Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 1, NWS St. Louis, MO

March 12, 1991Pike County, Illinois

NWS St. Louis, MO issued this tornado warning at Mar 12, 1991, 5:34 PM CST for Pike County, Illinois. It was in force for 41 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 12, 1991, 5:34 PM CST (23:34 UTC)
Expired
Mar 12, 1991, 6:15 PM CST
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS St. Louis, MO
Area
Whole counties

County Pike County, IL

The nearest sounding before it

Paducah/Barkley, KY (KPAH), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 342 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, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 12:00Z on 1991-03-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Paducah/Barkley, KY at 12:00Z on 1991-03-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 241 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1267 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
241 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
234 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSTL 122334
TORSTL
ILC149-130015-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
534 PM CST TUE MAR 12 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ST LOUIS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  615 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS
 
   ...PIKE COUNTY
 
A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED BY AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR
NEAR LOUISIANA MISSOURI IN PIKE COUNTY MISSOURI...ON THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER...HALFWAY BETWEEN ST. LOUIS AND QUINCY.
THIS POSSIBLE TORNADO WILL MOVE ACROSS PIKE COUNTY
ILLINOIS BEFORE 615 PM.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
FELDT

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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 12, 12:23 PM CST, 5 hours 11 minutes before
MOZ010-014-121930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA MO
1225 PM CST TUE MAR 12 1991

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL MISSOURI UNTIL 4PM...

A SOLID LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS IN CENTRAL MISSOURI FROM NEAR
FAYETTE...25 MILES NORTHWEST OF COLUMBIA...TO OSAGE BEACH...40 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF JEFFERSON CITY.  THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH AND
WILL BE OVER COLUMBIA AND JEFFERSON CITY BY 1PM.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO IGNITE INTO SEVERE STORMS THAT
MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES AS THEY
MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI BETWEEN 1230 AND 4PM THIS AFTERNOON.

PERSONS IN CENTRAL MISSOURI SHOULD BE ALERT TO CHANGING WEATHER
CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SAFETY ON SHORT NOTICE.

LARM
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 1:13 PM CST, 4 hours 21 minutes before
MOZALL-122010-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
105 PM CST TUE MAR 12 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER CENTRAL MISSOURI...

A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 4 PM FOR A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL
MISSOURI INCLUDING THE CITIES OF ROLLA... COLUMBIA... SPRINGFIELD...
JEFFERSON CITY AND SEDALIA.

AT 1 PM...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAD MOVED INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI.
THE LINE OF STORMS EXTENDED ROUGHLY FROM 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
KIRKSVILLE TO NEAR COLUMBIA TO JUST EAST OF LAKE OF THE OZARKS.
STORM MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

DURING THE PAST HOUR...SPOTTY REPORTS OF SMALL HAIL AND STRONG WINDS
HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.

THE CENTRAL MISSOURI THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUED TO MOVE EAST INTO
THE EASTERN SECTIONS OF MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON...GENERALLY AFTER 3 PM.
SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES COULD BE EXTENDED EAST AT THAT TIME.

PEOPLE ACROSS MUCH OF MISSOURI SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO THIS RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER SITUATION.  LISTEN FOR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
EMERGENCY WEATHER INFORMATION...AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF
CONDITIONS WARRENT.

GOETSCH
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 1:14 PM CST, 4 hours 20 minutes before
MOZALL-122010-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
105 PM CST TUE MAR 12 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OVER CENTRAL MISSOURI...

A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 4 PM FOR A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL
MISSOURI INCLUDING THE CITIES OF ROLLA... COLUMBIA... SPRINGFIELD...
JEFFERSON CITY AND SEDALIA.

AT 1 PM...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAD MOVED INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI.
THE LINE OF STORMS EXTENDED ROUGHLY FROM 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
KIRKSVILLE TO NEAR COLUMBIA TO JUST EAST OF LAKE OF THE OZARKS.
STORM MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

DURING THE PAST HOUR...SPOTTY REPORTS OF SMALL HAIL AND STRONG WINDS
HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.

...OUTLOOK FOR EAST MISSOURI INCLUDING ST. LOUIS...

THE CENTRAL MISSOURI THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME LIKELY ACROSS EAST
SECTIONS OF MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON...GENERALLY AFTER 3 PM.  SEVERE
WEATHER WATCHES COULD BE EXTENDED EAST AT THAT TIME.

PEOPLE ACROSS MUCH OF MISSOURI SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO THIS RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER SITUATION.  LISTEN FOR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
EMERGENCY WEATHER INFORMATION...AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF
CONDITIONS WARRENT.

GOETSCH
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 2:48 PM CST, 2 hours 46 minutes before
MOZALL-122200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
245 PM CST TUE MAR 12 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI...

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM FOR A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL
MISSOURI INCLUDING THE CITIES OF ROLLA... COLUMBIA... AND JEFFERSON
CITY.

THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM MARION COUNTY MISSOURI CLOSE
TO QUINCY...TO EAST OF COLUMBIA AND JEFFERSON CITY.  INDIVIDUAL
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR WHILE THE
ENTIRE LINE WAS SLOWLY MOVING EAST.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSOURI
BETWEEN 3 AND 5 PM.

...ST. LOUIS AREA...
THESE STORMS ARE STILL ABOUT 70 MILES WEST OF THE ST LOUIS METRO
AREA.  THIS WOULD BRING THEM CLOSE TO THE ST. LOUIS AREA DURING THE
EVENING RUSH HOUR.  CURRENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THAT A SEVERE WEATHER
WATCH COULD BE ISSUED FOR FAR EAST MISSOURI..INCLUDING THE ST LOUIS
AREA BEFORE( 4 PM.

FELDT
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 3:40 PM CST, 1 hour 54 minutes before
MOZALL-122300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
350 PM CST TUE MAR 12 1991

...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR EAST MISSOURI...

A TORNADO WATCH NOW COVERS EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI..INCLUDING ST. LOUIS AND CAPE GIRARDEAU.

TWO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER EAST MISSOURI AS OF 345 PM.
ONE STORM WAS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY...AND WILL MOVE INTO PIKE COUNTY
BEFORE 430 PM.  ANOTHER STRONG STORM WAS LOCATED NORTH OF THE COLUMBIA
AIRPORT.

BETWEEN 345 AND 445 PM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS
PARTS OF NORTHEAST MISSOURI...INCLUDING PIKE COUNTY...PERHAPS CLOSE TO
BOWLING GREEN.

...OUTLOOK FOR ST. LOUIS...

NO SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED IN THE ST LOUIS AREA BEFORE ABOUT 5
PM...CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD INCREASE AFTER 5 PM.

PEOPLE ACROSS THE EAST HALF OF MISSOURI SHOULD KEEP ALERT TO THIS
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER SITUATION.  LISTEN FOR NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICtE EMERGENCY WEATHER INFORMATION...AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK
SHELTER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

FELDT
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 4:37 PM CST, 57 minutes before
MOZ007-010-011-012-018-130200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
435 PM CST TUE MAR 12 1991

...STRONG STORMS WERE MOVING ACROSS PIKE COUNTY MISSOURI...

AT 430 PM SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ACROSS PARTS OF
PIKE...AND FAR NORTH LINCOLN COUNTIES IN MISSOURI.  THIS WAS THE AREA
NORTH OF ST. LOUIS AND SOUTH OF QUINCY.

THESE STORMS CONTAIN VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND
PERHAPS HAIL.

BETWEEN 435 AND 515 PM...STRONG STORMS WILL CONTINUE IN PIKE COUNTY
CLOSE TO THE CITIES OF BOWLING GREEN AND LOUISIANA...AND MOVE INTO
PIKE COUNTY ILLINOIS.

...ST. LOUIS AREA...
THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN ABOUT 40 MILES WEST OF ST. LOUIS.  SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA AROUND 5 30PM.

FELDT

The office that day

Everything else NWS St. Louis, MO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 12, 5:19 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXPike41 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes in 1991

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.