Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Watches in 2008

Tornado Watch 126

March 17, 200860 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Mar 17, 2008, 6:40 PM CDT for 60 counties in Texas. It was in force for 7 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Mar 17, 2008, 6:40 PM CDT (23:40 UTC)
Expired: Mar 18, 2008, 2:00 AM CDT
In force: 7 hr
Issued by: the Storm Prediction Center
Largest hail expected: 2 in
Strongest gust expected: 60 kt

All 60 counties

Bandera County, TX, Blanco County, TX, Bosque County, TX, Brown County, TX, Burnet County, TX, Callahan County, TX, Coke County, TX, Coleman County, TX, Comanche County, TX, Concho County, TX, Cooke County, TX, Coryell County, TX, Crockett County, TX, Dimmit County, TX, Eastland County, TX, Edwards County, TX, Erath County, TX, Fisher County, TX, Frio County, TX, Gillespie County, TX, Hamilton County, TX, Haskell County, TX, Hood County, TX, Irion County, TX, Jack County, TX, Jones County, TX, Kendall County, TX, Kerr County, TX, Kimble County, TX, Kinney County, TX, La Salle County, TX, Lampasas County, TX, Llano County, TX, Mason County, TX, Maverick County, TX, McCulloch County, TX, Medina County, TX, Menard County, TX, Mills County, TX, Montague County, TX, Nolan County, TX, Palo Pinto County, TX, Parker County, TX, Real County, TX, Runnels County, TX, San Saba County, TX, Schleicher County, TX, Shackelford County, TX, Somervell County, TX, Stephens County, TX, Sutton County, TX, Taylor County, TX, Throckmorton County, TX, Tom Green County, TX, Uvalde County, TX, Val Verde County, TX, Webb County, TX, Wise County, TX, Young County, TX, Zavala County, TX

The radar

The San Angelo radar (KSJT), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:41 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.

What SPC expected

The probabilities SPC published with the watch, for the watch area over its life.

Two or more tornadoes: 40%
One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes: 20%
Ten or more severe wind reports: 50%
One or more gusts of 65 knots or more: 30%
Ten or more severe hail reports: 95%
One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more: 30%
Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports: 95%

Warnings issued inside it

80 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 17, 6:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Jones, Taylor	49 min
Mar 17, 6:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EWX	Bandera	33 min
Mar 17, 6:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Coleman, Concho, Runnels	33 min
Mar 17, 6:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Schleicher	40 min
Mar 17, 6:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Jones, Taylor	23 min
Mar 17, 7:03 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	EWX	Bandera	27 min
Mar 17, 7:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Coleman, Runnels	38 min
Mar 17, 7:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Irion, Tom Green	18 min
Mar 17, 7:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Jones, Shackelford	41 min
Mar 17, 7:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	EWX	Bandera	33 min
Mar 17, 7:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EWX	Real	24 min
Mar 17, 7:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Runnels, Taylor	30 min
Mar 17, 7:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Coleman, Runnels	44 min
Mar 17, 7:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Callahan, Jones, Taylor	26 min
Mar 17, 7:51 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Kimble, Mason	39 min
Mar 17, 7:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Haskell, Jones, Shackelford, Throckmorton	38 min
Mar 17, 7:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Runnels, Taylor	49 min
Mar 17, 7:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EWX	Real	31 min
Mar 17, 7:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	EWX	Bandera	23 min
Mar 17, 8:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Coke, Nolan, Runnels, Taylor	29 min
Mar 17, 8:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EWX	Kerr	45 min
Mar 17, 8:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Jones, Shackelford	24 min
Mar 17, 8:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	EWX	Real	29 min
Mar 17, 8:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Nolan, Taylor	36 min
Mar 17, 8:17 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	EWX	Kerr	27 min
Mar 17, 8:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Callahan, Jones, Shackelford, Taylor	25 min
Mar 17, 8:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Runnels	25 min
Mar 17, 8:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	McCulloch, Mason	51 min
Mar 17, 8:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Callahan, Coleman	49 min
Mar 17, 8:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Haskell	18 min
Mar 17, 8:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EWX	Bandera	46 min
Mar 17, 8:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Shackelford, Throckmorton	31 min
Mar 17, 8:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Jones, Shackelford	37 min
Mar 17, 8:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Runnels	46 min
Mar 17, 8:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Jones, Taylor	28 min
Mar 17, 8:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	McCulloch	21 min
Mar 17, 8:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Shackelford, Throckmorton	31 min
Mar 17, 9:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Callahan, Jones, Shackelford, Taylor	27 min
Mar 17, 9:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Young	39 min
Mar 17, 9:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Irion, Sterling, Tom Green	39 min
Mar 17, 9:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Callahan, Shackelford	33 min
Mar 17, 9:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EWX	Kerr	34 min
Mar 17, 9:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Coleman, Runnels	23 min
Mar 17, 9:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Irion, Sterling, Tom Green	38 min
Mar 17, 9:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Coleman	52 min
Mar 17, 9:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Stephens	54 min
Mar 17, 10:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Crockett, Irion, Schleicher	60 min
Mar 17, 10:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Tom Green	40 min
Mar 17, 10:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Coke, Nolan, Runnels, Sterling	40 min
Mar 17, 10:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Crockett, Schleicher, Sutton	54 min
Mar 17, 10:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Coke, Nolan, Runnels	48 min
Mar 17, 10:20 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Schleicher, Sutton	40 min
Mar 17, 10:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Young	64 min
Mar 17, 10:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Tom Green	52 min
Mar 17, 10:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EWX	Val Verde	34 min
Mar 17, 10:43 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Irion, Sterling, Tom Green	47 min
Mar 17, 10:52 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Schleicher	23 min
Mar 17, 10:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Coke, Nolan, Runnels, Taylor	46 min
Mar 17, 10:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Crockett, Sutton	46 min
Mar 17, 11:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EWX	Val Verde	42 min
Mar 17, 11:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack	27 min
Mar 17, 11:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Schleicher, Tom Green	44 min
Mar 17, 11:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Schleicher	51 min
Mar 17, 11:26 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	SJT	Coke, Crockett, Irion, Schleicher, Sutton, Tom Green	2 hr
Mar 17, 11:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Coke, Irion, Runnels, Tom Green	64 min
Mar 17, 11:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EWX	Val Verde	49 min
Mar 17, 11:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Concho, Tom Green	38 min
Mar 17, 11:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Schleicher, Tom Green	41 min
Mar 17, 11:53 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	SJT	Runnels, Taylor	2 hr
Mar 18, 12:13 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Runnels, Taylor	62 min
Mar 18, 12:23 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Schleicher, Tom Green	52 min
Mar 18, 12:29 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EWX	Val Verde	46 min
Mar 18, 12:57 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Sutton	48 min
Mar 18, 1:03 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	EWX	Val Verde	42 min
Mar 18, 1:24 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	EWX	Val Verde	2 hr
Mar 18, 1:25 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	EWX	Val Verde	35 min
Mar 18, 1:25 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SJT	Throckmorton	35 min
Mar 18, 1:32 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	SJT	Schleicher, Sutton	24 min
Mar 18, 1:38 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	SJT	Crockett, Schleicher, Sutton	6 hr
Mar 18, 1:52 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	EWX	Edwards	23 min

Discussions around it

SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.

The nearest sounding before it

Del Rio, TX (KDRT), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 233 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: 1454 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -163 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 693 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 331 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 339 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 3.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 16, 11:49 PM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Collingsworth and 31 more	56 min
Mar 17, 12:04 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	Armstrong, Bailey, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress and 38 more	9 hr
Mar 17, 2:53 AM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Archer, Baylor, Childress, Clay, Collingsworth, Cottle and 18 more	2 hr
Mar 17, 3:25 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cooke, Foard, Hardeman and 9 more	8 hr
Mar 17, 5:41 AM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Archer, Baylor, Callahan, Clay, Cooke, Fisher and 20 more	94 min
Mar 17, 7:37 AM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Archer, Baylor, Clay, Foard, Hardeman, Knox and 2 more	83 min
Mar 17, 10:13 AM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Bandera, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Bosque, Brown and 39 more	92 min
Mar 17, 1:02 PM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Archer, Baylor, Clay, Foard, Hardeman, Haskell and 8 more	88 min
Mar 17, 1:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	Archer, Baylor, Brown, Callahan, Clay, Coke and 28 more	6 hr
Mar 17, 3:53 PM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Archer, Baylor, Brown, Callahan, Clay, Coleman and 18 more	97 min
Mar 17, 5:30 PM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Anderson, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta and 21 more	30 min
Mar 17, 5:50 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	Bowie, Camp, Cass, Delta, Ellis, Fannin and 19 more	5 hr
Mar 17, 6:20 PM CDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Archer, Bandera, Baylor, Brown, Callahan, Clay and 43 more	25 min

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Texas, 2008 Every tornado watch 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.