Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 38, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

December 25, 2012Houston County, Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this tornado warning at Dec 25, 2012, 8:42 AM CST for Houston County, Texas. It was in force for 48 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 25, 2012, 8:42 AM CST (14:42 UTC)
Expired
Dec 25, 2012, 9:30 AM CST
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Houston County, TX

The radar

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 170 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:42 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
Dec 25, 9:22 AM CSTTORNADO13 Se Crockett, TXPUBLIC REPORT OF TORNADO DAMAGE ON 287 WITH A DESTROYED BUILDING.
Dec 25, 9:25 AM CSTTORNADO8 Ene Lovelady, TXWORST OF THE DAMAGE WAS ALONG HIGHWAY 287 ONE MILE NORTH OF PENNINGTON. A FEED STORE AND RESTAURANT WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY AN EF-3 TORNADO WITH DEBRIS SCATTERED IN A FIELD TO THE EAST. SEVERAL HOMES AND TRAILERS WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED ALONG THE PATH. MOST
Dec 25, 9:30 AM CSTTSTM WND GST 80Lovelady, TXLOVELADY FIRECHIEF REPORT WIND GUST OF 80 MPH

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

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Dec 25, 1:37 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 243 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 2012-12-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1505 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 2012-12-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 265 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1505 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
500 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
265 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
353 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
10.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

849 
WFUS54 KHGX 251442
TORHGX
TXC225-251530-
/O.NEW.KHGX.TO.W.0038.121225T1442Z-121225T1530Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
842 AM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LEAGUE CITY  HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  HOUSTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...

* UNTIL 930 AM CST
    
* AT 837 AM CST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 
  13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CROCKETT...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CROCKETT...LOVELADY...KENNARD AND LATEXO. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS TORNADO WARNING REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED 
FOR THE SAME AREA.

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 3157 9522 3158 9517 3154 9514 3151 9510
      3150 9510 3149 9511 3147 9510 3147 9506
      3140 9497 3099 9557 3127 9569 3159 9528
TIME...MOT...LOC 1437Z 230DEG 42KT 3118 9562 

$$

39
2 follow-up statements
075 
WWUS54 KHGX 251454
SVSHGX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
854 AM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

TXC225-251530-
/O.CON.KHGX.TO.W.0038.000000T0000Z-121225T1530Z/
HOUSTON TX-
854 AM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 AM CST FOR CENTRAL 
HOUSTON COUNTY...
    
AT 851 AM CST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 
NEAR CROCKETT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. A SECOND STORM ABOUT 5 
MILES SOUTHWEST OF LOVELADY WAS ALSO SHOWING ROTATION AND A POSSIBLE 
TORNADO.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CROCKETT...LOVELADY...KENNARD AND LATEXO. 

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 3157 9522 3158 9517 3154 9514 3151 9510
      3149 9511 3147 9510 3147 9506 3145 9504
      3140 9497 3130 9511 3101 9553 3128 9562
      3159 9528
TIME...MOT...LOC 1451Z 229DEG 43KT 3130 9545 

$$

39
864 
WWUS54 KHGX 251510
SVSHGX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
910 AM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

TXC225-251530-
/O.CON.KHGX.TO.W.0038.000000T0000Z-121225T1530Z/
HOUSTON TX-
910 AM CST TUE DEC 25 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 AM CST FOR 
NORTHEASTERN HOUSTON COUNTY...
    
AT 908 AM CST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 13 
MILES NORTHEAST OF CROCKETT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
KENNARD.

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 3157 9522 3158 9517 3154 9514 3151 9510
      3149 9511 3147 9510 3147 9506 3145 9504
      3140 9497 3130 9511 3128 9529 3142 9540
      3159 9528
TIME...MOT...LOC 1508Z 229DEG 42KT 3142 9527 

$$

39

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 25, 12:47 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXMontgomery28 min
Dec 25, 1:09 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXGrimes, San Jacinto, Walker36 min
Dec 25, 1:36 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXPolk39 min
Dec 25, 1:48 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXTrinity27 min
Dec 25, 2:12 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXHouston, Polk, Trinity48 min
Dec 25, 2:54 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXHouston21 min
Dec 25, 8:13 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXHouston47 min
Dec 25, 8:32 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHouston43 min
Dec 25, 9:04 AM CSTTornado WarningHGXHouston, Polk, Trinity41 min
Dec 25, 9:17 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHouston, Madison43 min
Dec 25, 9:45 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXPolk, Trinity30 min
Dec 25, 9:56 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXSan Jacinto49 min
Dec 25, 9:57 AM CSTTornado WarningHGXHouston, Trinity22 min
Dec 25, 10:02 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXSan Jacinto43 min
Dec 25, 10:15 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto30 min
Dec 25, 10:18 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXPolk, San Jacinto, Trinity42 min
Dec 25, 10:38 AM CSTWind AdvisoryHGXAustin, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Chambers, Colorado and 17 more16 hr
Dec 25, 10:39 AM CSTTornado WarningHGXHarris, Liberty, Montgomery36 min
Dec 25, 10:42 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXLiberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto17 min
Dec 25, 11:01 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers, Harris, Liberty44 min
Dec 25, 11:07 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXChambers53 min
Dec 25, 11:08 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningHGX82 min
Dec 25, 11:12 AM CSTTornado WarningHGXChambers, Harris, Liberty48 min
Dec 25, 11:18 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria, Galveston, Harris42 min
Dec 25, 11:23 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXChambers, Harris, Liberty55 min
Dec 25, 11:24 AM CSTSpecial Marine WarningHGX81 min
Dec 25, 11:35 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementHGXBrazoria, Matagorda70 min
Dec 25, 11:54 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXBrazoria, Galveston24 min
Dec 25, 12:15 PM CSTSpecial Marine WarningHGX2 hr
Dec 25, 12:46 PM CSTSpecial Marine WarningHGX59 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.