Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2003
Tornado Warning 15, NWS Lubbock, TX
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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 3:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
| May 24, 8:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 5 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.
- 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
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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 7:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Bailey | 60 min |
| May 24, 7:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Bailey | 59 min |
| May 24, 7:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Garza | 51 min |
| May 24, 7:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Bailey | 46 min |
| May 24, 8:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Cochran | 62 min |
| May 24, 8:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Lamb | 41 min |
| May 24, 8:55 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LUB | Hockley | 50 min |
| May 24, 9:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Lubbock | 47 min |
| May 24, 9:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Hale | 42 min |
| May 24, 10:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Floyd | 58 min |
| May 24, 10:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Hall | 47 min |
| May 24, 11:24 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | LUB | Hall | 111 min |
| May 24, 11:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Childress, Hall | 47 min |
| May 25, 12:15 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LUB | Childress | 45 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.