Alert archive / Texas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 60, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

April 4, 2012Brazoria County, Galveston County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 4, 2012, 1:35 PM CDT for Brazoria County, Galveston County, Texas. It was in force for 40 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 4, 2012, 1:35 PM CDT (18:35 UTC)
Expired: Apr 4, 2012, 2:15 PM CDT
In force: 40 min
Issued by: NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Brazoria County, TX, Galveston County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 12 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:39 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 4, 2:12 PM CDT	HAIL 0.25	Hitchcock, TX	PEA SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT

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

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 4, 12:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 190 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: 355 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -276 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 762 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 60 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 24 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 288 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -3.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

618 
WUUS54 KHGX 041835
SVRHGX
TXC039-167-041915-
/O.NEW.KHGX.SV.W.0060.120404T1835Z-120404T1915Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
135 PM CDT WED APR 4 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY  HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN BRAZORIA COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS...
  GALVESTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS...

* UNTIL 215 PM CDT

* AT 130 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 
  NEAR SANTA FE...AND MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. 

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  TEXAS CITY...ALVIN...DICKINSON...LA MARQUE...SANTA FE...
  HITCHCOCK...SAN LEON...BAYOU VISTA AND HILLCREST. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR 
PROTECTION...MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR 
HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE 
INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

&&

LAT...LON 2931 9490 2931 9494 2920 9506 2936 9531
      2946 9522 2950 9493 2950 9492 2948 9491
      2947 9493 2948 9495 2947 9495 2943 9489
TIME...MOT...LOC 1828Z 278DEG 12KT 2939 9510 

$$

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 Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 4, 1:04 PM CDT, 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 4, 1:04 PM CDT, 31 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
104 PM CDT WED APR 4 2012

.AVIATION...
DEALING WITH SHRA/+TSRA RIGHT NOW BETWEEN HOU AND GALVESTON.
SCT/BKN MVFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE AREA WIDE THIS AFTERNOON WITH
VCSH/VCTS SOUTH OF THE IAH AREA. EXPECT TO SEE THE DEVELOPMENT OF
MVFR/IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES OVERNIGHT...MAINLY SOUTH OF THE
I-10 AREA...DUE TO LIGHT WINDS AND WET GROUNDS. SKIES SHOULD CLEAR
OUT AS THE DAY PROGRESSES TOMORROW WITH DRIER WEST WINDS.  42
&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1124 AM CDT WED APR 4 2012/

UPDATE...
MORNING FORECAST UPDATE.

DISCUSSION...
IN THE SHORT TERM LOOKING TO KEEP HIGH CHANCE POPS IN THE FORECAST
FOR WIDELY SCT STORMS. STORMS COULD BE ON THE STRONG SIDE AND
APPROACH SEVERE LEVELS. SMALL HAIL IN A FEW STRONG STORMS COULD BE
POSSIBLE WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL. LOOKS LIKE UPPER LEVEL LOW
OVER OK WILL MOVE EAST WITH TROUGH AXIS FINALLY PUSHING THROUGH
TONIGHT. MAY NEED TO HAVE SOME POPS IN THE FORECAST THROUGH
MIDNIGHT BUT WILL EVAULATE THAT WITH SHORT RANGE GUIDANCE.
OTHERWISE EXPECT DRIER CONDITIONS FOR THE END OF THE WEEK AS UPPER
LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS OVER TX AND PLAINS.

FINAL NOTE...NWS HOUSTON/GALVESTON HAS STARTED AN OPERATIONAL TEST
OF AWIPS2 THROUGH FRIDAY.

39

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 429 AM CDT WED APR 4 2012/

DISCUSSION...
THE COMBINATION OF A WEAK FRONT MOVING EASTWARD AND AN OUTFLOW
BOUNDARY MOVING SOUTHWARD BROUGHT STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF SE TX EARLIER TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING
AHEAD OF THE WEAKENING COLD FRONT. THE GFS LOOKS REASONABLE IN
SLOWING THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF THE BOUNDARY THIS MORNING AND
THEN KEEPING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER
THE SOUTHEASTERN THIRD OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON.

FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST...THE GFS AND ECMWF HAD SIMILAR
SOLUTIONS. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL THEN BUILD OVER THE AREA
BEGINNING ON THURSDAY. THIS WILL BRING WARMER AND DRIER CONDITIONS
ACROSS SE TX THROUGH THE WEEKEND. EARLY NEXT WEEK THE FLOW PATTERN
ALOFT BECOMES MORE NORTHWESTERLY AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH FORMS
OVER THE NORTHEASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY. THIS FLOW PATTERN
SHOULD HELP DRIVE A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT INTO SE TX. WILL
INTRODUCE ISOLATED RAIN CHANCES AHEAD OF THE FRONT ON TUESDAY.

MARINE...
LIGHT WIND REGIME WILL BE IN PLACE FOR A FEW DAYS. SOUTHERLY WINDS
SHOULD BECOME MORE VARIABLE AS THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY OVER SETX
MOVES INTO THE COASTAL AREAS THIS MORNING. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE
WILL DEPART FOLLOWED BY A PACIFIC FRONT THAT SAGS DOWN OVER THE
COASTAL WATERS LATE THURSDAY. EAST AND SOUTHEAST FLOW OF 5 TO 15
KNOTS SHOULD PREVAIL FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TIDES AROUND 1
FOOT ABOVE NORMAL SHOULD CONTINUE TO DAY THEN SLOWLY LOWER
THURSDAY BEFORE RETURNING TO AROUND 1 FOOT ABOVE NORMAL WITH THE
EAST AND SOUTHEAST FETCH.

45

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
COLLEGE STATION (CLL)      74  56  76  55  77 /  10  10  10  10  10
HOUSTON (IAH)              74  56  76  57  77 /  20  10  10  10  10
GALVESTON (GLS)            73  62  75  64  74 /  30  10  10  10  10

&&

.HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...NONE.
GM...NONE.
&&

DISCUSSION...39
AVIATION/MARINE...42

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 4, 11:40 AM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1140 AM CDT WED APR 4 2012

GMZ330-335-350-355-TXZ163-164-176>179-195>200-210>214-226-227-
235>238-051645-
AUSTIN-BRAZORIA-BRAZOS-BURLESON-CHAMBERS-COLORADO-FORT BEND-
GALVESTON-GALVESTON BAY-GRIMES-HARRIS-HOUSTON-JACKSON-LIBERTY-
MADISON-MATAGORDA-MATAGORDA BAY-MONTGOMERY-POLK-SAN JACINTO-
TRINITY-WALKER-WALLER-WASHINGTON-
WATERS FROM FREEPORT TO THE MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM HIGH ISLAND TO FREEPORT OUT 20 NM-WHARTON-
1140 AM CDT WED APR 4 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A FEW ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
MAINLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 10 TODAY AND THIS EVENING. SOME STORMS
COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THE ACTIVITY SHOULD
REMAIN ALONG THE COAST AND PUSH EAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. BRIEF
HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THE STRONGER
STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 4, 12:53 PM CDT, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1253 PM CDT WED APR 04 2012

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

1205 PM     HAIL             FRESNO                  29.54N 95.46W
04/04/2012  E1.00 INCH       FORT BEND          TX   PUBLIC

1239 PM     HAIL             ALVIN                   29.43N 95.25W
04/04/2012  E1.75 INCH       BRAZORIA           TX   PUBLIC

            GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC AT A LOCAL 711
            STORE IN WEST ALVIN

&&

TWG

Local storm report, Apr 4, 1:06 PM CDT, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
106 PM CDT WED APR 04 2012

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

1235 PM     HAIL             ALVIN                   29.43N 95.25W
04/04/2012  E1.00 INCH       BRAZORIA           TX   PUBLIC

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC IN ALVIN

1241 PM     HAIL             ALVIN                   29.43N 95.25W
04/04/2012  E1.75 INCH       BRAZORIA           TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            PUBLIC REPORT OF GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT ALVIN COMMUNITY
            COLLEGE

&&

TWG

Local storm report, Apr 4, 1:14 PM CDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
114 PM CDT WED APR 04 2012

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

1258 PM     HAIL             ALVIN                   29.43N 95.25W
04/04/2012  E0.25 INCH       BRAZORIA           TX   PUBLIC

            GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT ALVIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE AGAIN

&&

TWG

Local storm report, Apr 4, 1:24 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
124 PM CDT WED APR 04 2012

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

0122 PM     HAIL             SANTA FE                29.38N 95.10W
04/04/2012  E0.88 INCH       GALVESTON          TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            DIME TO NICKEL HAIL REPORTED BY RETIRED NWS EMPLOYEE

&&

TWG

Local storm report, Apr 4, 1:27 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
127 PM CDT WED APR 04 2012

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

0122 PM     HEAVY RAIN       ALVIN                   29.43N 95.25W
04/04/2012  E0.00 INCH       BRAZORIA           TX   EMERGENCY MNGR

            0.5 INCH RAIN FELL IN 10 MINUTES REPORTED BY BRAZORIA
            COUNTY EM IN THE PAST HOUR

&&

TWG

Local storm report, Apr 4, 1:33 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
133 PM CDT WED APR 04 2012

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

0130 PM     HAIL             DICKINSON               29.45N 95.07W
04/04/2012  E0.25 INCH       GALVESTON          TX   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            PEA SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIAL AT FM517
            AND HWY 646

&&

TWG

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 3, 7:15 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Brazos, Burleson	60 min
Apr 3, 8:00 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Houston, Madison	60 min
Apr 3, 8:09 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Brazos, Burleson, Washington	81 min
Apr 3, 8:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Houston	39 min
Apr 3, 9:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazos, Grimes, Madison	48 min
Apr 3, 9:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Houston	47 min
Apr 3, 9:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazos, Grimes, Madison, Walker	48 min
Apr 3, 10:14 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	HGX	Houston, Madison	2 hr
Apr 3, 10:48 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Houston	57 min
Apr 3, 10:50 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Madison	55 min
Apr 3, 11:35 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Trinity	55 min
Apr 3, 11:53 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Walker	52 min
Apr 4, 12:29 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Polk, Trinity	46 min
Apr 4, 12:34 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Montgomery	56 min
Apr 4, 12:44 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Montgomery, Walker	46 min
Apr 4, 1:32 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Montgomery, San Jacinto	58 min
Apr 4, 1:52 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker	38 min
Apr 4, 2:31 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Liberty, Polk, San Jacinto	59 min
Apr 4, 8:49 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		56 min
Apr 4, 11:09 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Harris	51 min
Apr 4, 11:37 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazoria, Fort Bend, Harris	38 min
Apr 4, 12:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris	43 min
Apr 4, 12:59 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	HGX	Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston	61 min
Apr 4, 1:02 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	HGX	Brazoria, Galveston	43 min
Apr 4, 1:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazoria	40 min
Apr 4, 1:43 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		92 min
Apr 4, 1:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazoria, Matagorda	46 min
Apr 4, 2:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Galveston	25 min
Apr 4, 2:17 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		88 min
Apr 4, 2:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazoria, Matagorda	48 min
Apr 4, 3:00 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		90 min
Apr 4, 3:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Jackson, Matagorda	52 min
Apr 4, 3:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazoria, Galveston, Matagorda	45 min
Apr 4, 3:35 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	HGX	Brazoria, Matagorda	115 min
Apr 4, 3:46 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		89 min
Apr 4, 4:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazoria, Jackson, Matagorda	62 min
Apr 4, 4:23 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		82 min
Apr 4, 4:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazoria, Fort Bend, Jackson, Matagorda, Wharton	54 min
Apr 4, 5:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Jackson, Matagorda, Wharton	53 min
Apr 4, 5:22 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	HGX	Brazoria, Fort Bend, Jackson, Matagorda, Wharton	80 min
Apr 4, 5:29 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		91 min
Apr 4, 5:41 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		32 min
Apr 4, 5:54 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Fort Bend	51 min
Apr 4, 6:27 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	HGX		93 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.