Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

February 21, 2003Jackson County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 21, 2003, 4:53 AM CST for Jackson County, Texas. It was in force for 22 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
Feb 21, 2003, 4:53 AM CST (10:53 UTC)
Expired
Feb 21, 2003, 5:15 AM CST
In force
22 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Jackson County, TX

The radar

The Austin/San Antonio radar (KEWX), 156 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:53 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Feb 21, 4:25 AM CSTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 00:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 157 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 00:00Z on 2003-02-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 962 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, Corpus Christi, TX at 00:00Z on 2003-02-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 98 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
962 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-35 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
623 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
98 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
140 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
2.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KHGX 211053
SVRHOU
TXC239-211115-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
451 AM CST FRI FEB 21 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  JACKSON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 515 AM CST

* AT 450 AM CST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 5   
MILES SOUTH OF EDNA...MOVING NORTH AT 40 MPH. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY 
PRODUCE DIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL.

* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE...
  EDNA...LAKE TEXANA DAM
  GANADO
  CORDELE

MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR
BUSINESS. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF...LOCAL POLICE...
OR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 2892 9675 2887 9656 2909 9649 2919 9666

$$

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 Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Feb 21, 2:16 AM CST, 2 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 2:16 AM CST, 2 hours 37 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
215 AM CST THU FEB 20 2003

AT 06Z...SFC ANALYSIS SHOWED AN AREA OF DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE
BETWEEN BRO AND LRD WITH A TROF OF LOW PRESSURE EXTENDING NE ALONG
THE COAST AND INTO S LA. PRECIP CONTINUES TO FIRE ALONG THIS BNDRY.
AT 85H...LOW PRESSURE WAS ALSO SHOWING UP BETWEEN LRD AND BRO. S-SE
WINDS OF 30 KTS ON THE EAST OF THIS FEATURE WAS HELPING TO PROVIDE
THE INFLOW TO KEEP THE ACTIVITY GOING. AT 25H...SE TX IS STILL IN A
RRQ/LFQ COUPLET AND UPPER LEVEL WINDS REMAIN DIVERGENT. IT SEEMS
THAT ALL INGREDIENTS ARE IN PLACE FOR AN ACTIVE DAY OF WEATHER.

THE SFC LOW NEAR BRO WILL INTENSIFY AND SCOOT UP THE COAST AS A DEEP
50H TROF CROSSES THE STATE. PWS WILL REMAIN BETWEEN 1.25 AND 1.45
INCHES TODAY...MORE THAN SUFFICIENT FOR HEAVY RAIN FOR THIS TIME OF
YEAR. BOTH THE ETA AND AVN ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH SHUTTING OFF
THE RAIN BY EVENING.

SPC HAS PLACED ALL OF SE TX IN EITHER SLIGHT OR MODERATE RISK FOR
TODAY. THE COUNTIES WHICH LIE IN THE WARM SECTOR OF THE APPROACHING
LOW FACE THE GREATEST RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER. THINK THE GREATEST
RISK WILL BE AREAS EAST OF THE U.S. 59 CORRIDOR. STORM MOTION HAS
BEEN PRETTY QUICK...GENERALLY 20-25 KNOTS...SO FLOODING THUS FAR HAS
BEEN CONFINED TO AREAS THAT SAW REPEAT ECHOES. STILL FEEL FLOODING
IS A LEGITIMATE CONCERN TODAY AS 85H DEW POINTS REMAIN AOA 10C...
HIGH PWS AND THE AFOREMENTIONED JET COUPLET. WILL KEEP FFA AS
CONFIGURED BUT THINK THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR HEAVY RAIN WILL BE
AREAS NEAR THE COAST WHERE THE BEST LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE IS
LOCATED. KHGX 88-D APPEARS TO BE OVERESTIMATING RAINFALL BY ABOUT 10
PERCENT. WILL SEND OUT HWOHGX EARLY WITH ALL THE DETAILS.

UPCOMING WEEKEND LOOKS OK. PCLDY SKIES WITH A WARMING TREND. IN THE
LATER PERIODS...WILL REMAOVE MENTION OF THUNDER FOR MON/TUE. NEXT
UPPER LEVEL TROF AND COLD FRONT COMES THROUGH WED/THU AND WILL
KEEP POPS GOING THRU THURSDAY. THEN IT LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER RAIN MAKER
NEXT WEEKEND. 43/40

.HGX...FFA ALL OF SE TX.

PRELIMS...
CLL TB 061/049 069/045 070 +30
IAH TB 061/052 069/047 071 +20
GLS TB 068/055 066/057 068 +30
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 20, 4:28 PM CST, 12 hours 25 minutes before
TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-211300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
428 PM CST THU FEB 20 2003

...THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AND SEVERE STORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST
TEXAS THROUGH FRIDAY...
...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND FRIDAY.

A STATIONARY FRONT FROM NEAR COLUMBUS TO BEAUMONT WILL MEANDER
SLOWLY NORTH OVERNIGHT. DEEP MOISTURE WILL STREAM INLAND AND WILL
OVER RUN THIS BOUNDARY HELPING TO FOCUS HEAVY RAINS.  A SERIES OF
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL MOVE OVER THE REGION BRINGING BANDS OF
PRECIPITATION. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE LIKELY WITH SOME OF THE
STORMS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE 1 TO 2 INCHES WITH ISOLATED
TOTALS OF 7 TO 9 INCHES BY THE TIME THE EVENT COMES TO AN END FRIDAY
EVENING. GIVEN THE HEAVY RAINS THAT HAVE FALLEN A FLASH FLOOD
WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY.

IN ADDITION...THE ATMOSPHERIC WIND PROFILE WILL FAVOR THE POSSIBILITY
OF A FEW STORMS BECOMING SEVERE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY.  LARGE HAIL AND
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS...WITH
DAMAGING WINDS ALSO POSSIBLE.

REMEMBER...A FLOOD WATCH MEANS RAPIDLY RISING WATER OR FLOODING IS
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA. CHECK OVER YOUR PREPAREDNESS
REQUIREMENTS...KEEP INFORMED...AND BE READY FOR QUICK ACTION IF
FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS
TIME...BUT RIVER FLOODING PROBLEMS COULD BE ONGOING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT AND SHOULD BE EXPECTED
FRIDAY.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 20, 6:10 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXBrazos, Burleson, Grimes, Houston, Madison, Walker4 hr
Feb 20, 8:21 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXWashington114 min
Feb 21, 5:15 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXJackson, Wharton45 min
Feb 21, 6:51 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXPolk, San Jacinto39 min
Feb 21, 12:20 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria, Galveston40 min
Feb 21, 12:46 PM CSTSpecial Marine WarningHGX59 min
Feb 21, 1:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXFort Bend43 min
Feb 21, 1:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris60 min
Feb 21, 2:20 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXMontgomery55 min
Feb 21, 2:54 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXLiberty66 min
Feb 21, 3:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXPolk45 min
Feb 21, 4:16 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXLiberty44 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.