Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 7, NWS Fort Worth, TX

April 5, 2003Parker County, Tarrant County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 5, 2003, 7:44 PM CST for Parker County, Tarrant 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: Apr 5, 2003, 7:44 PM CST (01:44 UTC)
Expired: Apr 5, 2003, 8:45 PM CST
In force: 61 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), 40 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:46 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 5, 4:30 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 19 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: 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.

760 
WFUS54 KFWD 060144
TORFTW
TXC367-439-060245-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 845 PM CST

* AT 741 PM CST...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH A HISTORY OF            
  PRODUCING TORNADOES WAS OVER EAGLE MOUNTAIN...MOVING EAST AT
  35 MPH. ANOTHER CIRCULATION WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTH OF           
  SPRINGTOWN.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE AZLE...BEDFORD...BLUE
  MOUND...BRIAR...COLLEYVILLE...EULESS...GRAPEVINE AND HALTOM CITY

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 3299 9775 3281 9774 3277 9705 3297 9706

$$

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, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 5, 4:43 PM CST, 3 hours 1 minute 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, 4 hours 4 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, 1 hour 11 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, 54 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

Local storm report, Apr 5, 7:08 PM CST, 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
708 PM CST SAT APR 05 2003

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

0705 PM    5 E PEASTER               TX   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/05/03   PARKER                         REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

0706 PM    5 E PEASTER               TX   2.75 INCH HAIL
04/05/03   PARKER

Local storm report, Apr 5, 7:26 PM CST, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
726 PM CST SAT APR 05 2003

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

0723 PM    SPRINGTOWN                TX   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/05/03   PARKER                         REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

Local storm report, Apr 5, 7:44 PM CST, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
744 PM CST SAT APR 05 2003

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

0743 PM    2 E EAGLE MTN LAKE        TX   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/05/03   TARRANT                        REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 5, 6:29 PM CST	Tornado Warning	FWD	Palo Pinto, Parker	61 min
Apr 5, 6:34 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack, Young	56 min
Apr 5, 6:52 PM CST	Tornado Warning	FWD	Parker, Tarrant	53 min
Apr 5, 7:20 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	FWD	Tarrant	4 hr
Apr 5, 7:25 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack	50 min
Apr 5, 8:09 PM CST	Tornado Warning	FWD	Dallas, Tarrant	51 min
Apr 5, 8:16 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	FWD	Dallas	4 hr
Apr 5, 8:20 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Parker, Wise	55 min
Apr 5, 8:46 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Collin	59 min
Apr 5, 8:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Dallas, Rockwall	46 min
Apr 5, 9:06 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Denton, Tarrant, Wise	54 min
Apr 5, 9:25 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Montague	65 min
Apr 5, 9:32 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hunt	58 min
Apr 5, 9:42 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Collin, Dallas, Rockwall	63 min
Apr 5, 9:58 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Denton	47 min
Apr 5, 10:27 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Cooke, Montague	93 min
Apr 5, 10:28 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hunt	62 min
Apr 5, 10:35 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hopkins	55 min
Apr 5, 10:41 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Collin	64 min
Apr 5, 11:25 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Grayson	65 min
Apr 5, 11:27 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hopkins	63 min
Apr 5, 11:30 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hunt	60 min
Apr 6, 12:15 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Fannin, Grayson	60 min
Apr 6, 12:19 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hopkins	56 min
Apr 6, 1:14 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Fannin	46 min
Apr 6, 1:31 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Lamar	59 min
Apr 6, 9:13 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Montague	62 min
Apr 6, 1:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Collin	64 min
Apr 6, 1:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Grayson	47 min
Apr 6, 3:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Lamar	39 min
Apr 6, 4:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hopkins, Rains	57 min

Nearby

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