Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

April 7, 2003Fort Bend County, Harris County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 7, 2003, 11:54 AM CDT for Fort Bend County, Harris County, Texas. It was in force for 36 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 7, 2003, 11:54 AM CDT (16:54 UTC)
Expired
Apr 7, 2003, 12:30 PM CDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Fort Bend County, TX, Harris County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 35 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:53 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 nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 4.9 hours before the alert went out and 212 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 2003-04-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1791 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 2003-04-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -64 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
1791 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-58 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
518 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-64 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
9 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.6
Supercell composite
-2.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

955 
WUUS54 KHGX 071654
SVRHOU
TXC157-201-071730-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1152 AM CDT MON APR 7 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  HARRIS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  FORT BEND COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 1230 PM CDT

* AT 1143 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 3   
MILES SOUTH OF MISSOURI CITY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH.
THE STORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL.

* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE... 
MISSOURI CITY...FRESNO...MEYERLAND AND SOUTH HOUSTON.

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 2992 9527 2976 9509 2962 9525 2958 9543
          2946 9548 2958 9561

$$

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 Apr 7, 10:09 AM CDT, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 7, 10:09 AM CDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED TO INCLUDE WW 112
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
920 AM CDT MON APR 7 2003

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THE COAST THIS
MORNING AS INCREASING WARM ADVECTION HAS OVERCOME THE CAP IN A FEW
PLACES. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED...AND UPDATED
ZONES HAVE  EEN SENT.

...EARLIER DISCUSSION...
FOG HAS BEEN SLOWLY BURNING OFF ACROSS MUCH OF THE COUNTY WARNING
AREA. THE WORST CONDITIONS REMAIN IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
COUNTIES WHERE VISIBILITIES DROPPED TO NEAR ZERO EARLIER THIS
MORNING.  VISIBILITIES WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE SO HAVE ALLOWED THE
DENSE FOG ADVISORY EXPIRE. EARLY MORNING SATELLITE LOOPS SHOW
EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER THIS MORNING...AND WITH THE SUBTROPICAL JET
EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVERHEAD...WE MAY NOT SEE MUCH IN THE WAY OF
SUNSHINE TODAY. MID TO UPPER 70S LOOK TO BE A GOOD BET.  WILL LOWER
TEMPS A CATEGORY IN THE CENTRAL ZONES. ANOTHER QUESTION WILL BE THE
POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.  THERE ARE A COUPLE
OF FACTORS GOING AGAINST THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER. FIRST OF
ALL...A STRONG CAP REMAINS IN PLACE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS.
WITH THE STRONGEST FORCING NOT EXPECTED TO REACH HERE UNTIL
TONIGHT...THERE IS SOME QUESTION AS TO HOW MUCH DEVELOPMENT THERE
WILL BE AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE SECOND FACTOR IS THAT WHEN THE FRONT
AND CORRESPONDING FORCING ARRIVES...DIURNAL COOLING WILL HAVE
STABILIZED THE ATMOSPHERE SOMEWHAT. WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS ARE FAIRLY
LOW /GENERALLY LESS THAN 10 KFT/ SO MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL AND
ISOLATED STRONG WIND GUSTS COULD ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS. WILL GO
AHEAD AND MENTION SEVERE IN THE ZONES FOR LATE TONIGHT. AFTER THIS
SYSTEM...IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL DRY OUT AT LEAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
COOL TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...AND A
WARM UP SHOULD OCCUR THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK. 46/43

.HGX...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR HARRIS...LIBERTY...CHAMBERS...
       AND GALVESTON COUNTIES TIL 21Z.
       SCEC 0 TO 60 NM GULF WATERS.

...PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS...
ISSUED THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS TIL 9 AM.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
CANADIAN COLD FRONT DROPPING SOUTH...CROSSING THE RED RIVER NOW AND
SLOWING. PREFRONTAL TROUGH NEAR A SHV TO AUS LINE. FOG IS WIDESPREAD
OVER THE FA THIS MORNING AND WILL BE ISSUING A DENSE FOG ADVISORY
SHORTLY.

EXPECTING THE COLD FRONT TO STALL TODAY THEN ACCELERATE SOUTH LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT REACHING THE COAST 08-10Z. ATMOSPHERIC
MOISTURE PEAKED AROUND 18Z SUNDAY AT HOUSTON AND GALVESTON NEAR 1.6-
1.7 BUT CAP WAS TOO STRONG. IPWV HAS DROPPED OFF TO 1.1 GLS/HOU
(LEDBETTER AT 0.5) BUT ARE PROGGED TO RISE ABOUT .2-.5 AFTER 18Z.
LITTLE LIFT THIS AFTERNOON...CLOUD COVER AND WEAK CONVERGENCE ALONG
THE PREFRONTAL TROUGH SHOULD YIELD 40 POPS NORTH-30 SOUTH FOR TODAY.
ETA PROGS LI TO DROP TO -6 TO -8 THIS AFTERNOON AND CAP
(THEORETICALLY-PER ETA) ERODES LEAVING SOME MARGINAL THREAT FOR
SEVERE WITH MULTICELLULAR STORMS...WILL NOT MENTION SEVERE IN ZONES
TODAY...BUT FOLLOWING SHIFT WILL WANT TO STUDY NEXT SET OF RAOBS AND
MODELS (PERHAPS THEY WILL DO BETTER THAN LAST NIGHT). TONIGHT IS A
DIFFERENT STORY. VERY STRONG LIFT AS COLD FRONT DRIVES
THROUGH...COUPLED UPPER JET...SOUNDINGS BECOME NEARLY SATURATED TO
500MB. WIDESPREAD PRECIP SOUNDS QUITE REASONABLE...SEVERE THREAT
SEEMS POSSIBLE AS WELL. S0 WILL CONTINUE THE HIGH POPS FROM THE DAY
SHIFT...80 POPS THOUGH THESE WILL PROBABLY GO TO 90 OR BETTER.
TEMPERATURES PLUMMET AFTER FROPA AND THESE VERY WARM MINS WILL BE
BUT A FLEETING MEMORY. WIND ADVISORIES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED TUESDAY
OVER THE AREA AND PROBABLY STILL SO SOUTH ON WEDNESDAY. SCAS A
GIVEN AND MAY GET GUSTS AT GALE. DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY FREEZING
TEMPERATURES IN THE FA FOR THIS COLD SNAP...WEDNESDAY MORNING AND
AGAIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY NIGHT SHOULD BE INTO THE 30S
CLOUDS SHOULD EXIT THE AREA TUESDAY AND DO NOT FORESEE MUCH IN THE
WAY OF CLOUDS TIL FRIDAY. AM LEANING TOWARD THE ECMWF SOLUTION OF
LINGERING WEAK UPPER CIRCULATION SWINGING THROUGH TEXAS FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY.

DONT PUT AWAY THE SWEATERS YET.

45/37

PRELIMS...
CLL CB 078/054 065/037 064 481
IAH EB 080/058 065/039 064 383
GLS EE 075/063 064/047 060 383
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 7, 9:35 AM CDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
GMZ330-335-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-081200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
935 AM CDT MON APR 7 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL COMBINE WITH VERY MOIST AIR TO HELP
DEVELOP SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT. THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST BETWEEN 3 AND 6
AM. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON...AND STRONG TO
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT. IT APPEARS THE
GREATEST THREAT WILL BE FROM HAIL AND STRONG WINDS IN CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE AREA. ISOLATED RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND 1 INCH
MAY ACCOMPANY THE STORMS AS WELL.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. WIND
ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED. NORTH WINDS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WILL
STRENGTHEN QUICKLY TUESDAY MORNING. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 25 MPH WITH
HIGHER GUSTS ARE LIKELY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 7, 10:12 AM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
TXZ200-213-214-238-072100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1012 AM CDT MON APR 7 2003

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM FOR LIBERTY...
CHAMBERS...HARRIS...AND GALVESTON COUNTIES...

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG COASTAL SECTIONS
OF THE UPPER TEXAS COAST THIS MORNING. THE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE
REGION IS MOIST AND VERY UNSTABLE. THIS HAS ALLOWED THE STORMS TO
RAPIDLY STRENGTHEN. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO
PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...IN EXCESS OF THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH...AND
DAMAGING WINDS OF 58 MPH OR GREATER.

ONCE AGAIN...COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THIS WATCH ARE HARRIS...
GALVESTON...LIBERTY...AND CHAMBERS.

PERSONS IN OR NEAR THESE COUNTIES SHOULD KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 7, 9:24 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX66 min
Apr 7, 9:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers, Galveston57 min
Apr 7, 9:49 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX56 min
Apr 7, 10:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGalveston, Harris41 min
Apr 7, 10:55 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX65 min
Apr 7, 10:58 AM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX62 min
Apr 7, 11:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers43 min
Apr 7, 12:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers, Harris43 min
Apr 7, 1:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers, Liberty44 min
Apr 7, 1:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin, Fort Bend, Wharton44 min
Apr 7, 2:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXFort Bend, Harris59 min
Apr 7, 3:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXFort Bend, Harris56 min
Apr 7, 4:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers32 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.