Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS St. Louis, MO

April 15, 1994Marion County, Illinois

NWS St. Louis, MO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 15, 1994, 6:15 AM CDT for Marion County, Illinois. It was in force for 45 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Apr 15, 1994, 6:15 AM CDT (11:15 UTC)
Expired: Apr 15, 1994, 7:00 AM CDT
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS St. Louis, MO
Area: Whole counties

County Marion County, IL

The nearest sounding before it

Paducah/Barkley, KY (KPAH), launched 00:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 177 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 2422 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 115 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 151115
SVRSTL
ILC049-051-121-151200-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
615 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ST LOUIS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  700 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS
 
   ...EFFINGHAM COUNTY...FAYETTE COUNTY...MARION COUNTY
 
AT 615 AM...RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM ABOUT 30
MILES WEST OF EFFINGHAM ILLINOIS THROUGH THE CHESTER ILLINOIS AREA AND
INTO SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 MILES AN
HOUR AND WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE COMMUNITIES OF VANDALIA...EFFINGHAM
AND SALEM BETWEEN 630 AND 700 AM.
 
THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL.
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVAN6CE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
 
SHEA/MORSE/RP

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, Apr 15, 3:45 AM CDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before

MOZ062-065-052-061-063-064-060-ILZ098-058-099-100-102-101-150945-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
344 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 AM...

AT 340 AM...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN EXTENDED FROM
PIKE COUNTY ILLINOIS...25 MILES EAST OF HANNIBAL...TO NEAR COLUMBIA
MISSOURI.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR.

AS THESE STORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI...RESIDENTS
OF THE ST LOUIS AREA AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES SHOULD PREPARE FOR
POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER.  GUSTY WIND...HAIL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE...ALONG WITH THE THREAT OF A TORNADO.  THE GREATEST CHANCES FOR
SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE BETWEEN 400 AND 600 AM FOR THE ST LOUIS AREA.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA SOURCE FOR LATER
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

SHEA

Special weather statement, Apr 15, 4:07 AM CDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before

MOZ001>115-151015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
406 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...THE TORNADO WATCH FROM SOUTHWEST MISSOURI INTO NORTHERN MISSOURI HAS
BEEN CANCELLED...

TORNADO WATCH #87 HAS BEEN CANCELLED.  THIS WATCH WAS IN EFFECT FROM
SOUTHWEST MISSOURI INTO THE NORTHERN COUNTIES.  THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED
THROUGH THIS AREA AND SEVERE WEATHER IS NO LONGER EXPECTED.

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES THOUGH FOR AREA^S EAST OF THERE...FROM SOUTHERN
MISSOURI ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSOURI INTO WESTERN ILLINOIS.
THIS WATCH RUNS UNTIL 900 AM.

SHEA

Special weather statement, Apr 15, 4:18 AM CDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before

MOZ017-010-018-019-052-027-034-036-035-008-009-026-ILZ095-064-096-
098-058-097-049-151015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
417 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...TORNADO WATCHES CONTINUE FOR SECTIONS OF NORTHEAST MISSOURI AND WEST
CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

TORNADO WATCH #88 CONTINUES FOR AREAS JUST SOUTH AND EAST OF THE
QUINCY/HANNIBAL AREA EARLY THIS MORNING.  THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER
CONTINUES BETWEEN ST LOUIS AND HANNIBAL.

FURTHER NORTH THOUGH...THE WATCHES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED.  THE IMMEDIATE
QUINCY/HANNIBAL AREA AND UP TOWARDS KIRKSVILLE ARE NO LONGER IN A
TORNADO WATCH.

SHEA

Local storm report, Apr 15, 4:52 AM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA MO
430 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...PRELIMINARY STORM REPORTS...ALL TIMES CDT

TIME      COUNTY             REPORT
0115      CHARITON      3/4 INCH HAIL AT BRUNSWICK AT 120 AM CDT.
0245      MORGAN        75 TO 80 MPH WINDS..LINES DOWN..LARGE TREE LIMBS
                        DOWN..PEASIZE HAIL..VERY HEAVY SHOWERS.
0300      BENTON        LARGE TREES DOWN...MOBILE HOME BLOWN APART..
                        SMALL CHILD MISSING..THEN FOUND..POWER LINES DOWN.
                        MANY MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED SOUTH OF WARSAW.
                        MOTEL DAMAGED AT OSAGE BLUFF.
0310      MONITEAU      2 INCH HAIL.
0318      BENTON        2 CONFIRMED TORNADOES...ONE ABOUT 4 MILES WEST
                        OF WARSAW...ONE 4 MILES SOUTH OF WARSAW. ONE
                        OTHER TORNADO..UNCONFIRMED AND LOCATION UNKNOWN.
321       MONITEAU      GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 1/2 MILE NORTH OF FORTUNA AT
                        250 CDT.

325          BOON        MARBLE SIZE HAIL JUST SOUTHWEST OF COLUMBIA.
331          CAMDEN      WINDS TO 48 MPH..TREES DOWN..VERY HEAVY RAIN
                         IN WEST CAMDENTON.
333          BOON        1/4 TO 1/2 INCH HAIL ON BROADWAY AT DELBERT
                         PORTER'S HOUSE.  (DELBERT IS RETIRED COU W.S.O.
                         EMPLOYEE.)
333          COLE        3/4 INCH HAIL IN JEFFERSON CITY.
345          CALLAWAY    HAIL..SIZE UNKNOWN..UNCONFIRMED TORNADO IN
                         NEW BLOOMFIELD...VERY HEAVY SHOWERS.
350          COLE        TORNADO IN ELSTON AT 345.
355          COLE        SHEDS BLOWN APART IN TAOS.
420          MONTGOMERY  PEASIZE HAIL 1 MILE NORTH OF I-70 AND 1 MILE
                         EAST OF I-70...WINDS TO 35 MPH...VER HEAVY
                         SHOWERS.
420          MORGAN      AT 305 CDT NEAR BARNETT...2 500FT TURKEY
                         BUILDINGS DESTROYED.

END
LB/AL

Special weather statement, Apr 15, 5:26 AM CDT, 49 minutes before

MOZALL-151020-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
425 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTHEAST MISSOURI UNTIL 10 AM...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI.  THE WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM AND INCLUDES THE
CAPE GIRARDEAU...POPLAR BLUFF...CARUTHERSVILLE AND ST GENEVIEVE.

A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS BEEN MOVING ACROSS
SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MISSOURI DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS.  THESE
STORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THE STATE.

PEOPLE IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR
LOCAL RADIO AND T.V. STATIONS FOR THE LATEST WEATHER UPDbATES.  BE
PREPARED TO MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER IF SEVERE WEATHER MOVES INTO YOUR
AREA.
FERRY

Local storm report, Apr 15, 6:05 AM CDT, 10 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA MO
605 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994

...PRELIMINARY STORM REPORTS...ALL TIMES CDT

TIME      COUNTY             REPORT
0335 AM   COLE               2 HUEY HELICOPTERS DESTROYED AT
                             JEFFERSON CITY AIRPORT...AND NATIONAL GUARD
                             BUILDING DAMAGED. BOTH COPTERS WERE TIED
                             DOWN

LA GREE

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 15, 5:04 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LSX	Monroe	41 min
Apr 15, 5:15 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LSX	Saint Clair	45 min
Apr 15, 5:26 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LSX	Bond, Madison	44 min
Apr 15, 5:37 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LSX	Randolph	53 min
Apr 15, 5:49 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LSX	Washington	41 min
Apr 15, 5:53 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LSX	Clinton	52 min
Apr 15, 5:53 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LSX	Perry	52 min
Apr 15, 6:15 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LSX	Effingham, Fayette	45 min
Apr 15, 6:31 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LSX	Jefferson	44 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 1994 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1994

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.