Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 15, NWS Lubbock, TX

May 24, 2003Lamb County, Texas

NWS Lubbock, TX issued this tornado warning at May 24, 2003, 8:51 PM CDT for Lamb County, Texas. It was in force for 24 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
May 24, 2003, 8:51 PM CDT (01:51 UTC)
Expired
May 24, 2003, 9:15 PM CDT
In force
24 min
Issued by
NWS Lubbock, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Lamb 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
May 24, 3:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr
May 24, 8:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 164 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 2003-05-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 89 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Amarillo Airport, TX at 00:00Z on 2003-05-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -5 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
89 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-122 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2674 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
103 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KLUB 250151
TORLBB
TXC279-250215-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
850 PM CDT SAT MAY 24 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LUBBOCK HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  LAMB COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TEXAS

* UNTIL 915 PM CDT

* AT 848 PM CDT...THE LAMB COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE AND PUBLIC 
  REPORTED A TORNADO 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LITTLEFIELD MOVING
  SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE...
  LUMS CHAPEL...

IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF A TORNADO...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. GO TO A SAFE PLACE NOW

TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY
BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...PLEASE CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
AT 8 0 6 7 4 5 1 2 9 0.

LAT...LON 3393 10257 3384 10255 3384 10230 3394 10231

$$

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 Lubbock, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 24, 2:48 PM CDT, 6 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 24, 2:48 PM CDT, 6 hours 3 minutes before
SOUTH PLAINS AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
250 PM CDT SAT 24 MAY 2003

DAY ONE...
AN 5H RIDGE WAS CENTERED ACROSS THE FOUR CORNERS REGION WITH A DOWN
STREAM 5H TROUGH LOCATED ACROSS THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES. A LOW
AMPLITUDE SHORTER WAVE LENGTH TROUGH WAS LOCATED ACROSS NORTHEAST NM
AND SOUTHEAST CO. A COLD FRONT WAS MOVING SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE
NORTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. A SURFACE TROUGH WAS DEEPENING ACROSS THE
WESTERN COUNTIES OF THE CWFA. AT 200 PM SURFACE WINDS WERE BACKING
TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN COUNTIES.

DEEP GULF MOISTURE CONTINUED ACROSS MOST OF WEST TEXAS THIS
AFTERNOON. AFTERNOON HEATING COMBINED WITH SURFACE CONVERGENCE ALONG
AND AHEAD OF THE SURFACE TROUGH WILL CAUSE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS TO
DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ACROSS THE WESTERN
AND CENTRAL COUNTIES OF THE CWFA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY
CONGEAL INTO AN MCS AND MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND
EASTERN COUNTIES OF THE CWFA THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING
OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF EASTERN NM MAY ALSO MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS
THE CWFA LATER TONIGHT AND THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. SOME OF
THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LIMITS...GIVEN CAPES AOA 1800
J/KG AND DIRECTIONAL WIND SHEAR. ALTHOUGH WEAK FLOW AT MID AND UPPER
LEVELS WILL LIMIT DEGREE TO WHICH STORMS WILL INTENSIFY. THE BEST
CHANCE FOR SEVERE WILL BE WITH ANY ORGANIZED MCS LATER THIS EVENING.
THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE PENNY TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND SEVERE
SURFACE WIND GUSTS. I WILL GO WITH 60 AND 70 POPS ACROSS THE ENTIRE
CWFA TONIGHT. THE BEST CHANCE OF RAIN WILL DURING THE EVENING HOURS.

THE COLD FRONT OVER THE TEXAS PNHDL WILL MOVE SOUTH OF THE CWFA LATE
TONIGHT. MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND EASTERLY SURFACE WINDS WILL KEEP
HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 70S ACROSS MOST OF THE CWFA ON SUNDAY.
UPSLOPE FLOW NORTH OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL CAUSE THUNDERSTORMS
TO DEVELOP OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF EASTERN NM. THESE STORMS WILL
MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CWFA LATE TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
I WILL KEEP SCATTERED POPS THROUGH THE DAY ON SUNDAY WITH THE BEST
CHANCE OF RAIN BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FCSTID = 20

DAYS 2 THROUGH 7...
RAIN FROM MESOSCALE SYSTEMS WILL LIKELY BE ONGOING SUNDAY NIGHT WITH
EAST/NORTHEAST UPSLOPE FLOW IN WEAKLY CAPPED ATMOSPHERE AND SOME
SHORTWAVE ENERGY APPROACHING FROM SOUTHWEST WITH CUTOFF UPPER LOW
WEST OF EL PASO ENHANCING LIFT AND STEEPENING LAPSE RATES. WEAKNESS
IN UPPER FLOW CONTINUES MONDAY INTO TUESDAY WITH STILL VERY MOIST
LOW LEVELS. INSTABILITY AXIS IS PROGGED TO SHIFT FARTHER SOUTH AND
WEST MONDAY...WITH SW ZONES CLOSER TO ACTION...WHILE NE ZONES LOOK
DRIER BEING CLOSER TO SURFACE RIDGE AXIS. STILL LOOKS AS IF RAIN
CHANCES WILL BE PRETTY GOOD THROUGH TUESDAY. WEDNESDAY...HIGH
AMPLITUDE UPPER RIDGE REMAINS FIRMLY ENTRENCHED OVER THE
CENTRAL/NORTHERN ROCKIES WITH NORTHERLY UPPER FLOW INCREASING OVER
WEST TEXAS SO RAIN CHANCES DECREASING...AND EVEN FURTHER THURSDAY
WITH UPPER RIDGE MOVING EAST INTO CENTRAL PLAINS. SHOULD WARM BACK
TO NEAR OR ABOVE 90 DEGREES LATE IN WEEK WITH A SUBSIDENT...DRIER
ATMOSPHERE. FCSTID = 06

.LBB...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, May 24, 11:42 AM CDT, 9 hours 9 minutes before
TXZ021>044-250000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
1142 AM CDT SAT MAY 24 2003

THIS IS A HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN
PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS.

.DAY ONE...

CONVECTIVE

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE EXTREME
SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND LOW ROLLING PLAINS.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE
SOUTH PLAINS...EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AND LOW ROLLING
PLAINS. AN OLD OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM THUNDERSTORMS EARLIER THIS
MORNING AND DAYTIME HEATING COMBINED WITH AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE
WILL SET THE STAGE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON.
STORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE LATE EVENING AND WILL BE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WITH LOCALIZED RAINFALL
AMOUNTS TO AROUND 1.00 INCH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 24, 3:40 PM CDT, 5 hours 11 minutes before
TXZ021>044-242130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
340 PM CDT SAT MAY 24 2003

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NUMBER 427 UNTIL 900 PM CDT. THIS WATCH INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED
TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

PARMER...CASTRO...SWISHER...BRISCOE...HALL...CHILDRESS...BAILEY...
LAMB...HALE...FLOYD...MOTLEY...COTTLE...COCHRAN...HOCKLEY...LUBBOCK..
CROSBY...DICKENS...KING...YOAKUM...TERRY...LYNN...GARZA...KENT...AND
STONEWALL.

SOME COMMUNITIES INCLUDED ARE...

FRIONA...DIMMITT...TULIA...MEMPHIS...CHILDRESS...MULESHOE...
LITTLEFIELD...PLAINVIEW...FLOYDADA...PADUCAH...MORTON...LEVELLAND...
LUBBOCK...CROSBYTON...GUTHRIE...BROWNFIELD...TAHOKA...POST...
ASPERMONT.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 24, 4:53 PM CDT, 3 hours 58 minutes before
TXZ021>044-250400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
453 PM CDT SAT MAY 24 2003

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS CANCELED A PORTION OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 429.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

BRISCOE....CASTRO...CROSBY...GARZA...LAMB...LYNN...HALE...FLOYD
...COCHRAN...HOCKLEY...LUBBOCK...SWISHER...TERRY AND YOAKUM

HALL...CHILDRESS...MOTLEY..
.COTTLEDICKENS...KING...TERRY...KENT...AND STONEWALL.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES:

HALL...CHILDRESS...MOTLEY...COTTLE...DICKENS...KING...KENT AND
STONEWALL.
Special weather statement, May 24, 8:50 PM CDT, 1 minute before
TXZ021>044-250400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
850 PM CDT SAT MAY 24 2003

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NUMBER 429 UNTIL 200 AM CDT SUNDAY MORNING. THIS WATCH INCLUDES BUT
IS NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

CASTRO...SWISHER...BRISCOE...HALL...CHILDRESS...LAMB...HALE...
FLOYD...MOTLEY...COTTLE...COCHRAN...HOCKLEY...LUBBOCK...CROSBY...
DICKENS...KING...YOAKUM...TERRY...LYNN...GARZA...KENT...AND
STONEWALL.

SOME COMMUNITIES INCLUDED ARE...

TULIA...MEMPHIS...CHILDRESS...MULESHOE...LITTLEFIELD...PLAINVIEW
...FLOYDADA...PADUCAH...MORTON...LEVELLAND...LUBBOCK...CROSBYTON
...GUTHRIE...BROWNFIELD...TAHOKA...POST...ASPERMONT.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lubbock, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 24, 7:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBBailey60 min
May 24, 7:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBBailey59 min
May 24, 7:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBGarza51 min
May 24, 7:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBBailey46 min
May 24, 8:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBCochran62 min
May 24, 8:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBLamb41 min
May 24, 8:55 PM CDTTornado WarningLUBHockley50 min
May 24, 9:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBLubbock47 min
May 24, 9:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBHale42 min
May 24, 10:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBFloyd58 min
May 24, 10:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBHall47 min
May 24, 11:24 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLUBHall111 min
May 24, 11:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBChildress, Hall47 min
May 25, 12:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLUBChildress45 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.