Alert archive / Texas / Rip Current Statements in 2018

Rip Current Statement 3, NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

April 7, 20184 counties in Texas

NWS Houston/Galveston, TX issued this rip current statement at Apr 7, 2018, 4:17 PM CDT for 4 counties in Texas. It was in force for 12 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Apr 7, 2018, 4:17 PM CDT (21:17 UTC)
Expired: Apr 8, 2018, 4:00 AM CDT
In force: 12 hr
Issued by: NWS Houston/Galveston, TX

Counties Brazoria County, TX, Chambers County, TX, Galveston County, TX, Matagorda County, TX

The radar

The Houston radar (KHGX), 30 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:18 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, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 219 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: 525 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -122 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 773 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 124 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 221 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 3.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

040 
WHUS44 KHGX 072117
CFWHGX

Coastal Hazard Message
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
417 PM CDT Sat Apr 7 2018

......High Rip Current Risk along Gulf-Facing Beaches......

..Strong onshore winds will continue to result in a high risk 
of rip currents along Gulf-facing beaches through late Saturday 
evening. Beachgoers should make sure to swim near a lifeguard 
if entering the water..

TXZ214-236>238-080900-
/O.NEW.KHGX.RP.S.0003.180407T2117Z-180408T0900Z/
Brazoria-Chambers-Galveston-Matagorda-
417 PM CDT Sat Apr 7 2018

...HIGH RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM CDT SUNDAY...

The National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston has issued a
High Rip Current Risk, which is in effect until 4 AM CDT Sunday. 

* TIMING...Through late Saturday evening.

* IMPACTS...Hazardous swimming conditions on Gulf- 
  facing beaches, especially near piers, jetties, and rock 
  groins. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

There is a high risk of rip currents. Life threatening rip
currents are likely in the surf zone.
               
Rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing quickly away
from shore...which occur most often at low spots or breaks in the
sandbar and in the vicinity of structures such as groins...
jetties and piers. Heed the advice of lifeguards...beach patrol...
flags and signs. Swim near a lifeguard.
               
If you become caught in a rip current...yell for help. Remain
calm...do not exhaust yourself and stay afloat while waiting for
help. If you have to swim out of a rip current...swim parallel to
shore and back toward the beach when possible. Do not attempt to
swim directly against a rip current as you will tire quickly.

&&

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 6, 11:28 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Washington	62 min
Apr 6, 11:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazos, Burleson, Grimes	29 min
Apr 7, 12:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazos, Grimes, Madison, Montgomery, Walker	34 min
Apr 7, 12:21 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Trinity	54 min
Apr 7, 12:23 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	HGX	Grimes, Montgomery, Walker	22 min
Apr 7, 12:39 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Brazos, Grimes, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, Waller and 1 more	51 min
Apr 7, 12:51 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	HGX	Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, Walker	39 min
Apr 7, 1:24 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Polk	51 min
Apr 7, 1:28 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Montgomery	47 min
Apr 7, 2:11 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	HGX	Harris	49 min
Apr 7, 3:46 AM CDT	Small Craft Advisory	HGX		24 hr
Apr 7, 3:49 AM CDT	Wind Advisory	HGX	Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston and 3 more	15 hr

Nearby

Rip Current Statements in Texas, 2018 Every rip current statement in 2018

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.