Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 72, NWS Fort Worth, TX

April 3, 2012Ellis County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 3, 2012, 4:24 PM CDT for Ellis County, Texas. It was in force for 51 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: Apr 3, 2012, 4:24 PM CDT (21:24 UTC)
Expired: Apr 3, 2012, 5:15 PM CDT
In force: 51 min
Issued by: NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Ellis County, TX

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:26 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

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 3, 9:18 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr
Apr 3, 12:08 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 79 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: 1939 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 469 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 109 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 92 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.6
Supercell composite: 2.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

389 
WUUS54 KFWD 032124
SVRFWD
TXC139-032215-
/O.NEW.KFWD.SV.W.0072.120403T2124Z-120403T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
424 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN ELLIS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

* UNTIL 515 PM CDT

* AT 425 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 65 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 9 MILES
  EAST OF PALMER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL
  AREAS OF THE INDICATED COUNTY.

THIS WILL IMPACT THE FOLLOWING INTERSTATES...
I-35E BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 19 AND 42...
I-45 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 255 AND 263.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A STRONG BUILDING AND
STAY INSIDE...AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OCCASIONALLY PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH
LITTLE ADVANCE WARNING.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM TUESDAY EVENING FOR
EASTERN TEXAS.

&&

LAT...LON 3208 9690 3252 9667 3255 9657 3254 9655
      3232 9644
TIME...MOT...LOC 2125Z 225DEG 26KT 3245 9651

$$


BUNTING

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 3, 2:44 PM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 2:44 PM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
244 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

.DISCUSSION...
SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL SHIFT EASTWARD SLOWLY BUT WILL CONTINUE
INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS STRONG VORT LOBE ROTATING AROUND
UPPER LOW STEEPENS LAPSE RATES OVER NORTH TEXAS. ANY STORMS THAT
FORM AHEAD OF THE LINE ARE ENCOUNTERING A MOIST AIRMASS WITH
STRONG LOW LEVEL SHEAR. THEY HAVE BEEN RAPIDLY TRANSITIONING INTO
SUPER CELL STORMS AND THUS THE TORNADO THREAT WILL CONTINUE INTO
THE EVENING HOURS AS WELL. AS THE DRY LINE PUSHES EAST LATER
TODAY...CONVECTION SHOULD WEAKEN AND THEN SHUT OFF BY SUNRISE.

NORTH TEXAS SHOULD REMAIN DRY THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS
RIDGING OCCURS ALOFT. THE NEXT COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO DROP INTO
NORTH TEXAS AND STALL SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.
I HAVE CONTINUED THE LOW POPS FOR THAT TIME FRAME. 84

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX  57  77  56  77  58 /  20   5   5   0   0
WACO, TX              58  78  55  80  56 /  30   5   0   0   0
PARIS, TX             60  75  54  74  54 /  70  10  10   5   0
DENTON, TX            56  76  55  77  55 /  20   5   5   0   0
MCKINNEY, TX          57  75  55  75  53 /  40   5   5   5   0
DALLAS, TX            58  77  57  78  58 /  30   5   5   0   0
TERRELL, TX           58  76  56  76  57 /  50   5   5   0   0
CORSICANA, TX         59  77  57  79  59 /  50   5   5   0   0
TEMPLE, TX            59  78  56  81  58 /  30   5   0   0   0
MINERAL WELLS, TX     52  77  53  78  55 /  10   0   5   0   0

&&

.FWD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.

&&

 /

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 3, 2:29 PM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
229 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-041145-
MONTAGUE-COOKE-GRAYSON-FANNIN-LAMAR-YOUNG-JACK-WISE-DENTON-COLLIN-
HUNT-DELTA-HOPKINS-STEPHENS-PALO PINTO-PARKER-TARRANT-DALLAS-
ROCKWALL-KAUFMAN-VAN ZANDT-RAINS-EASTLAND-ERATH-HOOD-SOMERVELL-
JOHNSON-ELLIS-HENDERSON-COMANCHE-MILLS-HAMILTON-BOSQUE-HILL-NAVARRO-
FREESTONE-ANDERSON-LAMPASAS-CORYELL-BELL-MCLENNAN-FALLS-LIMESTONE-
LEON-MILAM-ROBERTSON-
229 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINING VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE CONTINUING
ACROSS THE EASTERN TWO THIRDS OF NORTH TEXAS. STRONG TORNADOES ARE
POSSIBLE WITH DISCRETE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS THAT OCCUR OUT
AHEAD OF THE MAIN LINE OF STORMS. GREATEST THREAT FOR DISCRETE
SUPERCELLS WILL FROM BE ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 35. STORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO END FROM WEST TO EAST LATE THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

THERE IS ANOTHER CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH
MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY EAST OF A DECATUR...WEATHERFORD...
HAMILTON...AND LAMPASAS LINE THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR THE THREAT
OF VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND A FEW STRONG TORNADOES.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 3, 4:03 PM CDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
403 PM CDT TUE APR 03 2012

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

0401 PM     TORNADO          10 W QUINLAN            32.90N  96.30W
04/03/2012                   HUNT               TX   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            POSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR 548 AND MUNSON

Local storm report, Apr 3, 4:06 PM CDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
406 PM CDT TUE APR 03 2012

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

0406 PM     HAIL             5 SSW DEPORT            33.45N  95.35W
04/03/2012  E1.75 INCH       LAMAR              TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

Local storm report, Apr 3, 4:07 PM CDT, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
407 PM CDT TUE APR 03 2012

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

0405 PM     TORNADO          SULPHUR SPRINGS         33.13N  95.60W
04/03/2012                   HOPKINS            TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SULPHUR SPRINGS PD REPORTS TORNADO AT HWY 19 N NEAR LOOP
            301

Local storm report, Apr 3, 4:08 PM CDT, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
408 PM CDT TUE APR 03 2012

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

0407 PM     HAIL             2 SSW WEST              31.77N  97.11W
04/03/2012  E1.00 INCH       MCLENNAN           TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

Local storm report, Apr 3, 4:11 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
411 PM CDT TUE APR 03 2012

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

0408 PM     TORNADO          3 SE ROYSE CITY         32.95N  96.29W
04/03/2012                   HUNT               TX   EMERGENCY MNGR

            COUNTY EM REPORTS TORNADO NEAR UNION VALLEY

Local storm report, Apr 3, 4:15 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
415 PM CDT TUE APR 03 2012

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

0414 PM     HAIL             1 NW WACO               31.56N  97.16W
04/03/2012  E1.00 INCH       MCLENNAN           TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN NORTHWEST WACO

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 2, 10:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Young	59 min
Apr 3, 7:00 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Stephens, Young	30 min
Apr 3, 7:28 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Young	32 min
Apr 3, 7:32 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack, Young	58 min
Apr 3, 8:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Eastland	49 min
Apr 3, 8:29 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack, Young	46 min
Apr 3, 8:35 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Montague	25 min
Apr 3, 8:58 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Eastland	47 min
Apr 3, 9:01 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Palo Pinto	29 min
Apr 3, 9:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack, Palo Pinto, Young	49 min
Apr 3, 9:27 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Palo Pinto	33 min
Apr 3, 9:41 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Comanche	34 min
Apr 3, 9:49 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Palo Pinto	41 min
Apr 3, 10:00 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Erath	30 min
Apr 3, 10:04 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Comanche, Eastland, Erath	56 min
Apr 3, 10:24 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack, Palo Pinto	51 min
Apr 3, 10:40 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Palo Pinto	35 min
Apr 3, 10:51 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Erath, Hood, Palo Pinto, Parker	39 min
Apr 3, 11:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack	49 min
Apr 3, 11:28 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Parker	28 min
Apr 3, 11:35 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Montague	40 min
Apr 3, 11:42 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Erath, Palo Pinto	48 min
Apr 3, 11:50 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Erath, Hood	25 min
Apr 3, 11:59 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hood, Parker	61 min
Apr 3, 12:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack	55 min
Apr 3, 12:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Montague	67 min
Apr 3, 12:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Johnson	57 min
Apr 3, 12:44 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Johnson, Tarrant	46 min
Apr 3, 12:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hood, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant	54 min
Apr 3, 12:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	FWD	Dallas, Ellis	50 min
Apr 3, 1:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Parker, Tarrant	44 min
Apr 3, 1:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Montague	39 min
Apr 3, 1:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	FWD	Dallas, Tarrant	50 min
Apr 3, 1:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	FWD	Dallas	49 min
Apr 3, 1:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Bosque	47 min
Apr 3, 1:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hood, Johnson, Somervell, Tarrant	41 min
Apr 3, 1:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Ellis, Johnson	45 min
Apr 3, 1:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Tarrant	60 min
Apr 3, 1:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Denton, Wise	40 min
Apr 3, 2:03 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Denton	42 min
Apr 3, 2:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Delta, Hopkins, Hunt	63 min
Apr 3, 2:13 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Collin, Dallas, Rockwall	62 min
Apr 3, 2:13 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Collin, Dallas, Denton, Tarrant	47 min
Apr 3, 2:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Bosque, Hill	60 min
Apr 3, 2:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Dallas, Tarrant	26 min
Apr 3, 2:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Dallas, Ellis	56 min
Apr 3, 2:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hopkins, Rains	68 min
Apr 3, 2:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Collin, Dallas, Denton, Tarrant	63 min
Apr 3, 2:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Delta, Hopkins, Hunt	48 min
Apr 3, 2:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Dallas, Tarrant	17 min
Apr 3, 2:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Ellis, Hill, Johnson	65 min
Apr 3, 3:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Bosque, McLennan	42 min
Apr 3, 3:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Dallas, Kaufman, Rockwall	45 min
Apr 3, 3:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Bell, Coryell	40 min
Apr 3, 3:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Delta, Hopkins	50 min
Apr 3, 3:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Delta, Hopkins, Hunt	62 min
Apr 3, 3:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Collin, Dallas, Ellis	41 min
Apr 3, 3:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hill, McLennan	46 min
Apr 3, 3:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Collin, Hunt, Rockwall	40 min
Apr 3, 4:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Kaufman	58 min
Apr 3, 4:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Lamar	28 min
Apr 3, 4:13 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Delta, Hopkins, Lamar	33 min
Apr 3, 4:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Falls, Hill, Limestone, McLennan, Navarro	43 min
Apr 3, 4:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Emergency	FWD	Hunt	48 min
Apr 3, 4:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Hopkins, Rains	44 min
Apr 3, 4:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Fannin, Hunt	53 min
Apr 3, 4:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Kaufman, Van Zandt	64 min
Apr 3, 4:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Delta, Hunt, Lamar	20 min
Apr 3, 4:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Ellis, Falls, Freestone, Henderson, Hill, Limestone and 3 more	63 min
Apr 3, 5:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Delta, Hopkins, Lamar, Rains	60 min
Apr 3, 5:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Hopkins	49 min
Apr 3, 5:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Hopkins	24 min
Apr 3, 5:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Rains, Van Zandt	54 min
Apr 3, 5:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Bell, Falls, Limestone, Milam	66 min
Apr 3, 5:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Freestone, Henderson, Navarro	62 min
Apr 3, 6:24 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	FWD	Anderson	36 min
Apr 3, 6:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Anderson	65 min
Apr 3, 6:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Anderson, Freestone	38 min
Apr 3, 6:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Milam, Robertson	46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Texas, 2012 Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.