Alert archive / Florida / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 76, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

July 18, 2003Citrus County, Florida

NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 18, 2003, 3:00 PM EDT for Citrus County, Florida. It was in force for 30 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
Jul 18, 2003, 3:00 PM EDT (19:00 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 2003, 3:30 PM EDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Tampa Bay, FL
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Citrus County, FL

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 nearest sounding before it

Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 12:00Z, 7.0 hours before the alert went out and 139 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, Tampa Bay, FL at 12:00Z on 2003-07-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1461 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, Tampa Bay, FL at 12:00Z on 2003-07-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 24 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1461 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-48 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
979 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
55 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.

762 
WUUS52 KTBW 181900
SVRTBW
FLC017-181930-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
300 PM EDT FRI JUL 18 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL CITRUS COUNTY IN FLORIDA.

* UNTIL 330 PM EDT

* AT 300 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH LARGE HAIL...OVER INVERNESS...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT...
  INVERNESS.
  HERNANDO.

MOVE INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING. DAMAGING WIND...LARGE 
HAIL...TORRENTIAL RAIN...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE EXPECTED. STAY 
INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

&&

LAT...LON 2893 8250 2879 8237 2901 8224 2913 8227

$$

57

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 Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 18, 1:41 PM EDT, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 1:41 PM EDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
141 PM EDT FRI JUL 18 2003

CURRENTLY...VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS EAST AND WEST COAST
SEA BREEZE BOUNDARIES ALREADY UNDERWAY...WITH 88D RETURNS SHOWING
CONVECTION FIRING ALONG THEM EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. SIMILAR TO
YESTERDAY LATEST SOUNDING DATA SHOWS ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND
INSTABILITY IN PLACE...SO EXPECT TO SEE ADDITIONAL STORMS FIRE OFF
DUE TO BOUNDARY INTERACTIONS THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING HOURS. WITH COOL (50H TEMP -9C) DRY AIR IN THE MID LEVELS...
SOME STORMS COULD AGAIN BECOME QUITE STRONG WITH HAIL AND OR DAMAGING
WINDS...AND WILL ADD STRONG TSTM WORDING FOR THE EVENING HOURS IN
THE 5 PM ZONE PACKAGE.

SHORT TERM(SAT-SUN)...DEEP LAYERED RIDGING ACROSS THE CENTRAL FA WILL
SHIFT SOUTH DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE UPCOMING WEEKEND AS AN
UPPER TROUGH DEVELOPS OVER THE EASTERN U.S.. MODELS ARE FAIRLY
SIMILAR WITH THIS SCENARIO...SO WILL USE A BLEND THIS FCST CYCLE. AS
THE SFC RIDGE SHIFTS SOUTH TO THE VICINITY OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE...DEEP
LAYERED SOUTHWESTERLY WIND FLOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA. MOISTURE PROFILES ARE PROGD TO REMAIN ABOUT THE SAME OVER
THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH PWS REMAINING IN THE 1.6 TO 1.8 RANGE. THIS
WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT POPS IN THE SCATTERED RANGE...HOWEVER WITH
A SWLY STEERING FLOW EXPECT TO SEE THE GREATEST AREAL COVERAGE OF
STORMS OVER INTERIOR ZONES DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING
HOURS EACH DAY...AND WILL SHOW POPS 50% INTERIORS ZONES AND
SLIGHTLY LESS COASTAL. GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES AGAIN CLOSE AND A BLEND
SHOULD SUFFICE IN MOST LOCATIONS. WITH ONSHORE FLOW DEVELOPING MIN
TEMPS WILL BECOME QUITE BALMY ALONG COASTAL LOCATIONS WITH UPPER 70
DEGREE READINGS LIKELY.

EXTENDED(MON-FRI)...LONG WAVE TROF ACROSS THE EASTERN THIRD OF U.S.
BECOMES LARGER BY TUESDAY AND REMAINS THROUGH FRIDAY. MRF MODEL
TRIES TO TRANSITION LONG WAVE TROF TO ZONAL FLOW ON FRIDAY. SOLUTION
OF CLOSED COLD CORE LOW OVER LOUISIANA BY SATURDAY NOT LIKELY THIS
TIME OF YEAR. WILL KEEP FORECAST AREA UNDER SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT
ASSOCIATED WITH LONG WAVE TROF.

MARINE...DEVELOPING UPPER TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN U.S. WILL SUPPRESS
THE DEEP LAYERED RIDGE TO THE SOUTHERN PENINSULA AND STRAITS DURING
THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEKEND AND CONTINUING INTO NEXT WEEK. THIS
WILL RESULT IN A SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY WIND FLOW OVER THE COASTAL
WATERS THROUGH THE PERIOD. MODELS DEPICT A SUBTLE INCREASE IN WINDS
BUT NO HIGHLIGHTS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

FIRE WEATHER...NO CONCERNS.

PRELIMINARY #S
BKV 070/091 071/090 2424
TPA 076/091 076/090 2423
SRQ 075/089 075/089 2423
GIF 075/094 075/093 3535
FMY 075/092 075/092 2423

.TBW...NONE.

MCMICHAEL
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 18, 5:30 AM EDT, 9 hours 30 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-181400-

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
530 AM EDT FRI JUL 18 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY:

ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ABOUT 5 TO
10 MILES INLAND BY LATE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON ALONG THE
WEST COAST SEA BREEZE. DURING THE AFTERNOON...THE WEST COAST SEA
BREEZE BOUNDARY WILL MOVE SLOWLY INLAND...WITH SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY INCREASING IN COVERAGE OVER INTERIOR COUNTIES.

SOME STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG NEAR INTERSECTING SEA BREEZE AND
OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM ANY STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS
WILL BE GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY:

SCATTERED MAINLY MORNING THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY ACROSS THE COASTAL COUNTIES
...AND MAINLY AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER
INTERIOR COUNTIES.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT
HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 18, 10:27 AM EDT, 4 hours 33 minutes before
MARINE LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN  FL
1027 AM EDT FRI JUL 18 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....MARINE SUBZONE....   GMZ  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ......MARINE ZONE......

1000 AM    ENGLWD-TARPON 20-60 NM    873  WATERSPOUT
07/17/03   ENGLWD-TARP SPGS 20-60NM       WATERSPOUT WAS FILMED BY
                                          LOCAL TV STATION.

1130 PM    TAMPA BAY                 830  LIGHTNING
07/17/03   TAMPA BAY WATERS               SPOUT WAS VIEWED WITH THE
                                          AID OF LIGHTNING FLASHES.

NOAH
Local storm report, Jul 18, 10:27 AM EDT, 4 hours 33 minutes before
MARINE LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN  FL
1027 AM EDT FRI JUL 18 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....MARINE SUBZONE....   GMZ  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ......MARINE ZONE......

1000 AM    ENGLWD-TARPON 20-60 NM    873  WATERSPOUT
07/17/03   ENGLWD-TARP SPGS 20-60NM       WATERSPOUT WAS FILMED BY
                                          LOCAL TV STATION.

1130 PM    TAMPA BAY                 830  WATERSPOUT
07/17/03   TAMPA BAY WATERS               SPOUT WAS VIEWED WITH THE
                                          AID OF LIGHTNING FLASHES.

NOAH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 17, 11:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWPinellas35 min
Jul 18, 3:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWLevy43 min
Jul 18, 7:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWHighlands31 min
Jul 18, 7:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWHillsborough26 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Florida, 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.