Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

June 12, 2003Grimes County, Madison County, Walker County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Jun 12, 2003, 8:00 PM CDT for Grimes County, Madison County, Walker County, Texas. It was in force for 45 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
Jun 12, 2003, 8:00 PM CDT (01:00 UTC)
Expired
Jun 12, 2003, 8:45 PM CDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Grimes County, TX, Madison County, TX, Walker County, TX

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
Jun 12, 8:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 258 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 2003-06-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 646 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, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 2003-06-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 245 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
646 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-325 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
761 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
245 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
379 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
15.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

591 
WFUS54 KHGX 130100
TORHOU
TXC185-313-471-130145-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
802 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  WALKER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
  GRIMES COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 845 PM CDT

* AT 758 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF
  PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR MADISONVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST
  AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE TORNADO INCLUDE...
  MADISONVILLE
  BEDIAS

MOVE TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. ABANDON YOUR CAR
OR MOBILE HOME FOR A STRONG SHELTER 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 3100 9585 3089 9605 3064 9591 3076 9556

$$

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 Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Jun 12, 5:50 PM CDT, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 12, 5:50 PM CDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
550 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2003

UPDATED ZONE FORECAST TO RAISE POPS TONIGHT AND REMOVE EVE WORDING
AS TSTM THREAT WILL LIKELY EXTEND OVERNIGHT. LINE OF SHOWERS AND
TSTMS IS MOVING SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN ZONES. HAVE TAPERED POPS
FROM LIKELY ACROSS THE NORTH TO CHC ACROSS THE SOUTH. ONCE HEATING
IS LOST IN A COUPLE OF HOURS NOT SURE HOW WELL LINE WILL HOLD
TOGETHER. COULD SEE SOME PULSE SVR ACTIVITY WITH THE LINE ACROSS THE
NORTHERN AND PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL ZONES AS THE AIRMASS IS VERY
UNSTABLE.

33/41

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
TWO OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES HAVE MERGED ACROSS NRN PORTIONS OF CWA THIS
AFTN PRODUCING A BAND OF HEAVY RAINFALL (2 TO 4 INCHES) AND PULSE
SEVERE STORMS. THIS BOUNDARY WILL PUSH VERY SLOWLY SOUTH THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THE AFTN. WILL LEAVE CHANCE POPS IN FOR EARLY EVENING
BEFORE ACTIVITY DIES DOWN AROUND SUNSET.

LATEST ETA/GFS IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON ANOTHER MCS FORMING OVER CENTRAL
TX TONIGHT. HOWEVER...MODELS KEEP THIS SYSTEM WEST OF CWA TONIGHT AS
POOR JET POSITIONING AND WEAK MID LEVEL FLOW INHIBITS EASTWARD
PROGRESS TOWARD SE TX. WILL LEAVE CHANCE POPS NORTH FRIDAY AS A
PRECAUTION BUT WILL GO JUST SLIGHT CHANCE CENTRAL/COAST WITH
SLIGHTLY DRIER AIRMASS IN PLACE AND A LITTLE MORE CAPPING THAN
TODAY. HEAT INDICES WILL PEAK OUT AT AROUND 107 DEGREES AGAIN
FRIDAY...BUT THINK WE WILL REMAIN JUST BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA.

MODELS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP A WEAK UPPER LOW ACROSS NORTH TX FRI
NIGHT ALONG WITH WIDESPREAD CONVECTION. 12Z ETA/GFS HAVE SLIGHT BUT
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THEIR SOLUTIONS. ETA IS A BIT FASTER AND
FURTHER SOUTH WITH MOVEMENT OF UPPER LOW AND IS FAR MORE AGGRESSIVE
PUSHING HIGHER PWS (OVER 2 INCHES) AND MORE WIDESPREAD TSRA SOUTH
INTO CWA SATURDAY. FOR NOW WILL COMPROMISE SOMEWHAT AND INCREASE
POPS ONLY IN THE NORTH SATURDAY. STRONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARY WILL LIKELY
SET UP OVER CWA SATURDAY AND INTERACT WITH UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN
PLACE...SO SPC SLIGHT RISK FOR DAY 3 LOOKS GOOD. UPPER LOW WILL
MEANDER NEAR EAST TX/LOUISIANA THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH SFC
BOUNDARY LINGERING TO PROVIDE CONVECTIVE FOCUS. EVEN SLIGHT SHIFTS
WITH POSITION OF UPPER LOW WILL MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE WITH RAIN
CHANCES OVER THE AREA. FOR NOW...WILL LEAVE CHANCE POPS IN FCST
THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

FOR MARINE...SCEC CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRI NIGHT BEFORE
WINDS SUBSIDE A LITTLE SATURDAY. SEAS MAY TEMPORARILY REACH 7 FEET
OVER THE OFFSHORE WATERS.

.HGX...SCEC 00-60 NM BAYS AND WATERS.

.PRELIMS...
CLL BB 075/095 074/091 072 233
IAH BB 077/095 077/093 073 322
GLS BB 082/089 081/089 079 222
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 12, 10:55 AM CDT, 9 hours 5 minutes before
GMZ330-335-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-
131200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1055 AM CDT THU JUN 12 2003

...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING MAINLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM COLLEGE STATION TO CONROE TO
LIBERTY. A SERIES OF OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES WILL COMBINE WITH DAYTIME
HEATING TO PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER
SOUTHEAST TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. A FEW OF THE
STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S AND
DEWPOINTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 70S WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE HEAT
INDICES ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS IN A 102 TO 107 DEGREE RANGE. AS
TEMPERATURES BEGIN TO FALL AROUND AND SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET EACH
EVENING...HEAT INDICES WILL FALL BELOW 100 DEGREES. A HEAT ADVISORY
IS NOT ANTICIPATED FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS AT THIS TIME BECAUSE HEAT
INDICES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO MEET THE CRITERIA OF 108 DEGREES FOR TWO
CONSECUTIVE DAYS.

SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 12, 7:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazos, Madison57 min
Jun 12, 7:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXTrinity, Walker51 min
Jun 12, 7:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGrimes63 min
Jun 12, 7:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHouston30 min
Jun 12, 7:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXPolk53 min
Jun 12, 7:58 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXTrinity47 min
Jun 12, 8:08 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXSan Jacinto, Walker52 min
Jun 12, 8:19 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXPolk56 min
Jun 12, 8:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXMontgomery44 min
Jun 12, 8:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXSan Jacinto33 min
Jun 12, 9:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXPolk46 min
Jun 12, 9:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXLiberty44 min
Jun 12, 9:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXMontgomery47 min
Jun 12, 9:41 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXMontgomery34 min
Jun 12, 9:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXLiberty47 min
Jun 13, 3:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazos, Burleson40 min
Jun 13, 3:26 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXBrazos, Burleson49 min
Jun 13, 4:13 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXBrazos32 min
Jun 13, 4:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXSan Jacinto, Walker32 min
Jun 13, 4:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGrimes49 min
Jun 13, 5:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXPolk31 min
Jun 13, 5:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBurleson, Washington60 min
Jun 13, 5:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXLiberty26 min
Jun 13, 6:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazos66 min
Jun 13, 6:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin, Colorado50 min
Jun 13, 6:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBurleson34 min
Jun 13, 6:26 PM CDTTornado WarningHGXWashington34 min
Jun 13, 6:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXGrimes42 min
Jun 13, 6:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin, Waller65 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.