Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 26, NWS San Angelo, TX

May 2, 2003McCulloch County, San Saba County, Texas

NWS San Angelo, TX issued this tornado warning at May 2, 2003, 5:06 PM CDT for McCulloch County, San Saba County, Texas. It was in force for 54 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 2, 2003, 5:06 PM CDT (22:06 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 2003, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
54 min
Issued by
NWS San Angelo, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties McCulloch County, TX, San Saba 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 2, 2:45 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr
May 2, 4:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 255 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 2003-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3091 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, Del Rio, TX at 12:00Z on 2003-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 75 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
3091 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-52 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
663 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
75 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
123 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.4
Supercell composite
7.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

878 
WFUS54 KSJT 022206
TORSJT
TXC307-411-022300-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
503 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANGELO HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  MCCULLOCH COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
  SAN SABA COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 500 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO AT
  ANY TIME 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BRADY...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

* ROCHELLE AND RICHLAND SPRINGS IS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM. THE 
TORNADO PORTION OF THIS STORM IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN SOUTH OF 
ROCHELLE AND RICHLAND SPRINGS.

DOPPLER RADAR SHOWS STRONG ROTATION WITH THIS STORM AND A TORNADO MAY
FORM AT ANY TIME. TAKE COVER NOW ABANDON MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES.
MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR AND STAY AWAY
FROM WINDOWS.

IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF A TORNADO...LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE 
OF BASEBALLS AND DAMAGING WINDS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED WITH THIS 
STORM.

LAT...LON 3133 9932 3110 9939 3092 9900 3108 9879

$$

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 San Angelo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 2, 3:17 PM CDT, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 3:17 PM CDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
317 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 2003

...ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...

CURRENT...
18Z ANALYSIS SHOWS NUMEROUS BOUNDARIES STRETCH ACROSS WEST CENTRAL
TEXAS. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS WAVERING ALONG INTERSTATE 20...WHILE
THE DRYLINE IS BULGING INTO THE SOUTHWEST COUNTIES. ALSO NUMEROUS
SMALLER OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES ABOUND SOUTH AND EAST OF THE PREVIOUSLY
MENTIONED MAIN BOUNDARIES (LEFTOVERS FROM LAST NIGHT STORMS).
OTHERWISE...TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM THE LOWER 60S NEAR HASKELL AND
THROCKMORTON...TO NEAR 90 SOUTHWEST. DEWPOINTS ARE AROUND 60 WEST
AND NORTH...TO THE UPPER 60S SOUTH AND EAST.

TONIGHT...
WITH NUMEROUS BOUNDARIES STILL LINGERING AND THE DRYLINE PUSHING
EAST ALONG THE COLD FRONT...ABUNDANT MOISTURE SOUTHEAST OF THE MAIN
BOUNDARIES...AND AMPLE INSTABILITY...EXPECT ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE
WEATHER. VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE
ALL POSSIBLE WITH THE THESE STORMS. WITH SHOWERS DEVELOPING ALONG
THE COLD FRONT BETWEEN ABILENE AND SAN ANGELO...EXPECT THESE SHOWERS TO
RAPIDLY INTENSIFY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. THESE STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTHEAST TO EAST THROUGH THE EVENING.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...
THE COLD FRONT WILL BE NORTH OF THE AREA BY MORNING. WITH A STRONG
CAP IN PLACE...AND LACKING A MAJOR BOUNDARY...SHOWERS WILL BE HARDER
TO COME BY. WILL HOLD OFF ON MENTIONING IN THE ZONES FOR NOW...BUT
WILL NOT RULE OUT A FEW DEVELOPING SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. BY
SATURDAY NIGHT WITH A STRONG WAVE/WEAK TROUGH LIFTING INTO THE
PLAINS...THIS WILL PUSH A PACIFIC FRONT/DRYLINE THROUGH WEST CENTRAL
TEXAS BY SUNDAY EVENING. THIS WILL HELP TRIGGER A FEW THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS THE REGION ON SUNDAY. OTHERWISE...EXPECT SLIGHTLY TO WELL
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS TO CONTINUE.

MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
WITH DRY WEST DOWNSLOPING WINDS ON MONDAY...EXPECT A WARM SUNNY DAY.
BY TUESDAY ANOTHER UPPER TROUGH LIFTS INTO THE PLAINS. THE GFS IS
INDICATING A MUCH STRONGER FURTHER SOUTH TROUGH SWINGING INTO TEXAS.
HOWEVER GIVEN THE ECMWF...CANADIAN...AND PREVIOUS MODEL RUNS...WILL
LEAN TOWARDS PREVIOUS GFS RUNS. THIS WOULD LIFT THE TROUGH INTO THE
CENTRAL/NORTHERN PLAINS WHILE DRAGGING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS. EXPECT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS ON TUESDAY INTO
WEDNESDAY WITH THE DRYLINE AND COLD FRONT SERVING AS FOCAL POINTS.
A FEW SHOWERS COULD LINGER INTO THURSDAY...DEPENDING ON HOW FAR THE
FRONT CAN PUSH THROUGH. IF THE FRONT HOLDS UP NEAR THE SOUTHERN
COUNTIES AND LIFTS NORTH ON FRIDAY...A SLIGHT CHANCE MAY BE IN ORDER
FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. OTHERWISE...COOLER TEMPS ARE IN ORDER
BEHIND THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT COLD FRONT.

ABI EE 063/094 070/094 062 24221
    BEEBU 088/058 082/058 081/058 081/065 084 2000022200-
SJT EE 068/097 071/097 062 24200
    BEEBB 090/059 086/063 085/059 085/065 086 2000022200-
JCT EE 069/094 069/095 064 242-0
    BEEBE 092/062 087/062 086/062 086/066 086 2000022200-

.SJT...TORNADO WATCH TIL 9 PM FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS EXCEPT
HASKELL AND THROCKMORTON.

24
Hazardous weather outlook, May 2, 2:22 PM CDT, 2 hours 44 minutes before
TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139-140-
154-155-168>170-031100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
222 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY
THE ATMOSPHERE OVER WEST CENTRAL TEXAS WILL BE MODERATELY UNSTABLE
AND SUPPORTIVE OF THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON.
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD INITIALLY DEVELOP NEAR A STATIONARY FRONT THAT
EXTENDS ALONG AND TO THE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20. THIS AREA
INCLUDES THE SOUTHERN BIG COUNTRY... NORTHERN CONCHO VALLEY...AND
THE HEARTLAND. INSTABILITY WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT OVER ALL BUT THE WESTERN MOST PORTIONS OF
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THROUGH MID EVENING. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SATURDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE
HEARTLAND AND NORTHWEST HILL COUNTRY. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
WILL APPROACH WEST CENTRAL TEXAS BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...
BRINGING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

14

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 1, 7:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTMenard57 min
May 1, 7:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTKimble67 min
May 1, 7:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTMason60 min
May 1, 8:18 PM CDTTornado WarningSJTKimble57 min
May 2, 3:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTRunnels55 min
May 2, 3:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTConcho60 min
May 2, 3:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTColeman, McCulloch68 min
May 2, 4:15 PM CDTTornado WarningSJTMcCulloch60 min
May 2, 4:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTColeman64 min
May 2, 4:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTRunnels75 min
May 2, 5:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTBrown67 min
May 2, 5:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTSan Saba50 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.