Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 8, NWS Brownsville, TX

April 8, 2003Hidalgo County, Texas

NWS Brownsville, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 8, 2003, 8:15 AM CDT for Hidalgo County, Texas. It was in force for 60 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
Apr 8, 2003, 8:15 AM CDT (13:15 UTC)
Expired
Apr 8, 2003, 9:15 AM CDT
In force
60 min
Issued by
NWS Brownsville, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Hidalgo County, TX

The radar

The Brownsville radar (KBRO), 94 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:18 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 nearest sounding before it

Brownsville Intl, TX (KBRO), launched 12:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 96 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 12:00Z on 2003-04-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1499 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 12:00Z on 2003-04-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -3 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
1499 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-124 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
583 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
212 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

038 
WUUS54 KBRO 081315
SVRBRO
TXC215-081415-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
815 AM CDT TUE APR 8 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BROWNSVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN HIDALGO COUNTY IN DEEP SOUTH TEXAS

* UNTIL 915 AM CDT

* AT 808 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR PENITAS...OR 10
  MILES WEST OF MISSION...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
   PALMVIEW BY 820 AM CDT.
   MISSION BY 825 AM CDT.
   MCALLEN...HIDALGO BY 830 AM CDT.
   
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD
TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND 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.

HAIL FROM THIS STORM...UP TO AN INCH IN DIAMETER...HAS BEEN REPORTED 
JUST SOUTH OF SULLIVAN CITY IN SOUTHWEST HIDALGO COUNTY IF YOU ARE 
IN THE PATH OF THE STORM...TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND 
PROPERTY.

LAT...LON 2633 9856 2615 9859 2603 9789 2627 9788

$$

59

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 Apr 8, 3:00 AM CDT, 5 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 8, 3:00 AM CDT, 5 hours 15 minutes before
DEEP SOUTH TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
300 AM CDT TUE APR 8 2003

DISCUSSION...SCATTERED CONVECTION MOVING OFF THE SIERRA MADRE
ORIENTAL MOUNTAINS IN NE MEXICO THIS MORNING...BUT PRECIP AMOUNTS IN
CWFA ARE LIGHT. CONVECTION NOT STRENGTHENING SIGNIFICANTLY AS IT
MOVES INTO CAPPED AREA...BUT ISOLATED CELLS SHOWING A BIT MORE
DEVELOPMENT TO THE SOUTH AND OFFSHORE...AND COULD MOVE INTO THE AREA
LATER. PER PHONE DISCUSSION WITH SPC...NOT CURRENTLY EXPECTING A
MAJOR SEVERE OUTBREAK...AS ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT ALONG A
LINE APPROACHING COT NOT DEVELOPING STRONG CONVECTION. RECENT RADAR
SHOWS FRONT ON THE MOVE AGAIN TOWARD COT WITH SOME ISOLATED STRONGER
CELLS. THINGS COULD DETERIORATE AS THE FRONT PUSHES TOWARD BRO IN
THE EARLY MORNING...SO WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR.

ISOLATED CONVECTION MAY LINGER INTO AFTERNOON...BUT STRONG HIGH
PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN QUICKLY BEHIND THE FRONT AND RAPID CLEARING
SHOULD OCCUR TONIGHT. THIS QUICK CLEARING WAS INTRODUCED WITH
YESTERDAY AFTERNOONS PACKAGE. HOWEVER...DESPITE CLEAR SKIES FROM
WEDNESDAY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK...TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER
THAN NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.

SUBSIDENT AIRMASS TO PREVAIL THURSDAY WITH A 500 MB TROUGH OVER THE
SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES PROVIDING NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ACROSS SOUTH
TEXAS. A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER DEEP SOUTH TEXAS WILL SHIFT OVER
THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO FRIDAY WITH RETURN FLOW DEVELOPING. LIGHT
TO MODERATE SOUTHEAST WINDS EXPECTED SATURDAY BECOMING BREEZY SUNDAY
AND CONTINUING MONDAY.

MARINE...AT 1 AM BUOY020 REPORTED N WINDS 6 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 12 KTS
AND SEAS 4 FEET AT 7 SEC. OVER PREV 3 HRS...WINDS HAVE BEEN LIGHT
AND VRBL WITH SEAS STEADY UNDER WEAK SPG AS STRONG COLD FRONT MOVG
ACRS CNTRL TX TWD THE COAST. SCT/NMRS CONVECTION EXPECTED THIS
AM...SOME PSBLY SVR. BLDG SEAS DUE TO STRONG N WINDS IN WAKE OF
FRONT WILL NECESSITATE SCA TDA...AND LIKELY THRU WED AM AS SFC RIDGE
MAINTAINS TIGHT SPG. SFC WINDS VEER TO SE ON THU...AS RIDGE AXIS
MOVES OVER NW GULF. ON FRI...NEXT H5 TROUGH APRCHS PAC NW AS MDT SE
FLOW CONTINUES. BY SAT...SPG TIGHTENS BTWN RIDGE OVER GULF AND SFC
TROUGHING OVER W TX...INCRG SE WINDS TO SCEC LEVEL OVR BAY AND
OFFSHORE.

AVIATION...MVFR TO IFR COND EXPECTED TONIGHT THRU SUNRISE...DUE TO
VSBY AND CIGS WITH SHRA/+TSRA AND G30KTS...AS COLD FRONT MOVES ACRS
DPSOTEX. AFTER FROPA...EXPECT MVFR DUE TO CIGS WITH -RA/-SHRA AND
G25KTS...BECMG VFR BY MID AFTN. CLEARING LATE TONIGHT...AS H5 TROUGH
AXIS MOVES INTO DPSOTEX VEERING MID LVL WINDS TO NW.

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS FOR COORDINATION PURPOSES ONLY...
BRO TU 069/049 070/047 075 40/10/00/00/00
HRL TU 070/047 072/045 077 40/10/00/00/00
MFE TU 071/048 074/048 078 40/10/00/00/00
RGC WU 068/047 075/048 080 40/10/00/00/00
SPI TU 069/050 070/049 072 40/10/00/00/00

.BRO...SCA GMZ130-150-155-170-175.

54/63/59

THIS PRODUCT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON OUR INTERNET WEB PAGE AT:
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/BRO
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 8, 6:00 AM CDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before
TXZ248>257-091100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
600 AM CDT TUE APR 8 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DEEP SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING...AS A
STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS DEEP SOUTH TEXAS EARLY THIS
MORNING...FOLLOWED BY AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM. STRONG NORTH WINDS IN
THE WAKE OF THIS FRONT WILL REQUIRE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES FOR THE
BAY AND COASTAL WATERS TODAY AND WEDNESDAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS MORNING.

59

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 8, 6:46 AM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
TXZ252-081300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
646 AM CDT TUE APR 8 2003

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IS HEADING FOR SOUTHWESTERN STARR COUNTY...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER NORTHERN COAHUILA MEXICO
EARLY THIS MORNING. ONE OF THESE STORMS IS MOVING INTO SOUTHWESTERN
STARR COUNTY AT 35 MPH.

PERSONS IN SOUTHERN STARR COUNTY SHOULD BE ALERT FOR BRIEF VERY
HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING WITH THIS STORM...DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

59
Local storm report, Apr 8, 7:57 AM CDT, 18 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
0757 AM CDT TUE APR 08 2003

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

0725 AM    5 NNW RIO GRANDE CITY     TX   60 MPH TSTORM WIND
04/08/03   STARR                          DOWNED POWER LINES

BHM
Local storm report, Apr 8, 8:05 AM CDT, 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BROWNSVILLE TX
0805 AM CDT TUE APR 08 2003

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

0804 AM    1 S SULLIVAN CITY         TX   1.00 IN HAIL
04/08/03   HIDALGO                        MAYOR OF SULLIVAN CITY
                                          REPORT

BHM

The office that day

Everything else NWS Brownsville, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 8, 7:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBROHidalgo, Starr39 min
Apr 8, 8:31 AM CDTTornado WarningBROHidalgo29 min
Apr 8, 8:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBROCameron, Hidalgo35 min
Apr 8, 9:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBROCameron34 min
Apr 8, 9:40 AM CDTTornado WarningBROCameron20 min
Apr 8, 9:43 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningBRO2 hr
Apr 8, 9:43 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningBRO2 hr
Apr 8, 9:59 AM CDTTornado WarningBROCameron31 min

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.