Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2003
Tornado Warning 31, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Sep 12, 2003, 1:06 AM CDT for Harris County, Montgomery County, Texas. It was in force for 39 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
- Sep 12, 2003, 1:06 AM CDT (06:06 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 12, 2003, 1:45 AM CDT
- In force
- 39 min
- Issued by
- NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties Harris County, TX, Montgomery County, TX
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 80 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:08 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 nearest sounding before it
Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 6.1 hours before the alert went out and 214 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2023 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -8 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 726 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 23 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 52 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 62 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WFUS54 KHGX 120606 TORHOU TXC201-339-120645- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 106 AM CDT FRI SEP 12 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS HARRIS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS * UNTIL 145 AM CDT * AT 103 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO OVER HOOKS AIRPORT...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. * LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE TORNADO INCLUDE... HOOKS AIRPORT THE WOODLANDS OAK RIDGE NORTH...SHENANDOAH SPRING WOODLOCH PORTER HEIGHTS 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 3013 9565 2996 9558 3008 9508 3031 9517 $$
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 Sep 11, 8:51 PM CDT, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 11, 8:51 PM CDT, 4 hours 15 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 851 PM CDT THU SEP 11 2003 THUNDERSTORMS PUSHING SOUTH AND NEARING THE NORTHWESTERN-MOST BORDER OF THE CWA. OUTFLOW CONTINUES TO PUSH SOUTH AND AREA VWP INDICATE GOOD FLOW IN LL NEARLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE BOUNDARY...FLOW 8-10KFT NEARLY PARALLEL. PW/IPWV RUNNING 1.7 TO 2.0 NEAR THE BOUNDARY THOUGH OVER SETX THE AIRMASS GOT WORKED OVER PRETTY GOOD WITH DEEP CONVECTION DURING THE AFTERNOON. LI OF -6 TO -8 STILL PRESENT OVER THE SOUTHWEST ZONES AND HELICITY/SHEAR IN SW ZONES MAY POSE ENOUGH OF PROBLEM THAT I WILL ADD MENTION OF SEVERE TO SW ZONES. EXPECTING THAT THE CONVECTION SHOULD MOVE SOUTH SO WILL UPDATE ZONES TO INCREASE POPS AND QPF AND NUDGE DOWN TEMPERATURES 2 TO 5 DEGREES. UPDATE SHOULD BE OUT AROUND 915 PM. 45/37/31 .HGX...FLASH FLOOD WATCH. PRELIMS... CLL TE 068/085 069/088 065 +85 IAH TE 072/086 071/087 066 886 GLS TE 077/085 077/085 074 778 PREV DISC... A DECENT SHORTWAVE TROUGH TO AFFECT SE TX OVER THE NEXT FEW PERIODS. THE MAIN CHALLENGE WILL BE RAINFALL COVERAGE AND AMOUNTS...THOUGH TEMPERATURES AND CLOUD COVER WILL BAT A CLOSE SECOND AND THIRD. IN CONSIDERING THE MODELS...THE GFS LOOKED MORE REALISTIC THAN THE ETA IN BRINGING A PREFRONTAL TROUGH THROUGH SE TX FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...THEN THE ETA LOOKS MORE REALISTIC IN BRINGING THE ACTUAL FRONT THROUGH LATE ON SATURDAY. THE MESO-ETA LOOKED FAIRLY GOOD IN ITS DEPICTION OF THE 500 MB HEIGHTS AND VORTICITY. THUS...WILL TAKE A COMPROMISE OF BOTH. THE RAINFALL POTENTIAL LOOKS GOOD THROUGH TOMORROW EVENING. ACCORDING TO THE GFS...PW/S WILL GET OVER 2.1 INCHES DURING THIS PERIOD...NEAR 2 STANDARD DEVIATIONS ABOVE THE HISTORICAL NORM FOR THE LCH SOUNDING SITE AND CLOSE TO IT FOR THE CRP SITE. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS...THE LOCAL FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE WORKSHEET SUGGESTS RAINFALL POTENTIAL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES AND ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES POSSIBLE. SOME OF THE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON WERE PRODUCING ONE HOUR RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR. WILL GO WITH A FLOOD WATCH AREA-WIDE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...THEN OVER THE COASTAL COUNTIES FRIDAY EVENING. ACCORDING TO THE GFS...THE PREFRONTAL TROUGH SHOULD CLEAR THE COAST BETWEEN 00Z AND 03Z TOMORROW EVENING. EXPECT THE HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT TO END AT THAT TIME. RAINFALL COVERAGE LOOKS TO BE GOOD...AND WILL KEEP THE POPS ABOUT THE SAME AS THE CURRENT NUMBERS FOR TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT EXCEPT TO TWEAK THE FRIDAY NIGHT POPS DOWN A BIT IN THE NORTH FRIDAY NIGHT. THE MAIN SHORTWAVE TROUGH PUSHES INTO SE TX FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY BUT WITH VERY LITTLE VORTICITY ADVECTION. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A BIT OF A CHALLENGE. A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE FWC AND MAV LOOK GOOD TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. FRIDAY NIGHT THE SITUATION GETS A BIT MORE COMPLEX. THE MAV IS AN OUTLIER BETWEEN THE MET AND FWC FOR THE THIRD PERIOD. THE MID 60S LOOK BETTER FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AFTER THE DRIER AIR FILTERS SOUTHWARD. THE MAV IS ALSO A BIT FAST WITH CLEARING OUT THE CLOUD COVER...AND WILL NOT DEVIATE FROM THE CURRENT FORECAST IN THAT REGARD.
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 11, 10:16 PM CDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
GMZ330-335-350-355-370-375-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227- 235>238-121630- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1016 PM CDT THU SEP 11 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS. ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS... .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. HEAVY RAINFALL EXPECTED ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS TONIGHT. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY OCCUR OVER AREAS SOUTHWEST OF A BELLVILLE TO WHARTON TO SARGENT LINE. SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR WILL MOVE IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST AND MODERATE WIND SHEAR IN THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE MAY SUPPORT THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL OR POSSIBLY ISOLATED TORNADOES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKLEY BE GOING ON ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS IN THE MORNING AND MORE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE COAST AND SPREAD INLAND EARLY THURSDAY MORNING. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY SOME THE THE STORMS. THE RAIN WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST ONCE THE FRONT CROSSES THE AREA EARLY ON SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEED TONIGHT OR FRIDAY.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 12, 2:31 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 119 min | |
| Sep 12, 3:14 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 2 hr | |
| Sep 12, 4:22 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 113 min | |
| Sep 12, 5:17 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 118 min | |
| Sep 12, 8:36 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 114 min | |
| Sep 12, 10:37 AM CDT | Special Marine Warning | HGX | 83 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.