Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 20, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

April 20, 2003Calhoun County, Refugio County, Victoria County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 20, 2003, 12:57 PM CDT for Calhoun County, Refugio County, Victoria County, Texas. It was in force for 48 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 20, 2003, 12:57 PM CDT (17:57 UTC)
Expired: Apr 20, 2003, 1:45 PM CDT
In force: 48 min
Issued by: NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Calhoun County, TX, Refugio County, TX, Victoria County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:00 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

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 97 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1066 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -117 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 583 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 42 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 146 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

032 
WUUS54 KCRP 201757
SVRCRP
TXC057-391-469-201845-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1254 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN CALHOUN COUNTY IN TEXAS
  NORTHERN REFUGIO COUNTY IN TEXAS
  SOUTHERN VICTORIA COUNTY IN TEXAS

* UNTIL 145 PM CDT

* AT 1250 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
AN AREA OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS 6 MILES NORTH OF REFUGIO...MOVING 
NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING...  
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS...
DAMAGING WINDS GREATER THAN 60 MILES AN HOUR...

THE STORM WILL MOVE TO THE AREAS NEAR VIDAURI...MC FADDEN...AND 
GUADALUPE BY 145 PM. STRONG WINDS OF 60 MPH OR GREATER ARE POSSIBLE 
ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE STORMS...ALONG WITH HAIL UP TO NICKEL 
SIZE.


LAT...LON 2852 9657 2829 9730 2835 9739 2854 9715
          2870 9703 2885 9685

$$

PURPURA

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 Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 20, 11:28 AM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 20, 11:28 AM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before

COASTAL BEND FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1120 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2003

FAIRLY BUSY THIS MORNING. STORMS TRYING TO ROLL IN FROM MEXICO INTO
WEBB COUNTY. HAVE HAD NO STORM REPORTS OTHER THAN GUSTY WINDS OF
UNSPECIFIED VELOCITY FROM LAREDO...BUT WE HAVE LOTS OF TROUBLE
GETTING REPORTS FROM WEBB COUNTY ANYWAY. QUICK LOOK AT 88D SHOWS
STORM HAS GOOD UPPER DIVERGENCE AND COULD RECYCLE BACK UPWARD...BUT
FOR NOW AS PRESENT TRNDS CONTINUE WILL LET WARNING EXPIRE.

OTHERWISE...COASTALS LOOK OK. WILL KEEP SCEC FOR SEAS. BOY 109 AND
020 BOTH SHOW 6 FOOT SEAS. THEY WILL COME DOWN LATER THIS AFTN. AS
FAR AS ZONES ARE CONCERNED...WENT TO UNQUALIFIED PCP TERM FROM WEBB
TO VICTORIA COUNIES...AND HIT WEBB PACKAGE HARD WITH REGARD TO
STRONG STORMS. SH/TSRA WILL INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE THIS PM.

70/PURPURA

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...

SHORT-TERM (TODAY AND TONIGHT)...CONCUR WITH THE GFS/ETA THAT AN
UPPER DISUTRBANCE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TDA. BOTH GFS/ETA PROG
INCREASING PW VALUES/DECREASING THERMODYNAMIC CAP TDA. EXPECT
QUASI-STATIONARY BNDRY TO TRIGGER SCT CONVECTION OVR THE REGION
TDA...WITH THE GREATEST POPS EAST OWING TO MSTR CONSIDERATIONS.
DECREASING UPPER DYNAMICS EXPECTED TNGT...HWR WL RETAIN LOWER POPS
OVR THE REGION OWING TO MSTR CONVERGENCE. WIND OVR THE WATERS TO
REMAIN BELOW SCA CRITERION DRG THE PD OWING PROXIMITY OF SFC BNDRY.

LONG-TERM(12Z MON THRU SAT)...QUASI-STATIONARY FRONTAL
BOUNDARY/500HPA SHORTWAVES/JET DYNAMICS TO PROVIDE FORCING IN AN
UNSTABLE/MOIST ENVIRONMENT MONDAY/TUESDAY. WEAKENING OF WINDS AND
COOLING IN THE LOWER TROPOSPHERE ADDS FAVORABILITY. WILL INDICATE
CHANCE POPS. GFS INDICATES HIGH PWAT SURGES WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY WITH
WEAK 500HPA SHORTWAVES/JET DYNAMICS/MESOSCALE BOUNDARIES. GFS
RECENTLY INDICATED HIGH PWAT SURGES OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS AND
WAS DRASTICALLY IN ERROR. WITH WINDS/TEMPERATURES BEGINNING TO
UNFAVORABLY INCREASE IN THE LOWER TROPOSPHERE...AM INCLINED TO OMIT
POPS AND LET THE NEXT SHIFT MAKE ANOTHER ASSESSMENT. MESOSCALE
BOUNDARY LIKELY TO STALL ALONG THE COAST FRIDAY BEFORE DISSIPATING
AND ALLOWING RENEWED ONSHORE FLOW SATURDAY. SCA CONDITIONS
ANTICIPATED WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY WITH STRENGTHENING LOW-LEVEL JET AND
THERMAL/PRESSURE GRADIENTS. MEX TEMPERATURE TRENDS REASONABLE AND IN
LINE WITH CURRENT GRIDS.

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS:
CRP EC 081/069 077/067 077 43423
VCT EC 080/065 074/063 074 42323
LRD EC 085/069 077/068 077 32433

.CRP...NONE.

87/SHORT-TERM
85/LONG-TERM

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 20, 12:15 PM CDT, 42 minutes before

TXZ229>234-239>247-211100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
1215 PM CDT SUN APR 20 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS SOUTHWEST WEBB COUNTY SOUTH AND WEST OF A LAREDO TO
HEBBRONVILLE LINE. THE PRIMARY THREAT IS LARGE HAIL.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE REMAINDER
OF THE REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG
TODAY...WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. RAINFALL TOTALS MAY EXCEED
ONE INCH THIS AFTERNOON...GENERALLY NORTH OF AN ENCINAL...GEORGE
WEST ...VICTORIA LINE...AS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP ALONG A
NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WATERS
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES TO THE TEXAS
PANHANDLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED IN WEBB COUNTY. SPOTTER
ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE ACROSS LA SALLE...MC MULLEN...LIVE
OAK...BEE...GOLIAD...AND VICTORIA COUNTIES.

PURPURA

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 20, 11:42 AM CDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI,TX
1142 AM CDT SUN APR 20 2003

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

1115 AM    6 S LAREDO                TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   WEBB

JD

Local storm report, Apr 20, 11:42 AM CDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI,TX
1142 AM CDT SUN APR 20 2003

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

1115 AM    6 S LAREDO                TX   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   WEBB                           REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT.

JD

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 20, 8:14 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CRP	Webb	61 min
Apr 20, 10:46 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CRP	Webb	44 min
Apr 20, 11:32 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CRP	Webb	43 min
Apr 20, 1:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CRP	Aransas, Calhoun	41 min
Apr 20, 1:56 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	CRP		94 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2003 Every 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.