Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Fort Worth, TX

April 5, 2003Parker County, Tarrant County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 5, 2003, 6:52 PM CST for Parker County, Tarrant County, Texas. It was in force for 53 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 5, 2003, 6:52 PM CST (00:52 UTC)
Expired
Apr 5, 2003, 7:45 PM CST
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Parker County, TX, Tarrant County, TX

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:52 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 tornado 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
Apr 5, 4:30 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 40 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, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 2003-04-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 640 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, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 2003-04-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 101 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
640 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-65 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
896 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
60 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
101 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
353 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
3.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KFWD 060052
TORFTW
TXC367-439-060145-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
653 PM CST SAT APR 5 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN PARKER COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
  TARRANT COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS

* UNTIL 745 PM CST

* AT 649 PM CST...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH A HISTORY OF PRODUCING
  TORNADOES WAS 17 MILES WEST OF SPRINGTOWN...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.
  THE STORM WILL ENTER WESTERN SECTIONS OF TARRANT COUNTY AFTER 
  715 PM CST.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  AZLE...PELICAN BAY AROUND 725 PM CST
  EAGLE MOUNTAIN AROUND 735 PM CST
  SAGINAW AROUND 740 PM CST
  BLUE MOUND AROUND 745 PM CST

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE HALTOM CITY...HASLET...
  KELLER...LAKE WORTH...LAKESIDE...NORTH RICHLAND HILLS...PECAN ACRES
  AND RENO

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM. IN ADDITION TO 
TORNADOES...HAIL TO THE SIZE OF SOFTBALLS AND DAMAGING WINDS TO 80 
MPH ARE LIKELY WITH THIS STORM.

DO NOT LEAVE SHELTER TO USE YOUR CAR TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. CARS ARE
EASILY TOSSED AND CRUSHED BY TORNADO WINDS.

LAT...LON 3298 9805 3279 9805 3277 9722 3297 9720

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Apr 5, 4:43 PM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 5, 4:43 PM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
440 CST SAT APR 5 2003

PUBLIC DISCUSSION...
ZONES UPDATED FOR TORNADO WATCH.  59

THE 21Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THE WARM FRONT EXTENDED
FROM ABOUT 50 MILES NORTHWEST OF ABILENE...TO DFW...TO TYLER LINE...
WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE 60S IN THE WARM SECTOR...AND IN THE 40S
AND 50S IN THE COLD SECTOR. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY
DEVELOPED ALONG THE WARM FRONT NORTH OF ABILENE. SEVERE WEATHER
OUTBREAK SEEMS TO BE ON TRACK FOR TONIGHT....AND A CHANCE ACROSS
THE EASTERN HALF ON SUNDAY. THE RAIN WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST
DURING THE DAY SUNDAY AS THE DRY LINE MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. #58

FCSTID =   58
DFW   60  80  49  71 /  50  40   0   0
ACT   63  81  51  75 /  30  30   0   0
PRX   63  77  48  70 /  60  70   0   0
DTO   59  79  46  70 /  60  40   0   0
TKI   61  79  48  71 /  60  50   0   0
DAL   61  80  50  72 /  60  40   0   0
TRL   63  80  51  73 /  50  50   0   0
CRS   64  80  52  74 /  30  50   0   0
TPL   63  82  52  76 /  20  30   0   0

.FWD...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 5, 3:40 PM CST, 3 hours 12 minutes before
TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-061200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED SPOTTER ACTIVATION INFO.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
340 PM CST SAT APR 5 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...
THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT FOR AREAS
NORTH OF I-20 AND WEST OF I-35. THIS INCLUDES EASTLAND...BOWIE...
SHERMAN...PARIS...GREENVILLE...AND THE DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX.
THE REMAINDER OF NORTH TEXAS IS UNDER A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE
PRIMARY THREATS. HOWEVER...THE CURRENT LOW-LEVEL VERTICAL WIND
PROFILES CONTINUE TO SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL FOR SUPERCELLS AND
ISOLATED TORNADOES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTH TEXAS
SUNDAY...PRIMARILY EAST OF I-35. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY WEST OF A NOCONA...WEATHERFORD...
CISCO LINE AFTER 5 PM.  ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED WEST OF A
SHERMAN...DALLAS...KILLEEN LINE AFTER 8 PM.  SPOTTERS EAST OF I-35
SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION AFTER MIDNIGHT.

ROBBINS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 5, 6:33 PM CST, 19 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
633 PM CST SAT APR 05 2003

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

0614 PM    6 W GRAFORD               TX   4.5 INCH HAIL
04/05/03   PALO PINTO                     REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER. WINDOWS BROKEN
                                          AND HAIL DAMAGE TO
                                          STRUCTURES.

0618 PM    5 N GRAFORD               TX   79 MPH TSTM GUST
04/05/03   PALO PINTO                     STORM SPOTTER MEASURED
                                          79 MPH WIND GUST.

0620 PM    6 N GRAFORD               TX   TORNADO
04/05/03   PALO PINTO                     STORM CHASER REPORTED
                                          BRIEF TOUCHDOWN JUST
                                          EAST OF POSSUMM KINGDOM
                                          LAKE.

BUNTING
Local storm report, Apr 5, 6:50 PM CST, 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
650 PM CST SAT APR 05 2003

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

0640 PM    3 N ELIASVILLE            TX   2.75 INCH HAIL
04/05/03   YOUNG                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

BUNTING

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 5, 6:29 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDPalo Pinto, Parker61 min
Apr 5, 6:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJack, Young56 min
Apr 5, 7:20 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDTarrant4 hr
Apr 5, 7:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDJack50 min
Apr 5, 7:44 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDParker, Tarrant61 min
Apr 5, 8:09 PM CSTTornado WarningFWDDallas, Tarrant51 min
Apr 5, 8:16 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningFWDDallas4 hr
Apr 5, 8:20 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDParker, Wise55 min
Apr 5, 8:46 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCollin59 min
Apr 5, 8:59 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDallas, Rockwall46 min
Apr 5, 9:06 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDenton, Tarrant, Wise54 min
Apr 5, 9:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDMontague65 min
Apr 5, 9:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHunt58 min
Apr 5, 9:42 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCollin, Dallas, Rockwall63 min
Apr 5, 9:58 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDDenton47 min
Apr 5, 10:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCooke, Montague93 min
Apr 5, 10:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHunt62 min
Apr 5, 10:35 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHopkins55 min
Apr 5, 10:41 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCollin64 min
Apr 5, 11:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDGrayson65 min
Apr 5, 11:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHopkins63 min
Apr 5, 11:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHunt60 min
Apr 6, 12:15 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFannin, Grayson60 min
Apr 6, 12:19 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHopkins56 min
Apr 6, 1:14 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDFannin46 min
Apr 6, 1:31 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDLamar59 min
Apr 6, 9:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDMontague62 min
Apr 6, 1:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDCollin64 min
Apr 6, 1:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDGrayson47 min
Apr 6, 3:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDLamar39 min
Apr 6, 4:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWDHopkins, Rains57 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2003Every tornado warning in 2003Tornadoes 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.