Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Lake Charles, LA

February 28, 1987Allen Parish, Evangeline Parish, Rapides Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 28, 1987, 3:36 AM CST for Allen Parish, Evangeline Parish, Rapides Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 54 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 28, 1987, 3:36 AM CST (09:36 UTC)
Expired
Feb 28, 1987, 4:30 AM CST
In force
54 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Allen Parish, LA, Evangeline Parish, LA, Rapides Parish, LA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 101 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 00:00Z on 1987-02-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1103 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 1987-02-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 127 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
1103 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
557 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
127 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
177 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.8
Supercell composite
4.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLCH 280936
SVRLCH
LAC079-003-039-281030-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
336 AM CST SAT FEB 28 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  430 AM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING PARISHES...
 
IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA
          ...RAPIDES
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
          ...ALLEN...NORTHERN EVANGELINE
 
AT 335 AM CST RADAR SHOWED A LARGE CLUSTER OF POSSIBLY SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS FROM 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OAKDALE TO JUST SOUTHWEST OF
OAKDALE.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT NORTHEAST AT 50
MPH.
 
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE
HAIL.
 n
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 27, 10:35 PM CST, 5 hours 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1030 PM CST FRI FEB 27 1987

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF LOUISIANA TONIGHT...

AT 1025 PM...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DECREASING
BETWEEN MORGAN CITY AND BATON ROUGE.

WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE INCREASING OVER
NORTHEAST TEXAS AROUND RAYBURN LAKE AND SAN AUGUSTINE.

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.6
Special weather statement, Feb 27, 11:30 PM CST, 4 hours 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1130 PM CST FRI FEB 27 1987

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF LOUISIANA TONIGHT...

AT 1125 PM...WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND PATCHES OF LIGHT RAIN WERE
OCCURRING BETWEEN LAKE CHARLES...LEESVILLE...AND EUNICE. WIDELY
SCATTERED SHOWERS  CONTINUED TO DECREASE AROUND AFCHAFALAYA BAY TO
NEAR BATON ROUGE.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TOf INCREASE OVER NORTH/
EAST TEXAS AND NORTHWEST LOUISIANA FROM RAYBURN LAKE ACROSS THE NORTH
PART OF TOLEDO BEND TO NEAR MANSFIELD.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MILES AN
HOUR.
Special weather statement, Feb 28, 12:43 AM CST, 2 hours 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1235 AM CST SAT FEB 28 1987

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF LOUISIANA TONIGHT...

AT 1226 AM...WIDELY SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING
25 MILES NORTH OF LAKE CHARLES AND FROM 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DERIDDER
NEAR ELIZABETH TO JUST WEST OF BUNKIE LOUISIANA...ISOLATED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO SHOWN FROM 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE TO
35 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE. RAIN AND SHOWERS EXTEND SOUTHEAST OF
A LINE FROM NORTHWEST OF LAKE CHARLES TO LEESVILLE TO JENA.

IN EAST TEXAS SRTONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO OCCURRING FROM NORTH OF
FREEPORT TO NORTHWEST OF HOUSTON TO SOUTHWEST OF LAKE LIVINGSTON.
THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MIXED IN A LARGE PATCH OF RAIN THAT
EXTENDED FROM FREEPORT TO WEST OF HOUSTON TO NORTH OF LUFKIN.
HOUR.

MOVEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
Special weather statement, Feb 28, 1:44 AM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
140 AM CST SAT FEB 28 1987

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF LOUISIANA TONIGHT...

AT 127 AM...WIDELY SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONTINUE FROM
ALONG THE COAST SOUTHEAST OF WHITE LAKE TO SOUTHEAST OF LAGAYETTE TO
20 MILES NORTH OF LAFAYETTE...AND FROM SOUTHEAST OF JENA TO 45 MILES
NORTHWEST OF BATON ROUGE. OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE NOTED FROM 30
MILES NORTH OF LAKE CHARLES TO 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF FORT POLK.
THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 TO 50 MPH AND
WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AS WELL AS STRONG GUSTY SURFACE WINDS.

IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM JUST NORTHEAST OF
LUFKIN TO WOODVILLE AND SOUTHERN LAKE RAYBURN TO 25 MILES WEST OF
BEAUMONT...ALSO FROM 15 TO 60 MILES SOUTH OF GALVESTIN.

MOVEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
Special weather statement, Feb 28, 2:54 AM CST, 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
255 AM CST SAT FEB 28 1987

AT 241 AM CST THIS SATURDAY MORNING..A WIND SHIFT WAS NOTED AT THE
JEFFERSON COUNTY AIRPORT. THE WIND SHIFTED FROM THE SOUTH TO
NORTHWEST AT 23 GUSTING 37 MPH.

THE RAINFALL AMOUNT WAS ABOUT TWO HUNDRED OF AN INCH WITH A
TEMPERATURE OF 67 DEGREES. THE PRESSURE IS STILL RISING AT 29.61
INCHES.

MOST OF THE HEAVY RAIN APPEARS TO BE NEAR SABINE PASS TEXAS AND IS
MOVING RAPIDLY TOWARD SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.
Special weather statement, Feb 28, 3:27 AM CST, 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORT ARTHUR TX
320AM CST SAT FEB 28 1987

   ..TORNADO WATCH 18 IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM CST...

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTL 400 AM CST THIS SATURDAY
MORNING.  THERE HAS BEEN NO REPORTES OF SEVERE WEATHER IN OR AROUND
THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE THIS MORNING.

A FEW HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CAUSED VERY GUSTY WINDS TO NEAR 45
MPH NEAR BUNA IN SOUTHERN JASPER COUNTY ABOUT 245 AM CST.

VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS ROLLED ACROSS THE EAST TEXAS LAKES AREA
EARLIER THIS MORNING WITH WINDS EXCEEDING 55 MPH.

MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED INTO LOUISIANA WITH A FEW
REMAINING IN NEWTON COUNTY HEADING TOWARDS THE LOUISIANA BORDER AT
315 AM CST

THE WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN PORT ARTHUR HAS WINDS FROM THE WEST TO
NORTHWEST ABOUT 20 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 35 TO 40 MPH.  THE FRON
MOVED ACROSS THE BEAUMONT/PORT ARTHUR/ORANGE METROPOLITAN AREA ABOUT
245 AM AND THE WINDS HAVE BEEN FROM THE WEST TO NORTHWEST SINCE THEN
AT NEAR 20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

SATURDAY SHOULD SEE PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S.
THE WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY FROM THE NORTHWEST 15 TO 20 MPH AND
GUSTY.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 28, 2:55 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCalcasieu, Cameron80 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987

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.