Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 151, NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX

August 9, 2003Comal County, Guadalupe County, Texas

NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 9, 2003, 3:49 PM CDT for Comal County, Guadalupe County, Texas. It was in force for 56 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
Aug 9, 2003, 3:49 PM CDT (20:49 UTC)
Expired
Aug 9, 2003, 4:45 PM CDT
In force
56 min
Issued by
NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Comal County, TX, Guadalupe County, TX

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 12 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:50 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, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 233 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 2003-08-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 638 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Corpus Christi, TX at 12:00Z on 2003-08-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -50 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
638 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-273 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1286 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-50 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
55 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 
WUUS54 KEWX 092049
SVRSAT
TXC091-187-092145-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
347 PM CDT SAT AUG 9 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AUSTIN SAN ANTONIO HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN TEXAS...
  COMAL
  GUADALUPE

* UNTIL 445 PM CDT

* AT 347 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF SMITHSON VALLEY...OR     
  ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF SAN MARCOS...MOVING SOUTH AT 25 MPH.    
  THE MAIN THREAT WITH STORM WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60  
  TO 70 MPH. WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE CAN CAUSE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO  
  STRUCTURES.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE...
  OVER NEW BRAUNFELS AT 440 PM
  7 MILES NORTHWEST OF MCQUEENEY AT 445 PM

* THIS WARNING INCLUDES LOCATIONS IN AND AROUND...
  NEW BRAUNFELS
  MCQUEENEY

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A 
STRONG BUILDING. DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND 
DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. STAY 
INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.


LAT...LON 2975 9834 2947 9802 2962 9774 2991 9832

$$

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 Austin/San Antonio, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 9, 2:55 PM CDT, 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 9, 2:55 PM CDT, 54 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
255 PM CDT SAT AUG 9 2003

AN UNUSUAL WET AUGUST PATTERN IS ABOUT TO UNFOLD ACROSS SOUTH
CENTRAL TEXAS.  THE DECAYING MCS ON OUR DOORSTEP AT THE MOMENT WILL
HELP TO INITIATE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT.  WITH TEMPERATURES ALREADY ABOVE THE CENTURY MARK TO THE
SOUTH AND WEST...ENOUGH FUEL ADDED TO THE FIRE FOR SOME INTENSE
STORMS TONIGHT AS INFLOW INCREASES...WITH THE MAIN SEVERE THREAT
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT BEING FROM DAMAGING WINDS. ADDED SURFACE
MOISTURE FROM RAINS TONIGHT WILL PRODUCE MORE SCATTERED CONVECTION
SUNDAY WITH A DIVERGENT NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT. CONTINUED CHANCES FOR
CONVECTION MONDAY AND TUESDAY AS NORTHERLY IMPULSES SWEEP SOUTH. BY
MIDWEEK..A WEAKNESS IS CARVED OUT IN THE UPPER RIDGE OVER TEXAS SO
AIRMASS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SOUND REASONABLE THROUGH SATURDAY
WITH MODERATING TEMPERATURES AS ATMOSPHERE BECOMES MORE
TROPIC-LIKE.

BERMUDA HIGH MAY MAKE AN ENTRANCE BY NEXT SUNDAY (AUG 17TH) WITH A
POSSIBLE CUTOFF TO RAIN CHANCES.

02/18/KW

NUMBERS...
AUS BB 070/098 070/098 069 02843 0000/0000/0000
    BEBBB 095/073 092/074 092/073 094/073 094 33334433222
DRT BB 078/098 073/095 073 02632 0000/0000/0000
    BBBBB 097/075 096/077 096/077 095/077 095 11122233222
SAT BB 073/098 073/095 076 02843 0000/0000/0000
    BEBBB 095/075 093/076 093/076 094/076 094 33333333222

.EWX...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 9, 6:00 AM CDT, 9 hours 49 minutes before
TXZ171>173-183>194-202>209-217>225-228-101100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
600 AM CDT SAT AUG 9 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

INTENSE AFTERNOON HEATING WILL PRODUCE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN
THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY
BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS. SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT
LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. THE MAIN THREAT TIME
FOR THESE STORMS WILL BE FROM 3 TO 7 PM. THE MAIN THREAT AREA WILL
BE THE HILL COUNTRY AND AREAS ALONG THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR FROM
GEORGETOWN TO SAN ANTONIO.

AN ORGANIZED LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY MOVE
FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL ALSO BE DAMAGING
WINDS. HOWEVER...LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE.
ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS IS IN THE THREAT AREA FOR THESE STORMS.
THE MOST LIKELY THREAT TIME WILL BE FROM MIDNIGHT THROUGH 10 AM
SUNDAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

ADDITIONAL ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON MONDAY AS
STRONG MID LEVEL WINDS AND A WEAK FRONT MOVE INTO THE AREA.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH
MOST OF THE COMING WEEK...BUT SEVERE WEATHER IS UNLIKELY AFTER
MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Austin/San Antonio, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 8, 9:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBlanco, Comal47 min
Aug 9, 2:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBandera, Kerr, Real61 min
Aug 9, 3:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXKerr43 min
Aug 9, 3:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXHays67 min
Aug 9, 4:10 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEWXKerr, Real3 hr
Aug 9, 5:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBandera35 min
Aug 9, 5:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEWXBandera59 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.