Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Fort Worth, TX

March 31, 2008Collin County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at Mar 31, 2008, 3:57 PM CDT for Collin County, Texas. It was in force for 49 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: Mar 31, 2008, 3:57 PM CDT (20:57 UTC)
Expired: Mar 31, 2008, 4:46 PM CDT
In force: 49 min
Issued by: NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Collin County, TX

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 110 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:57 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Mar 31, 2:00 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 12:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 90 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1777 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -36 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 564 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 169 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 241 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.3
Supercell composite: 7.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KFWD 312057
TORFWD
TXC085-312200-
/O.NEW.KFWD.TO.W.0008.080331T2057Z-080331T2200Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
357 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  COLLIN COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

* UNTIL 500 PM CDT

* AT 357 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  DEVELOPING TORNADO 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FRISCO..MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  25 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  FRISCO BY 410 PM CDT...
  FRISCO AND PLANO BY 415 PM CDT...
  PROSPER BY 425 PM CDT...
  ALLEN AND CELINA BY 430 PM CDT...
  MCKINNEY AND FAIRVIEW BY 435 PM CDT...
  LUCAS BY 440 PM CDT...

TAKE COVER IN A BASEMENT...OR ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME IN AN
INTERIOR CLOSET OR BATHROOM. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS FOR COVER.

DO NOT STOP UNDER BRIDGES OR HIGHWAY OVERPASSES SINCE THEY OFFER NO
PROTECTION FROM TORNADO WINDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT MONDAY EVENING FOR
EASTERN TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3332 9683 3340 9653 3340 9639 3336 9638
      3334 9636 3335 9633 3335 9628 3319 9629
      3300 9683
TIME...MOT...LOC 2057Z 245DEG 21KT 3311 9691

$$

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS54 KFWD 312139
SVSFWD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
438 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

TXC085-312200-
/O.CON.KFWD.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-080331T2200Z/
COLLIN TX-
438 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN COLLIN COUNTY...

AT 438 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A 
THUNDERSTORM WITH ROTATION LOCATED NEAR MELISSA...MOVING NORTHEAST 
AT 27 MPH. ROTATION WITH THIS STORM CONTINUES TO DECREASE AND THE 
WARNING MAY BE CANCELLED PRIOR TO EXPIRATION IF CURRENT TRENDS 
CONTINUE.

THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  ANNA BY 445 PM CDT...
  WESTMINSTER BY 455 PM CDT...
  BLUE RIDGE BY 500 PM CDT...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT MONDAY EVENING FOR
EASTERN TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3332 9669 3340 9653 3340 9640 3334 9636
      3335 9633 3335 9628 3326 9629 3325 9663
TIME...MOT...LOC 2138Z 245DEG 23KT 3327 9656

$$

000 
WWUS54 KFWD 312146
SVSFWD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
447 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

TXC085-312157-
/O.CAN.KFWD.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-080331T2200Z/
COLLIN TX-
447 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN COLLIN COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

AT 447 PM CDT THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE TORNADO
WARNING WEAKENED AND WAS NO LONGER CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.
THE TORNADO WARNING WAS CANCELLED.

RADAR INDICATED THAT HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS WERE
STILL POSSIBLE FROM THE THUNDERSTORM.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT MONDAY EVENING FOR
EASTERN TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3332 9669 3340 9653 3340 9640 3334 9636
      3335 9633 3335 9628 3326 9629 3325 9663
TIME...MOT...LOC 2147Z 245DEG 23KT 3329 9650

$$

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 Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Mar 31, 3:33 PM CDT, 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 3:33 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
333 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

.DISCUSSION...
A LINE OF DISCRETE STORMS HAS ERUPTED FROM NEAR GAINESVILLE TO
CLEBURNE TO HAMILTON. THE DRY LINE IS STILL FARTHER WEST FROM NEAR
WICHITA FALLS TO BRECKENRIDGE TO NEAR SONORA. TORNADO WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR ALMOST THE ENTIRE CWA. THE SUPERCELL NOW IN SOUTHERN
TARRANT/NORTHERN JOHNSON IS SHOWING STRONG ROTATION AND HAS
ALREADY TRANSITIONED INTO AN HP.

EXPECT STORMS TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MARCH EASTWARD THROUGH
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. AM HESITANT TO CLEAR ANY COUNTIES
FROM WATCH JUST YET WITH DRY LINE STILL TO OUR WEST. A SMALL
AMOUNT OF CIN REMAINS OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES BUT EXPECT
THIS TO BE BREACHED IN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. INCREASING BULK SHEAR
AND AMPLE INSTABILITY WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SUPERCELLS. IN
SHORT...ALMOST ALL OF NORTH TEXAS WILL SEE A CHANCE OF STORMS WITH
THE POTENTIAL FOR VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED
TORNADOES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FLASH FLOODING WILL ALSO
BE OF CONCERN... ESPECIALLY WITH ANY SLOW MOVING CELLS.

DRY LINE IS EXPECTED TO STALL OVER THE WESTERN COUNTIES THIS
EVENING BEFORE DRIFTING BACK WEST. THE MAIN COLD FRONT WITH THIS
SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH NORTH TEXAS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH TOMORROW
MORNING...BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF RAIN TO MAINLY THE SOUTHERN
COUNTIES. RAIN CHANCES WILL CONTINUE OFF AND ON THROUGH WEDNESDAY
AND THURSDAY AS THE AFOREMENTIONED FRONT MOVES BACK NORTH AS A
WARM FRONT. WEAK DISTURBANCES WILL PASS BY IN WSW FLOW ALOFT WITH
AN INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH SHARPENING OVER NEW MEXICO BY WEDNESDAY
EVENING. SEVERE WEATHER LOOKS MARGINAL FOR THESE PERIODS AS THERE
WILL BE LITTLE IN THE WAY OF FORCING AND A VERY MOIST ATMOSPHERE
IN PLACE.

NORTH TEXAS DRIES OUT OVER THE WEEKEND WITH HIGH PRESSURE SETTLING
OVER THE REGION. A WEAK FRONT WILL APPROACH THE RED RIVER VALLEY
SUNDAY EVENING BUT MOISTURE RETURN LOOKS SLIM AND HAVE LEFT POPS
OUT AT THIS TIME.  SH/13

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX  56  69  51  67  63 /  10  10  20  40  30
WACO, TX              60  73  56  72  65 /  20  10  20  20  10
PARIS, TX             57  68  49  65  58 /  50  20  10  40  30
DENTON, TX            51  68  49  65  63 /  10  10  20  40  30
MCKINNEY, TX          54  66  50  64  62 /  30  10  20  40  30
DALLAS, TX            58  71  53  67  64 /  20  10  20  30  30
TERRELL, TX           59  67  52  68  63 /  30  20  20  30  30
CORSICANA, TX         61  72  53  69  64 /  30  20  20  20  20
TEMPLE, TX            60  77  56  69  64 /  20  20  20  10  10

&&

.FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 3:15 PM CDT, 42 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
315 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-011200-
MONTAGUE-COOKE-GRAYSON-FANNIN-LAMAR-YOUNG-JACK-WISE-DENTON-COLLIN-
HUNT-DELTA-HOPKINS-STEPHENS-PALO PINTO-PARKER-TARRANT-DALLAS-
ROCKWALL-KAUFMAN-VAN ZANDT-RAINS-EASTLAND-ERATH-HOOD-SOMERVELL-
JOHNSON-ELLIS-HENDERSON-COMANCHE-MILLS-HAMILTON-BOSQUE-HILL-
NAVARRO-FREESTONE-ANDERSON-LAMPASAS-CORYELL-BELL-MCLENNAN-FALLS-
LIMESTONE-LEON-MILAM-ROBERTSON-
315 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM FOR MOST OF NORTH TEXAS...

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER NORTH AND EAST OF A
BOWIE...MINERAL WELLS...TO SULPHUR SPRINGS LINE THROUGH THIS
EVENING. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER FOR THE REMAINDER
OF NORTH TEXAS.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING DRY
LINE THROUGH THE EVENING. MANY STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL OR LARGER AND DAMAGING WINDS. A FEW TORNADOES
WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN THE MODERATE RISK AREA. IN
ADDITION TO ANY SEVERE WEATHER...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY
SOME OF THE STORMS WHICH WILL RESULT IN AN ISOLATED FLASH FLOOD
THREAT THROUGH THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON TUESDAY MAINLY ACROSS
SOUTHEAST PORTIONS OF NORTH TEXAS AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH
THE AREA. A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MOST OF NORTH TEXAS
TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUESTED THROUGH THE EVENING
ACROSS THE EASTERN TWO THIRDS OF NORTH TEXAS.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 31, 2:37 PM CDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
237 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

..TIME..    ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0236 PM     HAIL             GRANBURY                32.44N  97.79W
03/31/2008  E0.75 INCH       HOOD               TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            NWS MET REPORTED BRIEF PENNY HAIL TX FOREST SVC GRANBURY
            NEAR AIRPORT.

Local storm report, Mar 31, 2:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
240 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

..TIME..    ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0238 PM     HAIL             4 E GRANBURY            32.44N  97.72W
03/31/2008  M1.00 INCH       HOOD               TX   AMATEUR RADIO

Special weather statement, Mar 31, 2:41 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
241 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

TXZ103-312015-
DENTON TX-
241 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
  DENTON COUNTY

AT 241 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES EAST OF EAGLE MOUNTAIN...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 33 MPH.

ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM WAS STRENGTHENING ACROSS WESTERN DENTON COUNTY
NEAR SANGER. THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

IF THIS STORM CONTINUES ON ITS PRESENT COURSE...A SEVERE WEATHER
WARNING MAY BE NEEDED FOR PARTS OF DENTON COUNTY BY 300 PM.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT MONDAY EVENING FOR
EASTERN TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3342 9725 3342 9683 3300 9693 3300 9739
TIME...MOT...LOC 1941Z 237DEG 29KT 3291 9738

Local storm report, Mar 31, 3:27 PM CDT, 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
327 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

..TIME..    ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0326 PM     HAIL             BURLESON                32.53N  97.33W
03/31/2008  E1.50 INCH       JOHNSON            TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            PING PONG SIZE HAIL IN BURLESON

Local storm report, Mar 31, 3:38 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
338 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

..TIME..    ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0331 PM     HAIL             LEWISVILLE              33.04N  96.98W
03/31/2008  E1.00 INCH       DENTON             TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN LEWISVILLE

Local storm report, Mar 31, 3:54 PM CDT, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
354 PM CDT MON MAR 31 2008

..TIME..    ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0352 PM     HAIL             LITTLE ELM              33.16N  96.93W
03/31/2008  E1.50 INCH       DENTON             TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PING PONG SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN LITTLE ELM

The office that day

Everything else NWS Fort Worth, TX issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 30, 7:02 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Collin	28 min
Mar 31, 2:07 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Comanche	23 min
Mar 31, 2:13 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Hood	32 min
Mar 31, 2:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hood, Johnson, Tarrant	56 min
Mar 31, 2:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Tarrant	56 min
Mar 31, 2:41 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Denton	34 min
Mar 31, 2:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Bosque, Erath, Somervell	56 min
Mar 31, 3:02 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Johnson, Tarrant	43 min
Mar 31, 3:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Denton	55 min
Mar 31, 3:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Bosque, Comanche, Hamilton	57 min
Mar 31, 3:37 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Denton	38 min
Mar 31, 3:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Bosque, Hill, Johnson, Somervell	67 min
Mar 31, 3:39 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Dallas, Ellis, Tarrant	51 min
Mar 31, 3:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Coryell, Lampasas, Mills	57 min
Mar 31, 4:21 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Cooke	24 min
Mar 31, 4:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Bosque, Hill	55 min
Mar 31, 4:41 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Cooke	34 min
Mar 31, 4:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Bell, Coryell, Lampasas	62 min
Mar 31, 5:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Ellis, Hill, Navarro	66 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2008 Every tornado warning in 2008 Tornadoes in 2008

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.