Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 101, NWS San Angelo, TX

May 16, 2003Haskell County, Texas

NWS San Angelo, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 16, 2003, 1:09 AM CDT for Haskell County, Texas. It was in force for 66 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 16, 2003, 1:09 AM CDT (06:09 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 2003, 2:15 AM CDT
In force
66 min
Issued by
NWS San Angelo, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Haskell County, TX

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm 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 15, 10:25 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 00:00Z, 6.2 hours before the alert went out and 233 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 2003-05-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2441 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 2003-05-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 104 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
2441 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-99 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
748 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
104 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
227 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.5
Supercell composite
10.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KSJT 160609
SVRSJT
TXC207-160715-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
109 AM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANGELO HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  HASKELL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS

* UNTIL 215 AM CDT

* AT 104 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF OBRIEN 
TO   16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ROCHESTER...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
   WEINERT AT 125 AM CDT
   HASKELL AT 135 AM CDT
   IRBY AT 155 AM CDT

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH CAN BE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. FOR YOUR PROTECTION...MOVE TO AN INTERIOR
ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE
WARNING.

LAT...LON 3340 9987 3327 9999 3291 9947 3339 9947

$$
27/BRAZZELL

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS San Angelo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 15, 11:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 11:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
1100 PM CDT THU MAY 15 2003

SEVERE WEATHER THREAT HAS DIMINISHED ACROSS THE CONCHO VALLEY AND
THE HEARTLAND. AFTER COORDINATION WITH SPC HAVE CANCELLED TORNADO
WATCH NUMBER 385 AND ISSUED A NEW TORNADO WATCH WHICH COVERS THE BIG
COUNTRY ONLY. SPC CONTINUES TO BE CONCERNED WITH THE ACTIVITY
DEVELOPING WEST OF THE BIG COUNTRY. BEST UPPER DYNAMICS WILL
CONTINUE OVER THIS PORTION OF TEXAS. THUS...NEW TORNADO WATCH WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH 4 AM.

.SJT...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT FOR THESE COUNTIES...

CALLAHAN      HASKELL     JONES
SHACKELFORD   TAYLOR      THROCKMORTON
FISHER        NOLAN

IN ADDITION...LAKE CAUTION BIG COUNTRY ZONES TONIGHT.

23/HUBER

****  800 PM CDT THU MAY 15 2003 DISCUSSION  ****

AFTER COORDINATION WITH SPC...ISSUED TORNADO WATCH WHICH COVERS MOST
OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. SATELLITE AND WSR-88D
IMAGERY INDICATING STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING TO
OUR WEST AND MOVING INTO OUR WESTERN ZONES. ENVIRONMENT IS RIPE FOR
TORNADOS WITH CAPES EXCEEDING 3000 J/KG AND IMPRESSIVE HELICITY.

.SJT...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT TONIGHT FOR THESE COUNTIES...

BROWN           CALLAHAN        COLEMAN
HASKELL         JONES           MCCULLOCH
SHACKELFORD     TAYLOR          THROCKMORTON
FISHER          NOLAN           SAN SABA
COKE            CONCHO          IRION
RUNNELS         STERLING        TOM GREEN

IN ADDITION...LAKE CAUTION BIG COUNTRY ZONES TONIGHT.

23/HUBER

****  221 PM CDT THU MAY 15 2003 DISCUSSION  ****

SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS BIG COUNTRY. PLEASE REFER TO LATEST DAY
1 SPC OUTLOOK FOR DETAILS ON SEVERE DISCUSSION. MODERATE SEVERE RISK
DEPICTED IN THE OUTLOOK (ACROSS BIG COUNTRY) FROM I-20 NORTHWARD.
SOUTHERN EDGE OF HIGH RISK AREA SLIGHTLY TO THE NORTH OF
HASKELL/THROCKMORTON COUNTIES.

STILL A COMPLEX SCENARIO IN PINPOINTING THE TIMING AND PLACEMENT
OF THUNDERSTORMS. WARM FRONT LIFTING NORTH INTO BIG COUNTRY THIS
AFTERNOON. FRONT SHOULD BE LOCATED VICINITY OF NORTHERN BIG COUNTRY
OR NEAR RED RIVER BY LATE AFTERNOON. POSITION OF FRONT WILL
DETERMINE WHERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP THIS EVENING. STORM
DEVELOPMENT OR MOVEMENT INTO BIG COUNTRY MAY HOLD OFF UNTIL LATE
THIS EVENING. DRYLINE NEAR THE TX/NM BORDER TO MIX EASTWARD THIS
AFTERNOON INTO WESTERN TX...STAYING WEST OF OUR COUNTIES. COMPACT
UPPER LOW TO TRACK ACROSS NORTHERN NM THIS AFTERNOON INTO TX
PANHANDLE TONIGHT...CONTINUING INTO CENTRAL OK FRIDAY. DRYLINE TO
BEGIN A WESTWARD RETREAT EARLY TONIGHT BEFORE WEAK PACIFIC FRONT
OVERTAKES IT AND MOVES EAST INTO WEST CENTRAL TX OVERNIGHT. AS UPPER
LOW APPROACHES...STRONG LIFT AND INSTABILITY ALONG WITH VERTICAL
SHEAR OVER BIG COUNTRY INDICATE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SEVERE
EVENT WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES...VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.
STRONG CAP FARTHER SOUTH TO INHIBIT ANY STORM DEVELOPMENT THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. STORMS ALSO EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE
AFTERNOON/EVENING ALONG NORTHERN PART OF DRYLINE TO THE NW OF OUR
COUNTIES. FOR TONIGHT... GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY...
IMPRESSIVE LIFT...AND LOW LEVEL JET SETUP ALONG WITH THETA E
RIDGE...COULD SEE SOUTHWARD DEVELOPMENT AS PACIFIC FRONT OVERTAKES
DRYLINE. COULD HAVE SQUALL LINE MOVE ACROSS BIG COUNTRY...POSSIBLY
EXTENDING OR DEVELOPING FARTHER SOUTH. WILL CARRY THE GOING POPS AND
SEVERE WORDING IN NEXT SCHEDULED ZONE PACKAGE.

WILL RETAIN POPS IN OUR EASTERN COUNTIES FRIDAY. FRONT TO MOVE INTO
THAT AREA LATE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON. DRY AND A LITTLE COOLER
SATURDAY AS UPPER LOW MOVES AWAY FROM OUR REGION. UPPER RIDGE TO
BUILD INTO SOUTHERN/CENTRAL PLAINS OVER WEEKEND INTO MONDAY BEFORE
FLATTENING TUESDAY. DRY WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING TO WELL ABOVE
NORMAL AGAIN DURING THIS TIME FRAME.

AN UPPER TROUGH IS PROGGED TO MOVE FROM NORTHERN PLAINS INTO UPPER
MIDWEST AND GREAT LAKES TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. TRAILING PORTION OF
ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT PROGGED TO DROP SOUTH ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TX
BY TUESDAY. LATEST GFS IS STRONGER WITH THIS FRONT. GFS ALSO HAS
WEAK SHORTWAVES MOVING INTO REGION..SUGGESTS ISENTROPIC LIFT AND
GENERATES PRECIPITATION INTO NORTHERN HALF OF OUR COUNTIES TUESDAY
INTO WEDNESDAY. WILL LOWER TEMPERATURES MIDWEEK AND CARRY MORE CLOUD
COVER...BUT PREFER TO HOLD OFF POPS AND AWAIT ANOTHER MODEL RUN TO
CHECK FOR CONSISTENCY.

PRELIMINARY CCF
ABI 068/092/059/086/062 51000
SJT 071/095/060/088/062 30000
JCT 072/092/062/089/061 32000

.SJT...CAUTION ADVISED ON AREA LAKES BIG COUNTRY ZONES TONIGHT

19
Hazardous weather outlook, May 15, 2:30 PM CDT, 10 hours 39 minutes before
TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139-140-
154-155-168>170-161930-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
230 PM CDT THU MAY 15 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...

A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE BIG
COUNTRY...WITH ONLY A SLIGHT RISK FOR THE REST OF THE AREA. THE
FURTHER NORTH THE BETTER THE CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER. VERY LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE
STORMS. EXPECT AN AREA OF STORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE PANHANDLE TO
NEAR MIDLAND LATE THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE SLIDING EAST THROUGH THE BIG
COUNTRY THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

ISOLATED STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO LINGER INTO FRIDAY MORNING IN THE
EAST...WITH A FEW OF THOSE POSSIBLY SEVERE. OTHERWISE...NO OTHER
SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY FOR THE BIG COUNTRY AND MAY BE
NECESSARY FOR THE REST OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS TONIGHT.

24

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 15, 10:40 PM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-098-099-113-114-127-128-139-140-154-155-
160645-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
1040 PM CDT THU MAY 15 2003

THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS IN
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...

STERLING...COKE...RUNNELS...COLEMAN...BROWN...IRION...TOM
GREEN...CONCHO...MCCULLOCH...SAN SABA.

A NEW TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR
HASKELL...THROCKMORTON...FISHER...JONES...SHACKELFORD...NOLAN...TAYLOR.
..AND CALLAHAN COUNTIES UNTIL 4 AM CDT.

27/BRAZZELL
Local storm report, May 15, 10:51 PM CDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
1051 PM CDT THU MAY 15 2003

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

0930 PM    7 N BAIRD                 TX   FX TORNADO
05/15/03   CALLAHAN                       CALLAHAN COUNTY FIRE
                                          DEPARTMENT REPORTED DOWN
                                          POWER LINES...POLES...AND
                                          TREES ON HIGHWAY 283 ABOUT
                                          7 MILES NORTH OF BAIRD.

0859 PM    20 W MORAN                TX   FX TORNADO
05/15/03   SHACKELFORD                    CLYDE FIRE DEPARTMENT
                                          REPORTED A TORNADO AT THE
                                          INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 351
                                          AND 604 OR ABOUT 7 MILES
                                          NORTHWEST OF CLYDE.  THIS
                                          TORNADO MAY HAVE DAMAGED A
                                          BARN AND A HOUSE.

0847 PM    5 SE HAWLEY               TX   FX TORNADO
05/15/03   JONES                          REPORTED BY AN AMATEUR
                                          RADIO OPERATOR.

0818 PM    ANSON                     TX   0.75 IN HAIL
05/15/03   JONES

0715 PM    1 S ROTAN                 TX   1.75 IN HAIL
05/15/03   FISHER

CEH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 7:41 PM CDTTornado WarningSJTFisher34 min
May 15, 7:43 PM CDTTornado WarningSJTJones62 min
May 15, 7:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTHaskell55 min
May 15, 8:35 PM CDTTornado WarningSJTTaylor25 min
May 15, 8:53 PM CDTTornado WarningSJTCallahan, Jones, Shackelford67 min
May 15, 9:54 PM CDTTornado WarningSJTCallahan, Shackelford36 min
May 16, 12:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTHaskell60 min
May 16, 12:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTThrockmorton55 min
May 16, 1:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTThrockmorton56 min
May 16, 1:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTJones, Shackelford64 min
May 16, 2:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTHaskell26 min
May 16, 2:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTThrockmorton62 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.