Alert archive / Florida / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 93, NWS Tampa Bay, FL

July 30, 2003Hillsborough County, Florida

NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 30, 2003, 4:27 PM EDT for Hillsborough County, Florida. It was in force for 33 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 30, 2003, 4:27 PM EDT (20:27 UTC)
Expired
Jul 30, 2003, 5:00 PM EDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Tampa Bay, FL
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Hillsborough 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, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 31 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 2003-07-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1486 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 2003-07-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -37 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
1486 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-35 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
910 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
2 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-37 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-24 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.

085 
WUUS52 KTBW 302027
SVRTBW
FLC057-302100-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
427 PM EDT WED JUL 30 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN FLORIDA.

* UNTIL 500 PM EDT

* AT 426 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...OVER
  BRANDON...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT...
  VALRICO.
  PLANT CITY BY 500 PM EDT.
  BLOOMINGDALE BY 500 PM EDT.
  BRANDON.
  DOVER BY 500 PM EDT.

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.

FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE
INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT USE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES OR TELEPHONES.

&&

LAT...LON 2799 8235 2781 8231 2785 8207 2805 8210

$$

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 30, 2:00 PM EDT, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 30, 2:00 PM EDT, 2 hours 27 minutes before
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
200 PM EDT WED JUL 30 2003

VERY LITTLE CHANGE TO CURRENT PATTERN FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
WEAK 500 MB RIDGING WILL SNEAK BACK ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND S
PENINSULA...BUT WEAKENING SHEAR AXIS WILL MAINTAIN A PRESENCE
ACROSS N FL AND S AL/GA.  AS SUCH...WEAK SW FLOW JUST OFF THE SFC
WILL CONTINUE THE CHANCE OF EARLY MORNING COASTAL CONVECTION...
SPREADING INLAND FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH MID AFTN EACH DAY.

MODELS IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT THIS PERIOD.  GFS A SHADE MORE
PRONOUNCED WITH SW FLOW OFF THE SFC...WHICH IS VERIFYING WELL BY
00Z AND 12Z SOUNDINGS.  WILL LEAN TOWARDS IT...BUT NOT ACCEPT VERY
HIGHS MOISTURE SOLUTION ACROSS THE NATURE COAST.

SHORT TERM (TONIGHT - FRI):
WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.  ACTIVITY HAS BEEN NUMEROUS IN LEVY
CO TODAY AND SCT ELSEWHERE...BUT WILL TAIL BACK TO SCT EVERYWHERE...A
SMIDGE UNDER CLIMO GIVEN EXPECTED MID LEVEL DRYING.  MAY ADD A
REMAINDER OF AFTN PERIOD FOR LEVY PENDING EVOLUTION OF CURRENT
ACTIVITY AND PERHAPS ACROSS INTERIOR COS...BUT EXPECT NO MORE THAN
ISOLD ELSEWHERE AS ATMOSPHERE HAS STABILIZED SOMEWHAT.

SIMILAR SETUP THURS AND FRI...WITH PERHAPS A BIT LESS COVERAGE
CENTRAL AND S GIVEN SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR MASS.  THE DRIER AIR ALOFT
WILL SUPPORT A FEW SEVERE CELLS EACH AFTERNOON.

EXTENDED (FRI NIGHT - WED):
SURFACE RIDGE AXIS WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT NORTH AND SOUTH ACROSS THE
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE PENINSULA THROUGH THE EXTENDED
PERIOD WITH MORE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH
DAY.  SHOULD SEE CONVECTION FIRST DEVELOP DURING THE MID TO LATE
MORNING HOURS ALONG THE COAST AND THEN MOVE INLAND ACROSS NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL ZONES...WITH MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER SOUTHERN
ZONES.  TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD.

MARINE: MEANDERING RIDGE AXIS WILL KEEP WINDS LIGHT...
TENDING TOWARD THE S OR SW.  LITTLE CHANGE TO CURRENT
PACKAGE.

FIRE WX:  NO PROBLEMS EXPECTED.

PRELIM NUMBERS:
TPA 077/090 076/090 2524
FMY 076/091 075/092 2525
GIF 075/092 075/092 3535
SRQ 075/089 075/090 2424
BKV 072/091 072/092 2525

.TBW...NONE.

BSG/PRC
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 30, 5:34 AM EDT, 10 hours 53 minutes before
FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-301530-

WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
534 AM EDT WED JUL 30 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY:

...MORE ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE TODAY...

AS TEMPERATURES CLIMB TO NEAR 90 THIS AFTERNOON...THE ATMOSPHERE
WILL BECOME QUITE UNSTABLE. DURING THIS TIME...THE GULF SEA BREEZE
WILL MOVE INLAND...PROVIDING A FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL CONTAIN HAIL...HEAVY RAIN IN EXCESS OF TWO
INCHES...AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH OR HIGHER. EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING IS
ALSO EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY:

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY AS TYPICAL SUMMERTIME
CONDITIONS PERSIST.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED TODAY. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE REMINDED
TO RELAY ANY REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NWS OFFICE IN
RUSKIN.

ALSHEIMER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 30, 12:35 PM EDT, 3 hours 52 minutes before
MARINE LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN  FL
1235 PM EDT WED JUL 30 2003

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

1145 AM    HOMOSASSA-WACASASSA       850  WATERSPOUT
07/30/03   TARP SPGS-SUWANNEE 20NM        FOUR SEPARATE WATERSPOUTS
                                          REPORTED APPROXIMATELY 5
                                          MILES NORTHWEST OF SHELL
                                          ISLAND IN EXTREME NORTHWEST
                                          CITRUS COUNTY. REPORTED BY
                                          GEN PUBLIC MARINER THROUGH
                                          LOCAL MEDIA EVENT LASTED 30
                                          MIN.
Special weather statement, Jul 30, 4:16 PM EDT, 11 minutes before
FLZ052-302100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
416 PM EDT WED JUL 30 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT RURAL SOUTHEASTERN POLK COUNTY
THROUGH 500 PM EDT...

A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EAST OF LAKE WALES WILL AFFECT
RURAL SOUTHEASTERN POLK COUNTY...UNTIL 500 PM EDT. FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS TO 30 MPH. IF
CAUGHT OUTSIDE...CROUCH DOWN IN A LOW SPOT...AWAY FROM TALL OBJECTS.
RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WILL OCCUR WITH THESE
STORMS. MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND MINOR
FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

MCMICHAEL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 30, 1:04 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTBWPolk26 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.