Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Lubbock, TX

April 16, 2009Dickens County, Kent County, Texas

NWS Lubbock, TX issued this tornado warning at Apr 16, 2009, 10:16 PM CDT for Dickens County, Kent County, Texas. It was in force for 29 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Apr 16, 2009, 10:16 PM CDT (03:16 UTC)
Expired: Apr 16, 2009, 10:45 PM CDT
In force: 29 min
Issued by: NWS Lubbock, TX
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Dickens County, TX, Kent County, TX

The radar

The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 108 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:19 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 was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 16, 10:35 PM CDT	TORNADO	16 Ese Spur, TX

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this tornado warning; the first came 19 minutes after it went out.

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
Apr 16, 4:42 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Midland Regional, TX (KMAF), launched 00:00Z, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 224 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: 404 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -64 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 2611 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 94 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 236 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 3.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KLUB 170316
TORLUB
TXC125-263-170345-
/O.NEW.KLUB.TO.W.0020.090417T0316Z-090417T0345Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
1016 PM CDT THU APR 16 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LUBBOCK HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN DICKENS COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TEXAS.
  NORTHEASTERN KENT COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TEXAS.

* UNTIL 1045 PM CDT

* AT 1007 PM CDT...THE PUBLIC REPORTED A TORNADO 9 MILES WEST OF     
  GIRARD. AT 1013 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR    
  CONTINUED TO SHOW STRONG INDICATIONS OF A TORNADO ALONG THE KENT   
  AND DICKENS COUNTY LINE NEAR HIGHWAY 208. 

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE GIRARD AND      
  HIGHWAYS 70 AND 208 EAST OF SPUR.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORNADOES AT NIGHT ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU
SEE OR HEAR THE TORNADO...IT MAY BE TOO LATE. TAKE COVER NOW

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FRIDAY MORNING
FOR THE PANHANDLE AND NORTHWEST TEXAS.

&&

LAT...LON 3330 10084 3345 10084 3367 10073 3381 10053
      3379 10052 3340 10052 3324 10053
TIME...MOT...LOC 0313Z 205DEG 14KT 3338 10076

$$

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS54 KLUB 170334
SVSLUB

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
1034 PM CDT THU APR 16 2009

TXC125-263-170345-
/O.CON.KLUB.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-090417T0345Z/
DICKENS TX-KENT TX-
1034 PM CDT THU APR 16 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1045 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN KENT AND SOUTHEASTERN DICKENS COUNTIES...

AT 1033 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS 
STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORNADOES. THE MOST DANGEROUS PART 
OF THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GIRARD...MOVING 
NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. RADAR SUGGEST THAT THE ROTATION HAS WEAKENED 
SOMEWHAT...BUT A TORNADO MY REFORM ANY TIME.

SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE GIRARD.

TORNADOES AT NIGHT ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU
SEE OR HEAR THE TORNADO...IT MAY BE TOO LATE. TAKE COVER NOW

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FRIDAY MORNING
FOR THE PANHANDLE AND NORTHWEST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3330 10084 3345 10084 3367 10073 3381 10053
      3379 10052 3340 10052 3324 10053
TIME...MOT...LOC 0333Z 235DEG 20KT 3337 10058

$$

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 Lubbock, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Apr 16, 2:14 PM CDT, 8 hours 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 16, 2:14 PM CDT, 8 hours 2 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
214 PM CDT THU APR 16 2009

.SHORT TERM...
STORM INITIATION HAS COMMENCED ALONG THE DRYLINE LOCATED ALONG A
LINE FROM EAST OF NAZARETH...TO COTTON CENTER TO EAST OF PLAINS AS
OF 19Z. THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE DRYLINE
APPEAR TO BE STRONG PER THE RADAR. CU CONTINUES TO DEEPEN ACROSS
THE REMAINDER OF THE LINE. AS THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM SLOWLY DRAWS
NEAR THE REGION /NEAR THE FOUR-CORNERS REGION/ AND LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY RISE OFF THE CAPROCK...IT IS
EXPECTED THAT THE FAVORED AREA OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
JUST WEST OF THE CAPROCK AND THEN EXPAND EASTWARD THROUGH THE
LATE AFTERNOON HOURS.

HOWEVER...THERE IS UNCERTAINTY TO THE EXTENT OF THE EASTWARD
PROPAGATION OF THE DRYLINE...DUE TO THE UPPER LOW INDUCING HEIGHT
FALLS ACROSS THE AREA...WHICH CAN SLOW DOWN THE EASTWARD
PROGRESSION. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION.

&&

.LONG TERM...
THE POTENT UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL SLOWLY PROPAGATE
ENEWD ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS FRIDAY NIGHT/SATURDAY MORNING. THE
BETTER MOISTURE...CAPE VALUES AND LIFTED INDICES GETS SHIFTED EAST
OF THE SOUTH PLAINS...AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH ACROSS THE CWA
ON SATURDAY. GUIDANCE MODELS HINT AT THE MAIN CAA SWEEPING SOUTH
ACROSS THE REGION SUNDAY. THUS...SINCE THE AIR BEHIND THE MAIN
PUSH IS ONLY SLIGHTLY COOLER...HIGH TEMPS SUNDAY WILL ONLY BE
AT/SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL.

THEREAFTER...AS THE UPPER SYSTEM TRANSLATES TO THE NORTHEAST...DRY
AND QUIET WEATHER IS EXPECTED AS UPPER LEVEL RIDGING ACROSS THE
WESTERN CONUS COMMENCES. WITH UPPER LEVEL RIDING AND SFC HIGH
PRESSURE NEAR THE REGION...SFC WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE NORTH SUNDAY
THROUGH MONDAY BEFORE BECOMING SOUTHERLY THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE
EXTENDED FORECAST. BY WEDNESDAY...THE UPPER AMPLIFIED RIDGE IS
PROGGED TO FLATTEN A BIT DUE TO THE NEXT INCOMING PACIFIC NORTHWEST
SYSTEM.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
FRIONA        38  63  35  63  41 /  40  20  20  10  10
TULIA         42  65  36  66  43 /  50  20  20  10  10
PLAINVIEW     43  65  37  67  44 /  50  20  20  10  10
LEVELLAND     43  68  39  72  44 /  40  10  10  10  10
LUBBOCK       47  70  41  73  46 /  50  10  10  10  10
DENVER CITY   42  70  37  74  43 /  40  10   0  10  10
BROWNFIELD    44  70  39  73  44 /  50  10  10  10  10
CHILDRESS     52  71  46  72  48 /  80  30  20  10  10
SPUR          49  71  44  75  48 /  70  20  10  10  10
ASPERMONT     53  73  46  77  49 /  80  20  10  10  10

&&

.LUB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

29

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 16, 11:26 AM CDT, 10 hours 50 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
1126 AM CDT THU APR 16 2009

TXZ021>044-171630-
PARMER-CASTRO-SWISHER-BRISCOE-HALL-CHILDRESS-BAILEY-LAMB-HALE-
FLOYD-MOTLEY-COTTLE-COCHRAN-HOCKLEY-LUBBOCK-CROSBY-DICKENS-KING-
YOAKUM-TERRY-LYNN-GARZA-KENT-STONEWALL-
1126 AM CDT THU APR 16 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TEXAS
PANHANDLE...SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

CONVECTIVE

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH TONIGHT ACROSS THE SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG A DRYLINE THAT WILL BE
LOCATED ACROSS THE CENTRAL SOUTH PLAINS BY THIS AFTERNOON. ANY
STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS. INITIAL ACTIVITY WILL MOVE EAST INTO THE ROLLING
PLAINS TONIGHT...WITH A SECOND AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS REDEVELOPING
LATER TONIGHT ALONG THE STATE LINE AND THEN PUSHING EAST ACROSS
THE REGION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THUNDERSTORMS COULD LINGER ACROSS THE ROLLING PLAINS FRIDAY
MORNING BEFORE PUSHING EAST OF THE AREA FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE CENTRAL
SOUTH PLAINS AND ROLLING PLAINS...AND AREAWIDE LATER TONIGHT.

JORDAN

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 16, 8:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
847 PM CDT THU APR 16 2009

TXZ028-029-034-035-170215-
HALE TX-LAMB TX-LUBBOCK TX-HOCKLEY TX-
847 PM CDT THU APR 16 2009

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACROSS HOCKLEY...LUBBOCK...LAMB AND HALE
COUNTIES...

AT 844 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF ANTON...OR ABOUT 16 MILES
NORTHEAST OF LEVELLAND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

SMALL HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. IF
CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

Local storm report, Apr 16, 9:03 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
903 PM CDT THU APR 16 2009

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

0856 PM     HAIL             12 NW CLAIREMONT        33.29N 100.90W
04/16/2009  E1.75 INCH       KENT               TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

EVENT NUMBER 00391

FB

Local storm report, Apr 16, 9:23 PM CDT, 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
923 PM CDT THU APR 16 2009

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

0921 PM     TORNADO          10 N SHALLOWATER        33.83N 101.99W
04/16/2009                   HALE               TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            OR APPROX 4S OF THE COMMUNITY OF COUNTY LINE

&&

EVENT NUMBER 00392

02

Special weather statement, Apr 16, 9:40 PM CDT, 36 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
940 PM CDT THU APR 16 2009

TXZ035-170315-
LUBBOCK TX-
940 PM CDT THU APR 16 2009

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACROSS LUBBOCK COUNTY...

AT 939 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF WOODROW...OR ABOUT 14 MILES
WEST OF SLATON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

SMALL HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES...GUSTY WINDS...AND HEAVY RAIN ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS.
STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

Local storm report, Apr 16, 10:11 PM CDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
1011 PM CDT THU APR 16 2009

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

0924 PM     TSTM WND DMG     8 WNW ABERNATHY         33.88N 101.98W
04/16/2009                   HALE               TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            DAMAGE TO TREES AND RADIO TOWER NE OF INTERSECTION OF
            FM2528 AND FM54

&&

EVENT NUMBER 00393

02

Local storm report, Apr 16, 10:14 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
1014 PM CDT THU APR 16 2009

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

1007 PM     TORNADO          9 W GIRARD              33.36N 100.82W
04/16/2009                   KENT               TX   PUBLIC

&&

EVENT NUMBER 00394

02

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 16, 7:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Floyd	45 min
Apr 16, 7:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Castro, Lamb	58 min
Apr 16, 7:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LUB	Garza, Kent	48 min
Apr 16, 7:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Castro	47 min
Apr 16, 7:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Crosby, Garza	33 min
Apr 16, 7:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Lubbock, Lynn, Terry	57 min
Apr 16, 7:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Floyd, Motley	48 min
Apr 16, 7:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Hockley, Lubbock	29 min
Apr 16, 7:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LUB	Dickens, Garza, Kent	50 min
Apr 16, 7:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Castro	16 min
Apr 16, 8:13 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	LUB	Lubbock	107 min
Apr 16, 8:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Crosby, Floyd, Hale, Lubbock	45 min
Apr 16, 8:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Dickens, Kent	63 min
Apr 16, 8:49 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	LUB	Swisher	3 hr
Apr 16, 8:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Briscoe, Floyd, Hale, Swisher	56 min
Apr 16, 8:57 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	LUB	Garza	3 hr
Apr 16, 8:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LUB	Hockley, Lubbock	24 min
Apr 16, 9:08 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LUB	Lubbock	19 min
Apr 16, 9:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LUB	Hale	31 min
Apr 16, 9:34 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LUB	Dickens, Kent	41 min
Apr 16, 9:37 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	LUB	Kent	3 hr
Apr 16, 9:47 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	LUB	Hale	118 min
Apr 16, 10:17 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LUB	Crosby, Lubbock	28 min
Apr 16, 10:25 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	LUB	Lynn	2 hr
Apr 16, 10:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LUB	Crosby, Lubbock	35 min
Apr 16, 10:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LUB	Floyd, Hale	48 min
Apr 16, 10:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LUB	Dickens, Kent, King, Stonewall	44 min
Apr 16, 11:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Swisher	26 min
Apr 16, 11:48 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	LUB	Hale, Swisher	5 hr
Apr 17, 6:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LUB	Childress	48 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2009 Every tornado warning in 2009 Tornadoes in 2009

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.