Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 21, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

February 3, 2012Grimes County, Waller County, Washington County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Feb 3, 2012, 4:35 PM CST for Grimes County, Waller County, Washington County, Texas. It was in force for 25 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
Feb 3, 2012, 4:35 PM CST (22:35 UTC)
Expired
Feb 3, 2012, 5:00 PM CST
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Grimes County, TX, Waller County, TX, Washington County, TX

The radar

The Ft Hood radar (KGRK), 126 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:38 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 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 285 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 12:00Z on 2012-02-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 844 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 2012-02-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 132 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
844 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
448 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
132 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
216 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
2.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

876 
WFUS54 KHGX 032235
TORHGX
TXC185-473-477-032300-
/O.NEW.KHGX.TO.W.0021.120203T2235Z-120203T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
435 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN GRIMES COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
  NORTHWESTERN WALLER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...
  NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

* UNTIL 500 PM CST

* AT 428 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO
  WAS LOCATED 11 MILES SOUTH OF WASHINGTON... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10
  MPH. A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS SIGHTED WITH THIS STORM.

* THE TORNADO WILL LIKELY REMAIN OVER RURAL PORTIONS OF THE WARNED
  COUNTIES..

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN THE INTERIOR HALLWAY OR
A ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF A STURDY BUILDING. USE
BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

IF YOU ARE INSIDE A MOBILE HOME OR VEHICLE...EVACUATE THEM
IMMEDIATELY AND SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING. AS A LAST
RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR
HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

&&

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 3039 9618 3038 9618 3038 9616 3036 9615
      3038 9614 3038 9613 3028 9596 3012 9619
      3015 9626
TIME...MOT...LOC 2234Z 214DEG 10KT 3018 9619

$$
1 follow-up statement
718 
WWUS54 KHGX 032301
SVSHGX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
501 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012

TXC185-473-477-032311-
/O.EXP.KHGX.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-120203T2300Z/
GRIMES TX-WALLER TX-WASHINGTON TX-
501 PM CST FRI FEB 3 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR WASHINGTON...WALLER AND GRIMES COUNTIES
HAS EXPIRED...

THE STORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED AND A FUNNEL CLOUD 
IS NO LONGER VISIBLE WITH THE STORM ACCORDING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.

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 3039 9618 3038 9618 3038 9616 3036 9615
      3038 9614 3038 9613 3028 9596 3012 9619
      3015 9626
TIME...MOT...LOC 2235Z 214DEG 10KT 3018 9619

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 3, 5:29 AM CSTAreal Flood AdvisoryHGXLiberty, Polk, San Jacinto2 hr
Feb 3, 6:00 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXLiberty, Polk, San Jacinto2 hr
Feb 3, 8:28 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXLiberty, Polk, San Jacinto2 hr
Feb 3, 9:21 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningHGXLiberty, Polk69 hr
Feb 3, 4:30 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXGrimes60 min
Feb 3, 4:42 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazos, Burleson48 min
Feb 3, 5:23 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningHGXBurleson2 hr
Feb 3, 5:48 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXBrazos57 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.