Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Watches in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 59

March 30, 200214 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this severe thunderstorm watch at Mar 30, 2002, 3:45 PM CST for 14 counties in Texas. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 30, 2002, 3:45 PM CST (21:45 UTC)
Expired
Mar 30, 2002, 9:00 PM CST
In force
5 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center

Counties Aransas County, TX, Austin County, TX, Brazoria County, TX, Calhoun County, TX, Colorado County, TX, Fort Bend County, TX, Harris County, TX, Jackson County, TX, Matagorda County, TX, Refugio County, TX, San Patricio County, TX, Victoria County, TX, Waller County, TX, Wharton County, TX

Warnings issued inside it

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 30, 5:01 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXFort Bend, Wharton44 min
Mar 30, 5:02 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCRPVictoria43 min
Mar 30, 5:23 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXFort Bend, Wharton37 min
Mar 30, 5:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXJackson35 min
Mar 30, 5:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXJackson, Wharton37 min
Mar 30, 5:54 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXFort Bend, Harris36 min
Mar 30, 6:04 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXMatagorda, Wharton41 min
Mar 30, 6:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris59 min
Mar 30, 6:48 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXBrazoria, Fort Bend, Matagorda57 min
Mar 30, 7:23 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris, Liberty37 min
Mar 30, 7:47 PM CSTTornado WarningHGXChambers, Galveston, Harris43 min

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 149 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 2002-03-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 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 2002-03-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 176 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2462 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
176 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
248 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 
WWUS20 KWNS 302133
SEL9  
SPC WW 302128
TXZ000-CWZ000-310300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 59
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
328 PM CST SAT MAR 30 2002

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

MIDDLE AND UPPER TEXAS COASTAL PLAIN                              
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 345 PM UNTIL 900
PM CST.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 60
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 55 STATUTE MILES
EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 65 MILES SOUTH OF VICTORIA TEXAS TO 35
MILES NORTH OF HOUSTON 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 57...WW 58...

DISCUSSION...A BROKEN LINE OF STRONG/SEVERE STORMS IS DEVELOPING
ALONG THE DRYLINE FROM S OF CLL TO JUST N OF CRP.  EXPECT STORMS TO
INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND SPREAD EWD TOWARD THE HOU AREA THE NEXT
FEW HOURS AS THE DRYLINE MOVES EWD.  THOUGH WIND PROFILES ARE
SOMEWHAT UNIDIRECTIONAL E OF THE DRYLINE...DEEP LAYER SPEED SHEAR
AND INSTABILITY WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT LARGE HAIL AND
ISOLATED DAMAGING GUSTS.

AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 50
KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 26030.


...THOMPSON

300,0942 275,0960 275,0974 300,0961

WWUS20 KWNS 302133
SEL9  
SPC WW 302128
TXZ000-CWZ000-310300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 59
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
328 PM CST SAT MAR 30 2002

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

MIDDLE AND UPPER TEXAS COASTAL PLAIN                              
ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 345 PM UNTIL 900
PM CST.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 60
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 55 STATUTE MILES
EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 65 MILES SOUTH OF VICTORIA TEXAS TO 35
MILES NORTH OF HOUSTON 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 57...WW 58...

DISCUSSION...A BROKEN LINE OF STRONG/SEVERE STORMS IS DEVELOPING
ALONG THE DRYLINE FROM S OF CLL TO JUST N OF CRP.  EXPECT STORMS TO
INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND SPREAD EWD TOWARD THE HOU AREA THE NEXT
FEW HOURS AS THE DRYLINE MOVES EWD.  THOUGH WIND PROFILES ARE
SOMEWHAT UNIDIRECTIONAL E OF THE DRYLINE...DEEP LAYER SPEED SHEAR
AND INSTABILITY WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT LARGE HAIL AND
ISOLATED DAMAGING GUSTS.

AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 50
KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 26030.


...THOMPSON

300,0942 275,0960 275,0974 300,0961

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 29, 7:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBorden, Coke, Crockett, Fisher, Glasscock, Howard and 7 more6 hr
Mar 29, 11:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBrown, Callahan, Coke, Coleman, Collin, Comanche and 25 more6 hr
Mar 30, 3:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAnderson, Bell, Bosque, Bowie, Camp, Collin and 39 more5 hr
Mar 30, 5:30 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAtascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Brown, Callahan, Coke and 24 more6 hr
Mar 30, 12:30 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCAngelina, Brazos, Burleson, Falls, Grimes, Hardin and 18 more6 hr
Mar 30, 1:00 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCAnderson, Bosque, Camp, Cherokee, Comanche, Dallas and 28 more5 hr
Mar 30, 5:30 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCAnderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Gregg, Grimes, Hardin and 22 more6 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.