Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Brownsville, TX

February 15, 2003Starr County, Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 15, 2003, 5:19 AM CST for Starr County, Texas. It was in force for 61 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Feb 15, 2003, 5:19 AM CST (11:19 UTC)
Expired
Feb 15, 2003, 6:20 AM CST
In force
61 min
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Starr County, TX

The radar

The Brownsville radar (KBRO), 158 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:19 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.

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
Feb 15, 4:35 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Brownsville Intl, TX (KBRO), launched 00:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 161 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 00:00Z on 2003-02-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 675 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, Brownsville Intl, TX at 00:00Z on 2003-02-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 46 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
675 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-235 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
794 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
24 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KBRO 151119
SVRBRO
TXC427-151220-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
519 AM CST SAT FEB 15 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  STARR COUNTY IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS

* UNTIL 620 AM CST

* AT 515 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM      
  19 MILES NORTH OF RIO GRANDE CITY TO RIO GRANDE CITY...AND MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF...
  STARR COUNTY.

IN ADDITION TO DAMAGING WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING 
IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY LIGHTNING IS 
ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR 
THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

LAT...LON 2665 9900 2625 9867 2675 9840 2677 9893

$$

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 Brownsville, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Feb 15, 5:00 AM CST, 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 15, 5:00 AM CST, 19 minutes before
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
500 AM CST SAT FEB 15 2003

UPDATED ZONES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH 9 AM
FOR ALL EXCEPT ZAPATA COUNTIES. W/V IMAGERY SHOWS HISTORY OF
ENHANCED DEVELOPMENT MAXIMIZING AS CONVECTIVE LINE MOVES TOWARD
COAST.

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS FOR COORDINATION PURPOSES ONLY...
BRO EU 081/052 063/044 067 40/10/00/00/00
HRL EU 082/051 063/042 067 40/10/00/00/00
MFE EU 083/050 065/041 069 40/00/00/00/00
RGC EU 084/050 065/040 069 40/00/00/00/00
SPI EU 079/053 060/045 066 40/10/00/00/00

.BRO...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TXZ249>257 THROUGH 9 AM.

54/61

THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR INTERNET WEB PAGE AT:
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/BRO
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 14, 10:43 PM CST, 6 hours 36 minutes before
TXZ248>257-151100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
1043 PM CST FRI FEB 14 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION ON THE LAGUNA MADRE.  A SMALL
CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE LOWER TEXAS GULF WATERS. PLEASE
REFER TO THE LATEST LOWER TEXAS COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FOR DETAILS.

A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE REGION WILL TRIGGER SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY. THE BEST
CHANCES FOR STORMS WILL BE OVER KENEDY, BROOKS, JIM HOGG, AND ZAPATA
COUNTIES. AT THIS TIME...ANY STORMS THAT MOVE OVER THESE COUNTIES ARE
NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE BUT MAY PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAINS,
BRIEF WIND GUSTS FROM 25 TO 35 MPH AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. HOWEVER...
AN ISOLATED SEVERE IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO MOVE EAST OF
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS BY MIDDAY SATURDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS SATURDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL CAUSE WINDS AND SEAS TO
BUILD ONCE AGAIN OVER THE LOWER TEXAS COASTAL WATERS. AS A RESULT,
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE EXPECTED FROM SATURDAY NIGHT INTO LATE
SUNDAY. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF NEXT WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 15, 3:39 AM CST, 1 hour 40 minutes before
TXZ248-249-252-151030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
339 AM CST SAT FEB 15 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN ZAPATA COUNTY...

AT 335 AM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHERN ZAPATA COUNTY...17 MILES
NORTHEAST OF ZAPATA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. GUSTY WINDS IN
EXCESS OF 35 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES...AS
WELL AS SMALL HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. RAINFALL RATES
OF HALF AN INCH TO AN INCH PER HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED AS WELL. THIS
STORM SHOULD REMAIN OVER RURAL PORTIONS OF NORTHERN ZAPATA COUNTY
AND AFFECT PORTIONS OF FARM ROAD 3169.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE PROVIDER FOR LATER
STATEMENTS CONCERNING THIS SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

CASTILLO
Special weather statement, Feb 15, 4:53 AM CST, 26 minutes before
TXZ249>257-151500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
453 AM CST SAT FEB 15 2003

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
VALID UNTIL 900 AM CST SATURDAY MORNING. THE WATCH INCLUDES THE
COUNTIES OF BROOKS...CAMERON...HIDALGO...JIM HOGG...KENEDY...
STARR...AND WILLACY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TO OCCUR IN OR NEAR THE WATCH AREA. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL THE SIZE OF A DIME
OR LARGER...STRONG WINDS OF 58 MPH OR GREATER AND EVEN TORNADOES.

EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE
ACTIVATION. RESIDENTS ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND
BE READY TO ACT QUICKLY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA.
IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS YOUR AREA...THEN MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM
AND LAY DOWN ON THE FLOOR. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...LAY FLAT DOWN ON THE
GROUND...PREFERABLY IN A DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT. NEVER TRY TO OUTRUN
SEVERE WEATHER.

CASTILLO

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

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.