Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 63, NWS Corpus Christi, TX

December 4, 2012Aransas County, Calhoun County, Texas

NWS Corpus Christi, TX issued this tornado warning at Dec 4, 2012, 5:15 PM CST for Aransas County, Calhoun County, Texas. It was in force for 60 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 4, 2012, 5:15 PM CST (23:15 UTC)
Expired: Dec 4, 2012, 6:15 PM CST
In force: 60 min
Issued by: NWS Corpus Christi, TX
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Aransas County, TX, Calhoun County, TX

The radar

The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:18 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
Dec 4, 5:15 PM CST	HAIL 0.88	6 Sse Austwell, TX	HAIL REPORTED AT ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.
Dec 4, 6:01 PM CST	TSTM WND GST 55	11 E Holiday Beach, TX	RAWS SITE MIRT2 ON MATAGORDA ISLAND RECORDED 55 MPH WIND GUST. TIME IS APPROX FROM RADAR.
Dec 4, 6:01 PM CST	TSTM WND GST 61	11 E Holiday Beach, TX	RAWS SITE MIRT2 ON MATAGORDA ISLAND RECORDED 61 MPH WIND GUST. TIME IS APPROX FROM RADAR.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 76 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: 1399 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -90 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 715 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 76 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 68 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 2.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

123 
WFUS54 KCRP 042315
TORCRP
TXC007-057-050015-
/O.NEW.KCRP.TO.W.0063.121204T2315Z-121205T0015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
515 PM CST TUE DEC 4 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CORPUS CHRISTI HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN ARANSAS COUNTY IN SOUTH TEXAS...
  EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALHOUN COUNTY IN SOUTH TEXAS...

* UNTIL 615 PM CST

* AT 508 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR ARANSAS  
  NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE...OR 9 MILES SOUTH OF AUSTWELL...MOVING
  SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  RURAL SOUTHWESTERN CALHOUN COUNTY/MATAGORDA ISLAND...
  RURAL NORTHEASTERN ARANSAS COUNTY...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
QUARTER SIZED HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

&&

LAT...LON 2809 9681 2812 9684 2813 9682 2817 9685
      2816 9687 2829 9698 2832 9679 2828 9679
      2825 9677 2828 9673 2820 9680 2820 9672
      2827 9664 2825 9658
TIME...MOT...LOC 2313Z 311DEG 9KT 2828 9683

$$

TMT

2 follow-up statements

146 
WWUS54 KCRP 042336
SVSCRP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
536 PM CST TUE DEC 4 2012

TXC007-057-050015-
/O.CON.KCRP.TO.W.0063.000000T0000Z-121205T0015Z/
ARANSAS-CALHOUN-
536 PM CST TUE DEC 4 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CST FOR EXTREME
SOUTHWESTERN CALHOUN AND NORTHEASTERN ARANSAS COUNTIES...

AT 532 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS 
TORNADO WAS LOCATED 12 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAMAR...OR 15 MILES 
SOUTHWEST OF SEADRIFT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  RURAL SOUTHWESTERN CALHOUN COUNTY/MATAGORDA ISLAND...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
QUARTER SIZED HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

&&

LAT...LON 2809 9681 2812 9684 2813 9682 2817 9685
      2816 9687 2829 9698 2832 9679 2828 9679
      2825 9677 2828 9673 2820 9680 2820 9672
      2827 9664 2825 9658
TIME...MOT...LOC 2334Z 330DEG 10KT 2821 9681

$$

TMT

937 
WWUS54 KCRP 042353
SVSCRP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
553 PM CST TUE DEC 4 2012

TXC007-050002-
/O.CAN.KCRP.TO.W.0063.000000T0000Z-121205T0015Z/
ARANSAS-
553 PM CST TUE DEC 4 2012

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

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO HAS MOVED
OUT OF THE COUNTY.

LAT...LON 2825 9658 2809 9681 2811 9683 2817 9683
      2820 9679 2822 9681 2827 9680 2824 9677
      2822 9678 2820 9678 2820 9672 2827 9664
TIME...MOT...LOC 2352Z 336DEG 12KT 2814 9679

$$

TXC057-050015-
/O.CON.KCRP.TO.W.0063.000000T0000Z-121205T0015Z/
CALHOUN-
553 PM CST TUE DEC 4 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM CST FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL CALHOUN COUNTY...

AT 546 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS CONTINUED TO 
DETECT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS 
TORNADO WAS LOCATED OVER EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALHOUN COUNTY OVER
SOUTHWESTERN MATAGORDA ISLAND...OR 18 MILES NORTHEAST OF 
ROCKPORT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM IS ALSO CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

&&

LAT...LON 2825 9658 2809 9681 2811 9683 2817 9683
      2820 9679 2822 9681 2827 9680 2824 9677
      2822 9678 2820 9678 2820 9672 2827 9664
TIME...MOT...LOC 2352Z 336DEG 12KT 2814 9679

$$

TMT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 4, 4:34 AM CST	Dense Fog Advisory	CRP	Duval, Jim Wells, Kleberg	107 min
Dec 4, 3:15 PM CST	Areal Flood Advisory	CRP	Calhoun	60 min
Dec 4, 3:47 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CRP	Aransas, Calhoun, Refugio	43 min
Dec 4, 3:53 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	CRP		52 min
Dec 4, 4:23 PM CST	Tornado Warning	CRP	Aransas, Calhoun, Refugio	52 min
Dec 4, 4:53 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	CRP		82 min

Nearby

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