Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 61, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

November 17, 2003Harris County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Nov 17, 2003, 3:30 PM CST for Harris 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: Nov 17, 2003, 3:30 PM CST (21:30 UTC)
Expired: Nov 17, 2003, 4:15 PM CST
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Harris County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 47 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:31 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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Nov 17, 12:45 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 192 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 413 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -43 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 895 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 101 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 95 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KHGX 172130
TORHOU
TXC201-172215-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
329 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  HARRIS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS

* UNTIL 415 PM CST

* AT 326 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO OVER NORTHEAST
  HOUSTON 6 MILES NORTH OF JACINTO CITY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 
  MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE...
  CLOVERLEAF...JACINTO CITY...ALDINE...CHANNELVIEW
  SHELDON...HUMBLE...HIGHLANDS
  BARRETT
  CROSBY
  KINGWOOD
  LAKE HOUSTON

THIS STORM PRODUCED DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON NEAR 
MINUTE MAID PARK IN THE LAST 30 MINUTES.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN THE INTERIOR HALLWAY OR
A ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF A STURDY BUILDING. USE
BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 PM CST MONDAY AFTERNOON
FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 2992 9540 2975 9525 2970 9504 2982 9495
          2997 9504 3011 9513

$$

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 Nov 17, 2:53 PM CST, 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 17, 2:53 PM CST, 37 minutes before

SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
253 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...TORNADO AND FLASH FLOOD THREAT CONTINUES
ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. SEVERE PARAMETERS (TREMENDOUS
DIVERGENCE ALOFT WITH A >140 KNOT UPPER LEVEL JET...STRONG LOW LEVEL
INFLOW OF GULF MOISTURE...VERY HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES
PROGGED TO APPROACH 2.10 INCHES...AND AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH) WILL ALL CONTRIBUTE TO A CONTINUING SEVERE THREAT. THE AREA
MAY GET A BREAK LATER THIS AFTERNOON...BUT AS THE TROUGH APPROACHES
TONIGHT MORE STORMS ARE ON THE WAY. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR
SOUTHEAST TEXAS COUNTIES ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM COLUMBUS TO
CONROE TO LIVINGSTON. WILL REISSUE THE FLOOD WATCH AND WILL HAVE IT
IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM TOMORROW MORNING. RAINFALL TOTALS WHERE THE
HEAVIEST RAINS HAVE OCCURRED HAVE BEEN IN A 5 TO 7 INCH RANGE
ALREADY. BEFORE THIS EVENT COMES TO AN END TOMORROW MORNING...
EXPECT MUCH OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS TO SEE 3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN WITH
ISOLATED 10 TO 15 INCH AMOUNTS VERY POSSIBLE. THINK THESE HEAVIER
AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY BE FOUND AROUND AND EAST OF THE HIGHWAY 59 AND
INTERSTATE 45 CORRIDOR...ROUGHLY AROUND AND EAST OF A LINE FROM EDNA
TO PIERCE TO KATY TO CONROE TO CROCKETT. TROUGH MOVES EAST OF THE
AREA TOMORROW AND SKIES WILL BECOME MOSTLY SUNNY. MORE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. A RETURN
FLOW OFF THE GULF BEGINS AGAIN ON FRIDAY AND SOME SHOWERS MAY BE
BACK INTO THE AREA NEXT WEEKEND.

41/35/43/31/34/46/30/DH

.HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
 TORNADO WATCH (#950) FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF SE TX UNTIL
 6 PM.
 FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL SE TX THROUGH TONIGHT.
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY 00-60 NM WATERS.
 SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION BAYS.

PRELIMS...
CLL UU 058/072 044/071 044 42+10
IAH BU 063/074 045/071 045 42+20
GLS BU 069/074 054/070 054 42+40

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 17, 11:00 AM CST, 4 hours 30 minutes before

TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-235>238-181300-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1100 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

...FLOOD WATCH THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...
...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH SOUTHEAST TODAY AND MOVE ACROSS
THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. STRONG WINDS
ARE PRESENT IN THE ATMOSPHERE OVER SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND WILL INCREASE
THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STRONG WINDS ABOVE THE SURFACE AND INCREASING
INSTABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE WILL CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FAVORABLE
FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. TONIGHT...A SQUALL LINE IS
LIKELY TO MOVE ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT.
THEREFORE...AN ISOLATED SEVERE THREAT DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS MAY
INCREASE TONIGHT AS ORGANIZED CONVECTION MOVES ACROSS TONIGHT. IT
APPEARS THAT TORNADOES...HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL ALL BE
THREATS.

IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
IS POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT. FAST MOVING STORMS WILL LIKELY MOVE
REPEATEDLY OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS...CREATING THE HEAVY RAINFALL
THREAT AND RESULTANT FLOODING. AVERAGE RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS
SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 3 TO 5 INCH RANGE WITH
ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 10 TO 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE HIGHER AMOUNTS
WILL LIKELY OCCUR NEAR AND EAST OF A HIGHWAY 59 AND INTERSTATE 10
CORRIDOR...OR ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM EDNA TO KATY TO CONROE
TO GROVETON.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO END WITH THE COLD FRONT
PASSAGE. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST TUESDAY MORNING.
DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 17, 11:31 AM CST, 3 hours 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1131 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1030 AM    3 NW BOLING-IAGO          TX   TORNADO
11/17/03   WHARTON                        DESTROYED 1 SMALL BUILDING.
                                          HEAVY DAMAGE TO 3 BARNS.
                                          PATH WIDTH 1/4 MILE, DEBRIS
                                          PATH 1/2 MILE LONG.
                                          REPORTED NEAR INTERSECTION
                                          OF COTTONDALE RD AND
                                          CR-111.

REHBEIN

Local storm report, Nov 17, 11:31 AM CST, 3 hours 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED TIME OF REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1131 AM CST MON NOV 17 2003

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0955 AM    3 NW BOLING-IAGO          TX   TORNADO
11/17/03   WHARTON                        DESTROYED 1 SMALL BUILDING.
                                          HEAVY DAMAGE TO 3 BARNS.
                                          PATH WIDTH 1/4 MILE, DEBRIS
                                          PATH 1/2 MILE LONG.
                                          REPORTED NEAR INTERSECTION
                                          OF COTTONDALE RD AND
                                          CR-111.

REHBEIN

Local storm report, Nov 17, 11:34 AM CST, 3 hours 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED TIME OF REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALSEOT/N TX
1131 AM CST MON NOT M7N2N03

TIME(CST)  .....C T. .O.ATION.....STATE   ...EVEN /.EEAEKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0955 AM    3 NW BOLING-IAGO          TX   TORNADO
11/17/03   WHARTON                        DESTROYED 1 SMALL BUILDLN .UL                                          HEAVY DAMAGE TOA3ABERTS.
                                          PATH WIDTH 1/4 MILE, DEBRIS
                                          PATH 1/2 MILE LONG.
                                          RE O T D NEAR INTERSECTION
                                         OF COTTONDALE RD AND
                                          CR-111.

REHBEIN

Local storm report, Nov 17, 1:14 PM CST, 2 hours 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
114 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1200 PM    MEADOWS                   TX   TORNADO
11/17/03   FORT BEND                      MAJOR DAMAGE TO HOMES.
                                          REPORTS OF SECOND STORIES
                                          OF HOMES BEING BLOWN AWAY.
                                          TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.

1215 PM    SW HOUSTON                TX   TORNADO
11/17/03   HARRIS                         MAJOR DAMAGE TO SOUTHWEST
                                          VILLAGE APARTMENTS LOCATED
                                          AT WEST BELFORT AND
                                          KIRKWOOD.

REHBEIN

Local storm report, Nov 17, 1:14 PM CST, 2 hours 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...AMENDED TO INCLUDE INJURIES
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
114 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1200 PM    MEADOWS                   TX   TORNADO
11/17/03   FORT BEND                      *** 8 INJ ***
                                          MAJOR DAMAGE TO HOMES.
                                          REPORTS OF SECOND STORIES
                                          OF HOMES BEING BLOWN AWAY.
                                          TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.
                                          TWO OF THE INJURIES
                                          CONSIDERED SERIOUS.

REHBEIN

Local storm report, Nov 17, 3:20 PM CST, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
320 PM CST MON NOV 17 2003

TIME(CST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1207 PM    HOUSTON                   TX   TORNADO
11/17/03   HARRIS                         MINOR ROOF DAMAGE AND
                                          STREET SIGNS TWISTED.
                                          REPORTED AT DAIRY ASHFORD
                                          AND AIRPORT.

0250 PM    BRAZORIA                  TX   TORNADO
11/17/03   BRAZORIA                       DAMAGE TO BUSINESSES IN THE
                                          CITY OF BRAZORIA.

REHBEIN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Nov 16, 7:21 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HGX	Harris	114 min
Nov 17, 8:23 AM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Wharton	52 min
Nov 17, 9:06 AM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Matagorda, Wharton	39 min
Nov 17, 9:16 AM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Wharton	29 min
Nov 17, 9:50 AM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Wharton	25 min
Nov 17, 10:09 AM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Fort Bend	51 min
Nov 17, 10:17 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Wharton	28 min
Nov 17, 10:59 AM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Fort Bend	46 min
Nov 17, 11:08 AM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HGX	Fort Bend	3 hr
Nov 17, 11:11 AM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Harris	34 min
Nov 17, 11:54 AM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Fort Bend, Harris	51 min
Nov 17, 12:02 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HGX	Wharton	3 hr
Nov 17, 12:42 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Harris	48 min
Nov 17, 12:55 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Matagorda, Wharton	50 min
Nov 17, 1:02 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HGX	Harris	3 hr
Nov 17, 1:20 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Fort Bend	40 min
Nov 17, 1:31 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Matagorda	44 min
Nov 17, 1:45 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HGX	Montgomery, San Jacinto	3 hr
Nov 17, 1:54 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Harris	36 min
Nov 17, 2:01 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Fort Bend	29 min
Nov 17, 2:03 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HGX	Fort Bend	117 min
Nov 17, 2:03 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Harris, Montgomery	42 min
Nov 17, 2:12 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Brazoria, Matagorda	48 min
Nov 17, 2:35 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	HGX		55 min
Nov 17, 2:43 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Harris	47 min
Nov 17, 2:47 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Liberty, Montgomery	43 min
Nov 17, 2:58 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Brazoria	47 min
Nov 17, 3:44 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	HGX	Harris	3 hr
Nov 17, 4:05 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	HGX		115 min
Nov 17, 4:29 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Galveston	31 min
Nov 17, 4:46 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Chambers	29 min
Nov 17, 5:09 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Liberty	36 min
Nov 17, 5:16 PM CST	Tornado Warning	HGX	Chambers	29 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2003 Every tornado warning in 2003 Tornadoes 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.