min
May 11, 12:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAHutchinson59 min
May 11, 12:24 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAHartley36 min
May 11, 12:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAHansford, Ochiltree59 min
May 11, 12:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAOldham46 min
May 11, 1:07 AM CDTTornado WarningAMAOldham38 min
May 11, 1:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAHartley, Moore53 min
May 11, 1:50 AM CDTTornado WarningAMAMoore40 min

The nearest sounding before it

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 00:00Z, 4.0 hours before the alert went out and 76 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 2002-05-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 83 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 2002-05-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 149 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
83 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-459 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
915 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
149 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
250 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 110409
SEL0  
SPC WW 110341
NMZ000-OKZ000-TXZ000-110900-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 280
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1041 PM CDT FRI MAY 10 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO                         
   OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE                           
   TEXAS PANHANDLE                              

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING FROM 1100 PM UNTIL
400 AM CDT.

HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES
NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF DALHART
TEXAS TO 105 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF AMARILLO TEXAS.

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.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...  CONTINUE...WW 278...WW 279...

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS ARE RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING ALONG THE TX/NM
BORDER IN ADVANCE OF APPROACHING SHORTWAVE TROUGH.  AIRMASS JUST
ABOVE THE SURFACE IS MODERATELY UNSTABLE ACROSS THIS REGION. 
SUPERCELL STORMS CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL SHOULD BE THE PRIMARY THREAT
IN THIS REGION.

AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 3 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 25035.

...HART

364,1031 364,0995 344,0995 344,1031

WWUS20 KWNS 110409
SEL9  
SPC WW 110325
OKZ000-TXZ000-110800-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 279
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1025 PM CDT FRI MAY 10 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   EXTREME SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA                           
   NORTHWEST TEXAS                              

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING FROM 1045 PM UNTIL
300 AM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 40 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 95 MILES WEST OF WICHITA FALLS TEXAS TO 30
MILES EAST OF WICHITA FALLS TEXAS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND 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.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...  CONTINUE...WW 278...

DISCUSSION...SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM OVER MOTLEY COUNTY TX IS
EXPECTED TO TRACK EASTWARD INTO VERY MOIST/UNSTABLE SURFACE AIRMASS
WITHIN THE HOURS.  ONCE STORM BECOMES SURFACE-BASED...EXTREMELY
STRONG LOW LEVEL VERTICAL SHEAR PROFILES /3KM SR HELICITY VALUES
OVER 700 M2/S2/ WILL SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES.  VERY
LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO REMAIN POSSIBLE.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27025.

...HART

343,1000 343,0975 332,0975 332,1000

WWUS20 KWNS 110409
SEL0  
SPC WW 110341
NMZ000-OKZ000-TXZ000-110900-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 280
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1041 PM CDT FRI MAY 10 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO                         
   OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE                           
   TEXAS PANHANDLE                              

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING FROM 1100 PM UNTIL
400 AM CDT.

HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES
NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF DALHART
TEXAS TO 105 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF AMARILLO TEXAS.

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.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...  CONTINUE...WW 278...WW 279...

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS ARE RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING ALONG THE TX/NM
BORDER IN ADVANCE OF APPROACHING SHORTWAVE TROUGH.  AIRMASS JUST
ABOVE THE SURFACE IS MODERATELY UNSTABLE ACROSS THIS REGION. 
SUPERCELL STORMS CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL SHOULD BE THE PRIMARY THREAT
IN THIS REGION.

AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 3 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 25035.

...HART

364,1031 364,0995 344,0995 344,1031

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 10, 8:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBailey, Briscoe, Castro, Childress, Cochran, Collingsworth and 17 more5 hr
May 10, 10:45 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCArcher, Baylor, Clay, Foard, Hardeman, Knox and 2 more4 hr
May 11, 1:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCLipscomb5 hr
May 11, 6:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCHemphill, Lipscomb, Roberts5 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Texas, 2002Every severe thunderstorm watch 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.