Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 2005
Tornado Warning 5, NWS Tampa Bay, FL
NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued this tornado warning at May 3, 2005, 3:37 PM EDT for DeSoto County, Sarasota County, Florida. It was in force for 53 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 3, 2005, 3:37 PM EDT (19:37 UTC)
- Expired
- May 3, 2005, 4:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 53 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tampa Bay, FL
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties DeSoto County, FL, Sarasota County, FL
The radar
The Tampa radar (KTBW), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:39 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
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
Tampa Bay, FL (KTBW), launched 12:00Z, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 71 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1254 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 16 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 244 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WFUS52 KTBW 031938 TORTBW FLC027-115-032030- /O.NEW.KTBW.TO.W.0005.050503T1937Z-050503T2030Z/ BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 337 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... WESTERN DESOTO COUNTY IN FLORIDA. EASTERN SARASOTA COUNTY IN FLORIDA. * UNTIL 430 PM EDT * AT 337 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 15 MILES WEST OF ARCADIA...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. * THE TORNADO WILL AFFECT... EASTERN RURAL SARASOTA. WEST RURAL HARDEE. ARCADIA. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM MOVE INTO THE INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING...AWAY FROM WINDOWS. COVER YOUR HEAD AND BODY WITH PILLOWS OR BLANKETS. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...MOVE INTO A STURDY BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT... SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH...OR LOW SPOT...AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS. && LAT...LON 2718 8217 2710 8216 2708 8185 2723 8185 $$ 25
4 follow-up statements
000 WWUS52 KTBW 031943 SVSTBW SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 343 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 FLC027-115-032030- /O.CON.KTBW.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-050503T2030Z/ DESOTO-SARASOTA- 343 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 ...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES FOR EASTERN SARASOTA AND WESTERN DESOTO COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM EDT... AT 343 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF NORTH PORT...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. THE TORNADO WILL AFFECT... EASTERN RURAL SARASOTA. WEST RURAL DESOTO. ARCADIA. NOCATEE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM ACT QUICKLY. GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING...AWAY FROM WINDOWS. COVER YOUR HEAD WITH PILLOWS OR BLANKETS. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN RUSKIN. && LAT...LON 2718 8217 2710 8216 2708 8185 2723 8185 $$ 25
000 WWUS52 KTBW 031956 SVSTBW SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 355 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 FLC115-032005- /O.CAN.KTBW.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-050503T2030Z/ SARASOTA- 355 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 ...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SARASOTA COUNTY IS CANCELLED... THE STORM HAS MOVED EAST OF THE COUNTY LINE JUST SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 72. && LAT...LON 2720 8206 2710 8205 2709 8186 2722 8186 $$ FLC027-032030- /O.CON.KTBW.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-050503T2030Z/ DESOTO- 355 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 ...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES FOR WESTERN DESOTO COUNTY UNTIL 430 PM EDT... AT 349 PM EDT...A SKYWARN SPOTTER REPORTED GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND JUST EAST OF THE SARASOTA DESOTO COUNTY LINE ALONG HIGHWAY 72...ALONG WITH VERY GUSTY WINDS. DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO...ALONG WITH CONTINUING LARGE HAIL..MOVING THROUGH RURAL WESTERN DESOTO COUNTY ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 72 AT AROUND 15 MPH. THE TORNADO WILL AFFECT... NOCATEE BY 430 PM EDT. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM ACT QUICKLY. GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING...AWAY FROM WINDOWS. COVER YOUR HEAD WITH PILLOWS OR BLANKETS. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN RUSKIN. && LAT...LON 2720 8206 2710 8205 2709 8186 2722 8186 $$ 88
000 WWUS52 KTBW 032005 SVSTBW SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 404 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 FLC027-032030- /O.CON.KTBW.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-050503T2030Z/ DESOTO- 404 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 ...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES FOR WESTERN DESOTO COUNTY UNTIL 430 PM EDT... THE STORM CURRENTLY IS APPROACHING FORT OGDEN..NOCATEE... AND ALONG HIGHWAY 17. GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL THAT COVERED THE GROUND HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS STORM 15 MINUTES AGO. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM ACT QUICKLY. GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING...AWAY FROM WINDOWS. COVER YOUR HEAD WITH PILLOWS OR BLANKETS. && LAT...LON 2720 8206 2710 8205 2705 8187 2722 8186 $$
000 WWUS52 KTBW 032019 SVSTBW SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 419 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 FLC027-032030- /O.CON.KTBW.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-050503T2030Z/ DESOTO- 419 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 ...A TORNADO WARNING CONTINUES FOR SOUTHERN DESOTO COUNTY UNTIL 430 PM EDT... BETWEEN 345 AND 410 PM...SKYWARN SPOTTERS REPORTED GOLFBALL TO BASEBALL SIZE HAIL BETWEEN THE SARASOTA DESOTO COUNTY LINE AND THE VICINITY OF FORT OGDEN. THIS STORM REMAINS POTENT AND WILL PRODUCE ADDITIONAL GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL ALONG AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 17 EAST OF FORT OGDEN THROUGH 430 PM. THE TORNADO WILL AFFECT... FORT OGDEN AND POINTS EAST THROUGH 430 PM. THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM ACT QUICKLY. GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING...AWAY FROM WINDOWS. COVER YOUR HEAD WITH PILLOWS OR BLANKETS. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN RUSKIN. && LAT...LON 2717 8191 2704 8196 2703 8181 2712 8177 $$ 88
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 Tampa Bay, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 3, 1:45 PM EDT, 1 hour 52 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 3, 1:45 PM EDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 145 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 .SHORT TERM(TNGT-THURS)...MODELS ARE INDICATING SIMILAR OVERALL SYNOPTIC SCALE FEATURES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...BUT THE DETAILS REMAIN RATHER INCONSISTENT. STILL APPEARS THAT LINGERING FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE FOCUS OF PRECIPITATION ACTIVITY NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS UPPER LEVEL ENERGY MOVES EAST IN NEARLY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. WEAK SURFACE LOW COULD DEVELOP IN EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO ALONG OLD BOUNDARY AND THIS ALONG WITH DEEP MOISTURE SPREADING FURTHER NORTH ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA AS SHORT WAVE APPROACHES WILL LEAD TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE PERIOD. MOS GUIDANCE POPS HAVE COME IN BETWEEN 50 AND 70 PERCENT FOR TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT WHICH LOOKS REASONABLE GIVEN DECENT ISENTROPIC LIFT AND INCREASING MOISTURE IN LOWER AND MID LEVELS. FOR NOW WILL GO WITH CHANCE POPS (30-40%) FOR TONIGHT...CHANCE TO LIKELY ON WEDNESDAY (50-60%)...AND CHANCE WEDNESDAY NIGHT (40-50%). ON THURSDAY NAM PUSHES DEEPEST MOISTURE QUICKLY EAST OUT INTO ATLANTIC AS SHORT WAVE MOVES BY WHILE THE GFS DEEPENS THE TROUGH AND HOLDS ON TO THE MOISTURE LONGER. WILL GENERALLY LEAN TOWARD GFS AND LEAVE HIGH CHANCE POPS IN THE FORECAST FOR THURSDAY. && .LONG TERM (THU NGT-TUE)...WHILE THERE ARE STILL SOME IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MODELS AND INDIVIDUAL RUNS...WE ARE BEGINNING TO CONVERGE ON A WEAKER MORE PROGRESSIVE SOLUTION. WHILE THE LESS AMPLIFIED 500 MB TROUGH IN THE NAM LOOKS MORE BELIEVABLE THAN THE GFS CLOSED 500 MB LOW OVER NORTH FLORIDA FOR FRIDAY...THE GFS DOES HAVE SUPPORT FROM OTHER MODELS...INCLUDING THE ECMWF. I WILL BE LEANING TOWARD THE OPERATIONAL GFS FOR THIS PACKAGE. DEEP MID-LEVEL TROUGH WILL SWING INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO THURSDAY NIGHT...FINALLY ALLOWING OUR WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY TO BEGIN ITS TREK TO THE EAST. THIS WILL TAKE THE BEST DYNAMICS OUT INTO THE ATLANTIC BY FRIDAY MORNING...BUT OUR FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO BE STRONGLY CYCLONIC ALOFT ALONG WITH A COLD POOL OF AIR IN THE MID-LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE. FRIDAY COULD BE AN INTERESTING DAY WITH AT LEAST SOME POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL. THE CORE OF THE COLD AIR ALOFT WILL BE RIGHT OVER NORTH FLORIDA DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE LIMITING FACTOR WILL BE THE VERY DRY AIR THAT WILL HAVE SETTLED IN ABOVE 700 MB. FOR NOW...WILL INDICATE A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHERN ZONES...BUT JUST ISOLATED SHOWERS SOUTH WHERE DRY AIR AND SLIGHTLY WARMER MID-LEVEL TEMPERATURES WILL EXIST. THE WEEKEND LOOKS VERY NICE AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN BOTH SURFACE AND ALOFT WITH VERY DRY AIR. WINDS THIS WEEKEND WILL BE EASTERLY EXCEPT PERHAPS FOR A SEA BREEZE EACH AFTERNOON IF THE GRADIENT FLOW DOES NOT GET TOO STRONG. THE TYPICAL DRY MAY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE INTO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND WARM TEMPERATURES. && .MARINE...WINDS AND SEAS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW FLAG CRITERIA THROUGH PERIOD...BUT COULD INCREASE SOME IF LOW PRESSURE DOES DEVELOP IN THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. OTHERWISE NO HIGHLIGHTS ANTICIPATED. && .FIRE WEATHER...RH VALUES HAVE DROPPED INTO THE UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA AND MAY SEE A FEW READINGS BELOW 35 PERCENT THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...DURATIONS SHOULD REMAIN UNDER 4 HOURS SO NO PROBLEMS EXPECTED. NO OTHER HIGHLIGHTS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS AS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE INCREASES KEEPING RH VALUES WELL ABOVE WATCH/WARNING CRITERIA. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... TPA 66 82 68 82 / 40 60 50 50 FMY 68 84 68 84 / 40 60 50 50 GIF 65 83 66 83 / 40 60 50 50 SRQ 65 80 67 81 / 40 60 50 50 BKV 62 82 64 81 / 30 50 40 50 .TBW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...PRC LONG TERM....EJ
Hazardous weather outlook, May 3, 4:38 AM EDT, 10 hours 59 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL 438 AM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 FLZ039-042-043-048>052-055>057-060>062-065-031436- CHARLOTTE-CITRUS-DE SOTO-HARDEE-HERNANDO-HIGHLANDS-HILLSBOROUGH-LEE- LEVY-MANATEE-PASCO-PINELLAS-POLK-SARASOTA-SUMTER- 438 AM EDT TUE MAY 3 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PENINSULA ALONG WITH AMPLE MOISTURE...AND WEAK UPPER LEVEL ENERGY WILL RESULT IN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY. FURTHER TO THE NORTH OVER WEST CENTRAL FLORIDA...DAYTIME HEATING COMBINED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEA BREEZE CIRCULATIONS WILL RESULT IN ADDITIONAL SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP TODAY WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY GUSTY WINDS FREQUENT LIGHTNING. A WEAK STEERING FLOW WILL MEAN SLOW MOVING STORMS...SO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH AMOUNTS UP TO TWO INCHES IN SOME LOCATIONS. THESE HEAVY RAINS MAY CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS AS WELL AS THE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. MOTORISTS TRAVELING TODAY SHOULD SLOW DOWN AND EXERCISE CAUTION IF ENCOUNTERING ANY THUNDERSTORMS. RESIDENTS AND TOURISTS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA PLANNING ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TODAY SHOULD KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY. WHEN SKIES DARKEN...MOVE INDOORS. IF THERE IS TIME...UNPLUG APPLIANCES AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. WAIT UNTIL THE STORM ENDS BEFORE USING THE TELEPHONE OR RUNNING WATER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY: A SLOW NORTHWARD MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY COMBINED WITH AMPLE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND ADDITIONAL UPPER LEVEL ENERGY WILL SET THE STAGE FOR MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS FROM THE STORMS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN OVER THE REGION SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY WITH NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. && FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TBW (LOWER CASE) JCM
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tampa Bay, FL issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 3:17 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Sarasota | 28 min |
| May 3, 3:55 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Hardee | 50 min |
| May 3, 4:40 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Polk | 51 min |
| May 3, 5:04 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Highlands | 42 min |
| May 3, 5:38 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Lee | 37 min |
| May 3, 5:38 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Polk | 37 min |
| May 3, 5:56 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Hardee, Manatee | 34 min |
| May 3, 6:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Hardee | 29 min |
| May 3, 7:40 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TBW | Highlands | 50 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Florida, 2005Every tornado warning in 2005Tornadoes in 2005
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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.