Alert archive / Texas / Tornado Warnings in 2013

Tornado Warning 24, NWS Fort Worth, TX

May 20, 2013Comanche County, Mills County, Texas

NWS Fort Worth, TX issued this tornado warning at May 20, 2013, 5:59 PM CDT for Comanche County, Mills County, Texas. It was in force for 46 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 20, 2013, 5:59 PM CDT (22:59 UTC)
Expired: May 20, 2013, 6:45 PM CDT
In force: 46 min
Issued by: NWS Fort Worth, TX
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Comanche County, TX, Mills County, TX

The radar

The Dyess AFB radar (KDYX), 97 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:02 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
May 20, 6:45 PM CDT	HAIL 0.75	Priddy, TX

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 tornado 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
May 20, 2:21 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), launched 12:00Z, 11.0 hours before the alert went out and 171 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: 747 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -390 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 893 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 275 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 216 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

915 
WFUS54 KFWD 202259
TORFWD
TXC093-333-202345-
/O.NEW.KFWD.TO.W.0024.130520T2259Z-130520T2345Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
559 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN COMANCHE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS...
  NORTH CENTRAL MILLS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS...

* UNTIL 645 PM CDT

* AT 556 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH A HISTORY OF PRODUCING
  TORNADOES WAS 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF COMANCHE...NEAR THE BROWN 
  COUNTY LINE...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  PRIDDY AROUND 640 PM CDT...

A TORNADO WAS OBSERVED NEAR BLANKET IN BROWN COUNTY.

COMANCHE IS NOT IN THE PATH OF THE TORNADO...BUT WILL EXPERIENCE 
LARGE HAIL TO THE SIZE OF BASEBALLS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF IN THE PATH OF THE TORNADO...EVACUATE MOBILE HOMES FOR A STORM 
SHELTER OR PERMANENT BUILDING. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT 
IN THE NEAREST DITCH AND COVER YOUR HEAD.

&&

LAT...LON 3209 9864 3194 9841 3168 9847 3160 9858
      3168 9877 3170 9873 3170 9869 3172 9869
      3193 9883 3197 9885
TIME...MOT...LOC 2256Z 287DEG 15KT 3177 9871

$$


25

1 follow-up statement

452 
WWUS54 KFWD 202326
SVSFWD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
626 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

TXC093-333-202345-
/O.CON.KFWD.TO.W.0024.000000T0000Z-130520T2345Z/
MILLS TX-COMANCHE TX-
626 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM CDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL COMANCHE AND NORTH CENTRAL MILLS COUNTIES...

AT 625 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
MONITORING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH A HISTORY OF PRODUCING
TORNADOES. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 11 MILES SOUTH OF 
COMANCHE...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. TRAINED SPOTTERS ARE REPORTING A 
ROTATING WALL CLOUD WITH THIS STORM 6 MILES NORTH OF PRIDDY.

THE TORNADO MAY IMPACT NEWBURG IN SOUTHERN COMANCHE COUNTY..

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY
WITH THIS STORM.

EVACUATE MOBILE HOMES FOR A STORM SHELTER OR PERMANENT BUILDING. IF
NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH AND COVER
YOUR HEAD.

&&

LAT...LON 3190 9880 3195 9859 3194 9841 3168 9847
      3160 9858 3168 9877 3170 9873 3170 9869
      3172 9869
TIME...MOT...LOC 2325Z 289DEG 16KT 3174 9858

$$


92

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at May 20, 4:38 PM CDT, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 4:38 PM CDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
438 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

.UPDATE...
INCREASED POPS TO LIKELY FROM COMANCHE COUNTY NORTHWARD INTO YOUNG AND
JACK COUNTIES. ALSO ADDED HAIL AND STRONG THUNDERSTORM GUSTS TO
THE PUBLIC FORECAST AND HOURLY GRIDS. 75

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 306 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013/

AN ACTIVE PATTERN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE CWA THROUGH TUESDAY AS
A DEEP UPPER LOW OVER SOUTH DAKOTA AND NEBRASKA REMAINS QUASI-
STATIONARY AND A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES ACROSS OUR REGION
ON TUESDAY. AFTER TUESDAY...UPPER RIDGING DEVELOPS OVER THE
SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL ROCKIES AND THEN MOVES EAST OVER THE GREAT PLAINS
BY THE WEEKEND. THE RETURN OF NORTHWEST UPPER FLOW ON WEDNESDAY
SHOULD HELP TO PUSH A COLD FRONT DOWN THROUGH OKLAHOMA AND ACROSS
THE RED RIVER EARLY WEDNESDAY. THIS FRONT AND THE NORTHWEST FLOW
ALOFT COULD RESULT IN SOME ELEVATED CONVECTION THURSDAY NIGHT AND
FRIDAY MORNING.

THROUGH THIS EVENING...THE DRYLINE HAS BECOME ACTIVE FROM SOUTH OF
WICHITA FALLS THROUGH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. ALTHOUGH THE CAP IS STILL
INTACT ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN PART OF OUR CWA...WE EXPECT
IT TO WEAKEN OUT WEST WITH STORMS DEVELOPING SOUTHWARD THROUGH 5 PM.
STORM MOVEMENT SHOULD BE NORTHEAST BUT LINE PROPAGATION WILL PUSH
THEM FARTHER IN OUR CWA THIS EVENING AND MAYBE TO A SHERMAN TO
GOLDTHWAITE LINE BY MIDNIGHT. AS STATED EARLIER TODAY...THE
ATMOSPHERE IS VERY UNSTABLE WITH LARGE CAPE THUS LARGE HAIL (UP TO
BASEBALL) AND DAMAGING WINDS (65MPH+) ARE POSSIBLE AND EXPECTED.
HELICITY WILL BE THE HIGHEST NEAR THE RED RIVER 5 TO 8PM...SO
TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. SOME OF THE OKLAHOMA ACTIVITY MIGHT
SLIDE ACROSS THE RED AFTER MIDNIGHT AND DECIDED TO KEEP HIGH POPS
GOING FOR NOW.

TUESDAY...CONVECTION SHOULD REDEVELOP ACROSS OKLAHOMA ON TUESDAY
MORNING AND PROPAGATE SOUTHEAST ACROSS OUR CWA. SEVERAL HIGH-RES
MODELS INDICATE A SQUALL LINE FORMING ACROSS OKLAHOMA BY MIDDAY
AND MOVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS A GOOD PORTION OF THE CWA DURING THE
AFTERNOON. ALSO THERE COULD BE SEVERAL LEFT OVER MESOSCALE
FEATURES THAT WOULD ENHANCE STORM DEVELOPMENT. RAINFALL MIGHT
EXCEED 1 1/2 INCHES IN SOME AREAS...BUT DO NOT FEEL FLASH FLOODING
WILL BE A MAJOR CONCERN DUE TO GUIDANCE VALUES OF AROUND 3 INCHES
IN 3 HOURS.

TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN RATHER SEASONABLY WARM AND HUMID THROUGH
THE PERIOD. HOWEVER...IF THE COLD FRONT ENDS UP BEING STRONGER THAN
EXPECTED OR PENETRATES FARTHER SOUTH...THEN THE DRIER AIR WOULD
ALLOW SLIGHTLY COOLER LOWS WED-FRI OVER THE NORTHERN HALF THAN
WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING FORECAST. 75

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DALLAS-FT. WORTH, TX  71  86  65  88  69 /  30  60  40  10  10
WACO, TX              72  89  67  89  70 /  10  60  60  10  10
PARIS, TX             69  81  63  85  64 /  60  70  40  10  10
DENTON, TX            69  85  62  88  65 /  40  50  20  10  10
MCKINNEY, TX          70  84  64  88  65 /  40  70  30  10  10
DALLAS, TX            72  86  69  89  72 /  30  60  40  10  10
TERRELL, TX           71  86  67  88  69 /  30  70  60  10  10
CORSICANA, TX         72  87  70  88  70 /  10  60  70  10  10
TEMPLE, TX            72  88  68  88  69 /  10  50  60  10  10
MINERAL WELLS, TX     68  87  61  89  66 /  30  50  20  10  10

&&

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

&&

 /75

Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 2:49 PM CDT, 3 hours 10 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
249 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

TXZ091>095-100>107-115>123-129>135-141>148-156>162-174-175-211215-
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-
249 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM ALONG THE DRYLINE THIS
AFTERNOON AND WILL MOVE EAST AND NORTHEAST ACROSS MAINLY THE
WESTERN AND NORTHWESTERN PARTS OF THE AREA THROUGH THE EVENING
HOURS. THE HIGHEST CHANCES OF SEVERE WEATHER ARE GENERALLY WEST OF
A LINE FROM SHERMAN TO DENTON TO GRANBURY TO KILLEEN. ATMOSPHERIC
CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS
AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES. AS THE STORMS HEAD EAST INTO MORE STABLE
AIR ACROSS CENTRAL PARTS OF NORTH TEXAS...THEY SHOULD WEAKEN BELOW
SEVERE LEVELS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE AREA
TUESDAY AND INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. A SQUALL LINE MAY ORGANIZE ALONG A
COLD FRONT DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS AND PRODUCE A SWATH OF
DAMAGING WIND AS IT HEADS EAST AND SOUTHEAST. LARGE HAIL AND
ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL CONTINUE TO BE THREATS IN ANY STORM THAT
IS SEPARATED FROM THE LINE.

A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY
MORNING GENERALLY NORTH OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON IN WESTERN
COUNTIES...SPREADING EAST OVERNIGHT AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE
ACROSS NORTH TEXAS.

92

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 20, 12:56 PM CDT, 5 hours 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED DATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1256 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

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

1256 PM     TSTM WND DMG     KENNEDALE               32.65N  97.22W
05/15/2013                   TARRANT            TX   PUBLIC

            ROOF PEALED OFF A BUILDING WITH INTERIOR DAMAGE. PUBLIC
            STORAGE UNTIS NEXT DOOR LAST WALLS AND ROOFS.

Local storm report, May 20, 4:22 PM CDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
422 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

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

0348 PM     HAIL             2 N ROMNEY              32.26N  98.95W
05/20/2013  E1.75 INCH       EASTLAND           TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            INTERSECTION OF FM 2526 AND HWY 6 NORTH OF ROMNEY

Local storm report, May 20, 4:52 PM CDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
452 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

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

0441 PM     HAIL             EASTLAND                32.40N  98.82W
05/20/2013  E0.75 INCH       EASTLAND           TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            REPORTED IN EASTLAND NEAR EXIT 343 ON I-20

Local storm report, May 20, 5:43 PM CDT, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
543 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

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

0541 PM     TORNADO          1 S RINGGOLD            33.81N  97.95W
05/20/2013                   MONTAGUE           TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            BRIEF TORNADO REPORTED 1 MILE SOUTH OF RINGGOLD.

Local storm report, May 20, 5:47 PM CDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
547 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

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

0536 PM     HAIL             JACKSBORO               33.22N  98.17W
05/20/2013  E1.75 INCH       JACK               TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SEVERAL REPORTS OF GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL ACROSS THE
            COUNTY.

Local storm report, May 20, 5:59 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
559 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

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

0558 PM     HAIL             NOCONA                  33.78N  97.73W
05/20/2013  E1.50 INCH       MONTAGUE           TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 20, 3:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Eastland	57 min
May 20, 4:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Stephens	58 min
May 20, 4:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Comanche	52 min
May 20, 4:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack, Palo Pinto, Young	60 min
May 20, 5:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Comanche	50 min
May 20, 5:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack, Young	58 min
May 20, 5:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Montague	63 min
May 20, 5:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Montague, Wise	53 min
May 20, 6:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Cooke	55 min
May 20, 6:29 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Cooke, Montague	61 min
May 20, 6:31 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	FWD	Montague	119 min
May 20, 6:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Comanche, Hamilton, Mills	62 min
May 20, 6:44 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	FWD	Comanche	4 hr
May 20, 6:52 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	FWD	Comanche, Hamilton, Mills	53 min
May 20, 6:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	FWD	Jack, Palo Pinto, Stephens, Young	63 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Texas, 2013 Every tornado warning in 2013 Tornadoes in 2013

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.