Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Amarillo, TX

December 14, 2012Donley County, Texas

NWS Amarillo, TX issued this tornado warning at Dec 14, 2012, 4:53 PM CST for Donley County, Texas. It was in force for 27 min. 3 reports 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
Dec 14, 2012, 4:53 PM CST (22:53 UTC)
Expired
Dec 14, 2012, 5:20 PM CST
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Amarillo, TX
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Donley County, TX

The radar

The Amarillo radar (KAMA), 87 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:56 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Dec 14, 4:53 PM CSTTORNADO5 Sse Clarendon, TXDAMAGE TO A BARN
Dec 14, 4:58 PM CSTTORNADO1 Nnw Lelia Lake, TXRESIDENT REPORTED PORTIONS OF A TREE...8 FT PRIVACY FENCE PANELS...AND IRRIGATION PIPE WERE LOFTED AND SPIRALED IN THE AIR AS TORNADO PASSED NEAR HER HOME. WITNESS REPORTS TORNADO MOVED NEARLY SOUTH TO NORTH BY HER RESIDENCE. RATED EF0 WITH 80 MPH WINDS
Dec 14, 4:58 PM CSTTORNADO3 N Lelia Lake, TXRESIDENT REPORTED PORTIONS OF A TREE...8 FT PRIVACY FENCE PANELS...AND IRRIGATION PIPE WERE LOFTED AND SPIRALED IN THE AIR AS TORNADO PASSED NEAR HER HOME. WITNESS REPORTS TORNADO MOVED NEARLY SOUTH TO NORTH BY HER RESIDENCE.

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

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Dec 14, 2:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Amarillo Airport, TX (KAMA), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 86 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 12:00Z on 2012-12-14Temperature 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, Amarillo Airport, TX at 12:00Z on 2012-12-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 81 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156Sfc1 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
1556 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
81 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
64 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.

511 
WFUS54 KAMA 142253
TORAMA
TXC129-142330-
/O.NEW.KAMA.TO.W.0005.121214T2253Z-121214T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
453 PM CST FRI DEC 14 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN AMARILLO HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  DONLEY COUNTY IN THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS...

* UNTIL 530 PM CST

* AT 452 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS SEVERE   
  STORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF CLARENDON. DOPPLER RADAR    
  SHOWED THIS SEVERE STORM MOVING   NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM INCLUDE...
  CLARENDON...          LELIA LAKE...         HOWARDWICK...
  GREENBELT LAKE...

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 40 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 120 AND 129.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3479 10087 3495 10095 3518 10101 3518 10077
      3518 10055 3495 10054
TIME...MOT...LOC 2253Z 231DEG 52KT 3499 10088

$$
3 follow-up statements
018 
WWUS54 KAMA 142307
SVSAMA

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
507 PM CST FRI DEC 14 2012

TXC129-142330-
/O.CON.KAMA.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-121214T2330Z/
DONLEY TX-
507 PM CST FRI DEC 14 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN DONLEY COUNTY
UNTIL 530 PM CST...

AT 453 PM...TEXAS DPS REPORTED A TORNADO 5 MILES SOUTH OF CLARENDON. 

AT 504 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE STRONG ROTATION WITHIN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF 
PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES 
NORTHEAST OF LELIA LAKE...OR 12 MILES EAST OF CLARENDON...MOVING 
NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM INCLUDE...
  LELIA LAKE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3486 10074 3494 10081 3518 10085 3518 10055
      3495 10054
TIME...MOT...LOC 2306Z 231DEG 52KT 3501 10065

$$
018 
WWUS54 KAMA 142316
SVSAMA

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
516 PM CST FRI DEC 14 2012

TXC129-142330-
/O.CON.KAMA.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-121214T2330Z/
DONLEY TX-
516 PM CST FRI DEC 14 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN DONLEY COUNTY
UNTIL 530 PM CST...

AT 513 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS
DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 11 MILES SOUTH OF MCLEAN...OR 20 MILES
NORTHEAST OF CLARENDON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...  
  RURAL AREAS OF NORTHEASTERN DONLEY COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3493 10060 3505 10064 3518 10072 3518 10055
      3495 10054
TIME...MOT...LOC 2315Z 231DEG 52KT 3509 10054

$$
358 
WWUS54 KAMA 142320 RRA
SVSAMA

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
520 PM CST FRI DEC 14 2012

TXC129-142330-
/O.CAN.KAMA.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-121214T2330Z/
DONLEY TX-
520 PM CST FRI DEC 14 2012

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

THE TORNADO THREAT HAS DIMINISHED...THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS
BEEN CANCELLED. HOWEVER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN
EFFECT FOR THE AREA.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR 
PORTIONS OF DONLEY COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM CST.

LAT...LON 3493 10060 3505 10064 3518 10072 3518 10055
      3495 10054
TIME...MOT...LOC 2320Z 231DEG 52KT 3508 10042

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 14, 6:30 AM CSTWind AdvisoryAMADeaf Smith, Oldham, Potter, Randall12 hr
Dec 14, 2:17 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementAMADeaf Smith, Oldham28 min
Dec 14, 2:32 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementAMADeaf Smith, Oldham28 min
Dec 14, 2:40 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementAMADeaf Smith, Oldham35 min
Dec 14, 2:54 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementAMAOldham36 min
Dec 14, 3:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMADeaf Smith, Oldham55 min
Dec 14, 3:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAMoore, Potter, Randall95 min
Dec 14, 4:03 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMAArmstrong, Carson, Hutchinson73 min
Dec 14, 4:12 PM CSTAreal Flood AdvisoryAMAPotter, Randall108 min
Dec 14, 4:19 PM CSTTornado WarningAMAArmstrong, Carson26 min
Dec 14, 4:42 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementAMADonley, Gray, Roberts33 min
Dec 14, 4:48 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMADonley, Gray52 min
Dec 14, 4:54 PM CSTTornado WarningAMAGray26 min
Dec 14, 5:13 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAMACollingsworth, Wheeler68 min
Dec 14, 5:39 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementAMAHemphill, Lipscomb36 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes in 2012

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.