Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 27, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

December 20, 2011Polk County, San Jacinto County, Trinity County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Dec 20, 2011, 12:12 AM CST for Polk County, San Jacinto County, Trinity County, Texas. 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
Dec 20, 2011, 12:12 AM CST (06:12 UTC)
Expired
Dec 20, 2011, 12:45 AM CST
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Polk County, TX, San Jacinto County, TX, Trinity County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 155 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:12 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 6.2 hours before the alert went out and 209 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 2011-12-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 2011-12-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 154 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1049 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
154 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
180 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.

800 
WFUS54 KHGX 200612
TORHGX
TXC373-407-455-200645-
/O.NEW.KHGX.TO.W.0027.111220T0612Z-111220T0645Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1212 AM CST TUE DEC 20 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN POLK COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
  NORTHWESTERN SAN JACINTO COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
  SOUTHERN TRINITY COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

* UNTIL 1245 AM CST

* AT 1207 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS 
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR POINT BLANK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE TORNADO WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO   
SEBASTOPOL...ONALASKA...AND GROVETON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORNADOES AT NIGHT ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU
SEE OR HEAR A TORNADO - TAKE COVER NOW!

&&

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF...LOCAL POLICE...
OR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3070 9524 3079 9534 3086 9533 3087 9534
      3115 9504 3098 9486
TIME...MOT...LOC 0612Z 226DEG 27KT 3084 9522

$$
2 follow-up statements
467 
WWUS54 KHGX 200633
SVSHGX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1233 AM CST TUE DEC 20 2011

TXC407-200643-
/O.CAN.KHGX.TO.W.0027.000000T0000Z-111220T0645Z/
SAN JACINTO TX-
1233 AM CST TUE DEC 20 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SAN JACINTO COUNTY IS CANCELLED...
THE STORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKED OR MOVED OUT OF THE
AREA.

&&

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF...LOCAL POLICE...
OR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3081 9510 3094 9526 3115 9504 3098 9486
TIME...MOT...LOC 0633Z 224DEG 30KT 3096 9508

$$

TXC373-455-200645-
/O.CON.KHGX.TO.W.0027.000000T0000Z-111220T0645Z/
POLK TX-TRINITY TX-
1233 AM CST TUE DEC 20 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1245 AM CST FOR TRINITY
AND POLK COUNTIES...

AT 1232 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTH OF
GROVETON...OR 19 MILES NORTHWEST OF LIVINGSTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
35 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF THE
INDICATED COUNTIES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORNADOES AT NIGHT ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU
SEE OR HEAR A TORNADO - TAKE COVER NOW!

&&

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF...LOCAL POLICE...
OR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3081 9510 3094 9526 3115 9504 3098 9486
TIME...MOT...LOC 0633Z 224DEG 30KT 3096 9508

$$
914 
WWUS54 KHGX 200643
SVSHGX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1243 AM CST TUE DEC 20 2011

TXC373-455-200653-
/O.EXP.KHGX.TO.W.0027.000000T0000Z-111220T0645Z/
POLK TX-TRINITY TX-
1243 AM CST TUE DEC 20 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR TRINITY AND POLK COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT
1245 AM CST...

THE STORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKED OR MOVED OUT OF THE
AREA.

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE COUNTY SHERIFF...LOCAL POLICE...
OR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3081 9510 3094 9526 3115 9504 3098 9486
TIME...MOT...LOC 0643Z 224DEG 30KT 3102 9501

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 19, 9:57 PM CSTSmall Craft AdvisoryHGX6 hr
Dec 20, 12:47 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXTrinity43 min
Dec 20, 2:11 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXMontgomery49 min
Dec 20, 3:43 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXLiberty32 min
Dec 20, 4:17 AM CSTSmall Craft AdvisoryHGX18 hr
Dec 20, 7:15 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningHGX2 hr
Dec 20, 10:22 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningHGX53 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes in 2011

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.