Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Watches in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 98

April 16, 200220 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this severe thunderstorm watch at Apr 16, 2002, 5:00 PM CDT for 20 counties in Texas. It was in force for 6 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Apr 16, 2002, 5:00 PM CDT (22:00 UTC)
Expired
Apr 16, 2002, 11:00 PM CDT
In force
6 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center

Counties Atascosa County, TX, Bandera County, TX, Bastrop County, TX, Bexar County, TX, Blanco County, TX, Burnet County, TX, Caldwell County, TX, Comal County, TX, Frio County, TX, Gillespie County, TX, Guadalupe County, TX, Hays County, TX, Kendall County, TX, Llano County, TX, Medina County, TX, Milam County, TX, Travis County, TX, Williamson County, TX, Wilson County, TX, Zavala County, TX

Warnings issued inside it

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 16, 5:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar, Comal, Guadalupe58 min
Apr 16, 5:43 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXAtascosa, Karnes62 min
Apr 16, 6:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXComal, Hays44 min
Apr 16, 6:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar, Kendall, Medina55 min
Apr 16, 6:41 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXBexar, Kendall49 min
Apr 16, 6:46 PM CDTTornado WarningEWXAtascosa, Karnes29 min
Apr 16, 7:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar30 min
Apr 16, 7:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXWilson56 min
Apr 16, 7:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXAtascosa, Karnes59 min
Apr 16, 7:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar29 min
Apr 16, 7:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXComal, Guadalupe45 min
Apr 16, 7:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBexar22 min

The nearest sounding before it

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 199 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 2002-04-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 791 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 2002-04-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 347 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
791 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-305 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1536 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
347 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
351 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 162203
SEL8  
SPC WW 162159
TXZ000-170400-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 98
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
459 PM CDT TUE APR 16 2002

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

   SOUTH TEXAS                              

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 500 PM UNTIL 1100
PM CDT.

HAIL TO 3 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 60 STATUTE MILES
EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 60 MILES SOUTH OF HONDO TEXAS TO 45
MILES NORTH OF AUSTIN 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 96...WW 97...

DISCUSSION...A FEW SUPERCELLS EXPECTED TO PERSIST ALONG AND W OF
SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY AOVER WW REGION...AS HEATING AND GLANCING
INFLUENCE OF UPPER TROUGH FURTHER DESTABLIZE REGION OF MODEST DEEP
SHEAR.  AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO POSSIBLE INVOF BOUNDARY
INTERSECTIONS...BUT MAIN THREAT SHOULD BE LARGE HAIL/LOCALLY HIGH
WINDS. 

AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 3 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 50
KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 24025.

...CORFIDI

305,0964 282,0981 282,1001 305,0984

WWUS20 KWNS 162203
SEL8  
SPC WW 162159
TXZ000-170400-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 98
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
459 PM CDT TUE APR 16 2002

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

   SOUTH TEXAS                              

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 500 PM UNTIL 1100
PM CDT.

HAIL TO 3 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 60 STATUTE MILES
EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 60 MILES SOUTH OF HONDO TEXAS TO 45
MILES NORTH OF AUSTIN 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 96...WW 97...

DISCUSSION...A FEW SUPERCELLS EXPECTED TO PERSIST ALONG AND W OF
SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY AOVER WW REGION...AS HEATING AND GLANCING
INFLUENCE OF UPPER TROUGH FURTHER DESTABLIZE REGION OF MODEST DEEP
SHEAR.  AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO POSSIBLE INVOF BOUNDARY
INTERSECTIONS...BUT MAIN THREAT SHOULD BE LARGE HAIL/LOCALLY HIGH
WINDS. 

AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 3 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 50
KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 24025.

...CORFIDI

305,0964 282,0981 282,1001 305,0984

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 16, 4:45 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCArcher, Bell, Bosque, Brown, Clay, Collin and 36 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.