Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 6, NWS San Angelo, TX

April 18, 2003Sutton County, Texas

NWS San Angelo, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 18, 2003, 11:39 PM CDT for Sutton County, Texas. It was in force for 51 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
Apr 18, 2003, 11:39 PM CDT (04:39 UTC)
Expired
Apr 19, 2003, 12:30 AM CDT
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS San Angelo, TX
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Sutton 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 nearest sounding before it

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 00:00Z, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 135 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 00:00Z on 2003-04-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1941 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, Del Rio, TX at 00:00Z on 2003-04-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 52 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1941 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-151 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1672 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
52 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
212 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
2.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

309 
WFUS54 KSJT 190439
TORSJT
TXC435-190530-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
1139 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SAN ANGELO HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SUTTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TEXAS

* UNTIL 1230 AM CDT

* AT 1133 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO AT
  ANY TIME OVER CENTRAL SUTTON COUNTY...OR ABOUT 18 MILES SOUTHEAST
  OF SONORA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

A TORNADO MAY FORM AT ANY TIME. TAKE COVER NOW ABANDON MOBILE HOMES
AND VEHICLES FOR MORE SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.

LAT...LON 3046 10051 3032 10038 3044 10016 3068 10013
          3068 10037

$$

14

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 Apr 18, 9:20 PM CDT, 2 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 18, 9:20 PM CDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
920 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2003

EVENING WEATHER UNFOLDING AS EXPECTED. KSJT RADAR SHOWS
STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS NORTHWEST OF DEL RIO. FURTHER WEST...
THUNDERSTORMS WERE INCREASING IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY NW OF
MIDLAND.

EXPECT COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OF THUNDERSTORMS TO INCREASE WITH
APPROACH OF MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROF SOUTH OF NM. SEE LATEST SPC
MESOSCALE DISCUSSION FOR MORE INFO.

FORECAST WAS RECENTLY UPDATED TO MENTION SEVERE THREAT FOR THE
CONCHO VALLEY AND N EDWARDS PLATEAU. MINOR CHANGES MADE TO TEMPS AS
WELL.

14

--------------------
315 PM DISCUSSION...

CURRENT...LATEST SURFACE MAP INDICATES THAT THE DRYLINE IS SET UP
FROM NEAR STERLING CITY TO JUST WEST OF SWEET WATER AT 1 PM. OUT
AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE...DEW POINTS WERE IN THE LOW TO MID 60S.
SATELLITE CONTINUES TO INDICATE A PLUM OF MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH
THE SUB TROPICAL JET MOVING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. DESPITE THE
HIGH CLOUDS...CLOUDS ARE PRETTY THIN AND INSOLATION IS STILL PRETTY
GOOD HERE AT THE OFFICE.

.TONIGHT...STILL CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THE DRYLINE IS GOING TO DO
LATE THIS AFTERNOON. LOOKS LIKE THE DRYLINE IS BECOMING A LITTLE
MORE SHARP ACROSS THE NORTHERN COUNTIES. NORTH OF THE CIRRUS SHIELD
COULD SEE A FEW ISOLATED STORMS FIRE UP ALONG THE DRYLINE WHERE
CONVERGENCE ALONG THE DRYLINE COMBINED WITH AFTERNOON HEATING MAY
WEAKEN THE CAP ENOUGH. STILL THINK THE MAIN SHOW WILL BE MID TO LATE
EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT AS GOOD MID-LEVEL SPEED MAX
APPROACHES THE AREA...DRYLINE WILL SURGE BACK TO THE WEST THROUGH
MUCH OF THE EVENING HOURS. CAP WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN ACROSS THE
NORTH...BUT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE TOUGH TO BREAK THE CAP ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN COUNTIES. GIVEN THE HIGH SHEAR VALUES...LOOK FOR SUPERCELLS
THAT WILL PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. TORNADO THREAT
LOOKS LOW GIVEN THE HIGH LCL VALUES. WILL GO WITH THE HIGHEST POPS
ACROSS THE NORTH AND WORD SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE AND LEAVE SOUTH WITH
ONLY 10 POPS.

.SATURDAY...ALTHOUGH THERE COULD BE SOME ACTIVITY ONGOING AT THE
START OF THE DAY ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN ZONES...EXPECT THE DRYLINE
TO SURGE THROUGH THE AREA EARLY IN THE DAY. IN ITS WAKE...STRONG
WEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH POSSIBLY HIGHER WILL DRY OUT THE
ATMOSPHERE SUBSTANTIALLY. WITH SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT POSSIBLE
NORTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA.

.SUNDAY-MONDAY...THINGS LOOK TO REMAIN DRY THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH
TEMPERATURES RIGHT ABOUT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE.

.TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY...WILL SEE OUR NEXT CHANCES FOR RAIN SET UP DURING
THIS TIME AS ANOTHER UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHES THE AREA AND
DRYLINE ONCE AGAIN GETS SET UP. BEST CHANCES NOW APPEAR TO BE ON
TUESDAY...BUT WILL CONTINUE SLIGHT CHANCE INTO WEDNESDAY.

CCF PRELIMS...

ABI 062/082 051/075 049 4200
SJT 062/083 050/079 049 2100
JCT 065/085 049/082 053 1100

.SJT...NONE.

27/BRAZZELL
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 18, 2:01 PM CDT, 9 hours 38 minutes before
TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139-140-
154-155-168>170-191900-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
201 PM CDT FRI APR 18 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL TEXAS.

.THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WEST
CENTRAL TEXAS THIS EVENING INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...MAINLY
NORTHWEST OF A BROWNWOOD TO BRADY TO JUNCTION LINE. LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE IS IN PLACE AT THE SURFACE...THE DRYLINE IS POISED JUST TO
OUR WEST AND A BURST OF UPPER LEVEL ENERGY WILL MOVE ACROSS THE
AREA AFTER SUNSET.  THIS COULD SET THE STAGE FOR THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT. SOME STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF REACHING SEVERE
LEVELS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER COULD DEVELOP AROUND OR AFTER SUNSET.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED MAINLY AFTER DARK...LATE TONIGHT
INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 18, 9:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTSutton63 min
Apr 18, 10:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTCrockett57 min
Apr 18, 10:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTSutton62 min
Apr 19, 12:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSJTKimble, Menard59 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.