Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 34, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

May 31, 2012Fort Bend County, Harris County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at May 31, 2012, 1:01 PM CDT for Fort Bend County, Harris County, Texas. It was in force for 29 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
May 31, 2012, 1:01 PM CDT (18:01 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 2012, 1:30 PM CDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Fort Bend County, TX, Harris County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:04 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
May 31, 1:15 PM CDTHAIL 0.886 Se Katy, TXNICKEL SIZED HAIL REPORTED NEAR CINCO RANCH.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 250 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 2012-05-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2548 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 2012-05-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 49 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
2548 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
650 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
49 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
36 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
1.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

821 
WFUS54 KHGX 311801
TORHGX

TXC157-201-311830-
/O.NEW.KHGX.TO.W.0034.120531T1801Z-120531T1830Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
101 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY  HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL FORT BEND COUNTY IN  TEXAS...
  EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN HARRIS COUNTY IN  TEXAS...

* UNTIL 130 PM CDT

* AT 1259 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 
  NEAR KATY...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. SPOTTERS ARE REPORTING 
  A FUNNEL AT GRAND PARKWAY AT FM 1253. TAKE COVER NOW.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MISSION BEND AND PECAN GROVE. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 2976 9582 2976 9556 2959 9571 2972 9585
TIME...MOT...LOC 1759Z 301DEG 15KT 2972 9581 

$$
2 follow-up statements
131 
WWUS54 KHGX 311807
SVSHGX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
107 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2012

TXC157-201-311830-
/O.CON.KHGX.TO.W.0034.000000T0000Z-120531T1830Z/
FORT BEND TX-HARRIS TX-
107 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 PM CDT FOR 
EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL FORT BEND AND EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN HARRIS 
COUNTIES...

AT 104 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD. 
A TORNADO MAY DEVELOP AT ANY TIME. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS 
LOCATED NEAR PECAN GROVE...OR 6 MILES SOUTH OF KATY...MOVING 
SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MISSION BEND AND PECAN GROVE. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 2974 9578 2976 9556 2959 9571 2968 9580
TIME...MOT...LOC 1804Z 301DEG 15KT 2971 9579 

$$
029 
WWUS54 KHGX 311829
SVSHGX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
129 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2012

TXC157-201-311840-
/O.EXP.KHGX.TO.W.0034.000000T0000Z-120531T1830Z/
FORT BEND TX-HARRIS TX-
129 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL FORT BEND AND 
EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN HARRIS COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 130 PM CDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING IS NO LONGER SHOWING SIGNS OF 
ROTATION. 

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING STILL REMAINS IN EFFECT 
UNTIL 145 PM FOR HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

LAT...LON 2974 9578 2976 9556 2959 9571 2968 9580
TIME...MOT...LOC 1828Z 301DEG 15KT 2971 9579 

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 31, 9:41 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXLiberty34 min
May 31, 11:27 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXChambers48 min
May 31, 12:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXFort Bend, Harris, Waller49 min
May 31, 1:10 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXColorado50 min
May 31, 1:19 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXGalveston41 min
May 31, 1:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXAustin, Colorado, Fort Bend, Wharton23 min
May 31, 1:32 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX58 min
May 31, 1:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria, Fort Bend, Wharton33 min
May 31, 1:47 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementHGXBrazoria, Jackson, Matagorda, Wharton88 min
May 31, 2:15 PM CDTSpecial Marine WarningHGX2 hr
May 31, 2:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria, Matagorda62 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.