Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 63, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

April 24, 2003Austin County, Waller County, Washington County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 24, 2003, 8:53 AM CDT for Austin County, Waller County, Washington County, Texas. It was in force for 52 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 24, 2003, 8:53 AM CDT (13:53 UTC)
Expired
Apr 24, 2003, 9:45 AM CDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Austin County, TX, Waller County, TX, Washington County, TX

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
Apr 24, 7:30 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 282 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 2003-04-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2198 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 12:00Z on 2003-04-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 100 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
2198 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-178 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
603 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
100 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
137 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KHGX 241353
SVRHOU
TXC015-473-477-241445-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
852 AM CDT THU APR 24 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  WALLER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  AUSTIN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 945 AM CDT

* AT 846 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 7
  MILES NORTHWEST OF BELLVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE...
  BELLVILLE
  HEMPSTEAD
  PINE ISLAND
  PRAIRIE VIEW

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

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE DAMAGING HAIL. THIS 
COULD RESULTING IN EXTENSIVE PROPERTY DAMAGE OR SERIOUS INJURY. 
AVOID WINDOWS AND TAKE COVER NOW

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 3003 9650 2990 9635 3002 9591 3031 9612
          3022 9626

$$

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 24, 7:25 AM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 24, 7:25 AM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
725 AM CDT THU APR 24 2003

AN UPDATE TO THE ZONES WILL BE OUT SHORTLY (DUE TO THE NEW TORNADO
WATCH). STORMS DEVELOPING ALONG THE DRYLINE GOING UP FAST AND HOLD-
ING TOGETHER AS THEY MOVE EAST. 41/47

.HGX...SCEC BAYS AND 0-20 NM COASTAL WATERS.
       SCA 20-60 NM COASTAL WATERS.

PRELIMS...
CLL TU 083/059 082/055 082 700
IAH TU 082/062 082/057 083 700
GLS TU 078/069 078/063 078 700

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
CONVECTION STARTING TO MOVE INTO SE TX THIS MORNING. THIS INITIAL
ROUND COMING VIA DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE WARM FRONT OVER N/C TX. AN-
OTHER AREA OF CONCERN FOR THE MORNING FORECAST PACKAGE IS FURTHER
TO THE SOUTH. EMBEDDED PERTURBATIONS IN THE SUBTROPICAL JET COULD
GET THINGS GOING IN THIS REGION AOA SUNRISE. DIFLUENCE ALOFT/DWPT
VALUES AOA 70/STRONG LL INFLOW ALL SEEM TO POINT TO WIDESPREAD DE-
VELOPMENT LATER THIS MORNING...BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME LINGERING
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF THE CAP (PER CRP SOUNDINGS) WHICH
SEEMS TO HAVE WON OUT YESTERDAY FOR THE MOST PART. ATTM...NOT TOO
INCLINED TO DROP FIRST PD POPS VERY MUCH GIVEN THE AFOREMENTIONED
PARAMETERS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE BUT A VERY SLIGHT NUDGE DOWN
MAY NOT BE A BAD IDEA. WILL ALSO LIKELY RETAIN THE MENTION OF SVR
FOR E/NERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA FOR THE FIRST PERIOD (PER SPC DY1)
BUT WILL PROBABLY DROP THE MENTION OF LOCALLY HEAVY AREAWIDE.

WHILE MODELS HAVE NOT PERFORMED ALL THAT WELL THESE PAST COUPLE OF
DAYS WITH THE SPECIFICS OF THE S/WS AND SUCH THERE IS STILL DECENT
AGREEMENT THAT A WEAK LATE-SEASON COOL FRONT WILL BRING MUCH DRIER
(BUT NOT NECESSARILY COOLER) AIR INTO THE CWA BY FRI AFTN. PROGGED
FLATTISH UPPER RIDGE TO KEEP THE WEATHER OVER SE TX SEASONABLE/DRY
/QUIET OVER THE WEEKEND. NO MAJOR CHANGES PLANNED FOR THE EXTENDED
ATTM. 41/47
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 24, 7:19 AM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
GMZ330-335-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-242359-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
719 AM CDT THU APR 24 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR ALL OF
SOUTHEAST TEXAS TODAY...

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

THE AIRMASS OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS REMAINS VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE THIS
MORNING. AS THE STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE
CENTRAL PLAINS CONTINUES TO MOVE SLOWLY EAST TODAY...DISTURBANCES
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE WILL BE INTERACTING WITH THE DRY LINE
TO OUR WEST AND STATIONARY WARM FRONT JUST TO OUR NORTH. STRONG TO
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DEVELOPING ALONG AND NEAR THESE TWO
SURFACE BOUNDARIES AND PUSH INTO THE REGION. THIS CONVECTION WILL
BE MOVING INTO THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA LATE THIS MORNING
AND ON THROUGH THE REST OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.

THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER HAZARD IS EXPECTED TO BE DAMAGING WINDS.
THERE IS ALSO SOME POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL. EVEN AN ISOLATED TORNADO
IS POSSIBLE DUE TO SUFFICIENT WIND SHEAR.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS MORNING.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 24, 8:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin, Colorado56 min
Apr 24, 9:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris49 min
Apr 24, 9:45 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris45 min
Apr 24, 9:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin, Fort Bend, Waller44 min
Apr 24, 10:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris49 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.