Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 38, NWS Lake Charles, LA

April 25, 1997Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 25, 1997, 7:10 PM CDT for Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 50 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 25, 1997, 7:10 PM CDT (00:10 UTC)
Expired
Apr 25, 1997, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Whole counties

County Jefferson Davis Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 42 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:13 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 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 41 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 1997-04-26Temperature 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 1997-04-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 366 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
501 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
64 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
366 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
631 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLCH 260010 RRA
SVRLCH
LAC053-260100-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
710 PM CDT FRI APR 25 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 800 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
 
   ...JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH
 
AT 705 PM CDT...NEXRAD DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
JUST EAST OF HAYES MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. WELSH AND JENNINGS ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM. LARGE HAIL AND VERY HEAVY RAIN CAN BE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGH\TNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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.

NWS Lake Charles, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 25, 2:30 PM CDT, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 25, 2:30 PM CDT, 4 hours 40 minutes before
SOUTHEAST TEXAS..SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL LOUISIANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
230 PM CDT FRI APR 25 1997

SFC PLOT SHOWS QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT OVER NORTHERN GULF.
TSRA FIRING UP ALONG FRONT AND MOVING N INTO CWA COASTAL WATERS.
SAT PICS SHOW SHORTWAVES RIPPLING ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS...HEADED
FOR SE TX AND LA. 88-D ACTIVE WITH NUMEROUS TSRA OVER SE TX
AND OVER THE COASTAL WATERS. ETA SEEMS TO BE THE MODEL OF
CHOICE WITH 50H LOW DIGGING S INTO N MEXICO. SEVERAL PERTURBATIONS
RIPPLE OUT INTO SE TX AND LA THRU PD. SFC LOW SHOULD DEVELOP
WITH WARM FRONT MOVING INTO UPPER TX COAST AND COASTAL LA
BY SAT. MORNING. CONDITIONS COMING TOGETHER FOR HVY RAINFALL
OVER SE TX AND SW LA TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY POSSIBLY SHIFTING
EASTWARD SAT. NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. FOCUSING MECHANISM(WARM FRONT)...
PWS AT 1.6 TO 1.8...THETA-E RIDGE AT 335 TO 340...LIS AT -4 TO -6...
LLJ AT 40KTS...SHORTWAVES RIPPLING ACROSS CWA...VVS AT -10 TO -13.

WITH ALL THIS IN MIND...WOULD LIKE A FFA TO BE ISSUED FOR SE TX
LCH CWA. AS FAR AS COASTAL AREAS...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH MAY NEED
TO BE ISSUED FOR SW LA COASTAL WATERS...ESPECIALLY IF WINDS
BECOME MORE SELY. WILL KEEP COASTAL FLOOD WARNING AT LEAST
THROUGH 600 PM...MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED AS WINDS ARE EXPECTED
TO BECOME SE. CAMERON TIDE GAUGE NOW RUNNING AT 3.0 FEET...SABINE
PASS TIDE GAUGE AT 3.1 FEET.

OVERALL...WENT SOMEWHAT COOLER ON MOS TEMPS DUE TO CLD COVER
AND RAINFALL. HERE ARE THE NUMBERS...

13

BPT 63/73/66/75 8887
LCH 63/72/66/75 8877  LFT 63/73/65/74 7777  AEX 60/72/63/71 8877

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 25, 4:40 PM CDT, 2 hours 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
440 PM CDT FRI APR 25 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

435 PM     LUMBERRTON                TX   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/25/97   HARDIN                         REPORTED BY SHERIFF DEPT
Local storm report, Apr 25, 4:42 PM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
440 PM CDT FRI APR 25 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

435 PM     LUMBERRTON                TX   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/25/97   HARDIN                         REPORTED BY SHERIFF DEPT
Local storm report, Apr 25, 5:20 PM CDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
520 PM CDT FRI APR 25 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

515 PM     SULPHUR                   LA   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/25/97   CALCASIEU                      REPORTED BY SKYWARN SPOTTER
Local storm report, Apr 25, 5:22 PM CDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
520 PM CDT FRI APR 25 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

515 ^PM     SULPHUR                   LA   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/25/97   CALCASIEU                      REPORTED BY SKYWARN SPOTTER
Local storm report, Apr 25, 5:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
540 PM CDT FRI APR 25 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

535 PM     4 E DEQUINCY              LA   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/25/97   BEAUREGARD                     REPORTED BY CHANNEL 7 OBSERVER
Local storm report, Apr 25, 5:43 PM CDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
540 PM CDT FRI APR 25 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

535 PM     4 E DEQUINCY              LA   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/25/97   BEAUREGARD                     REPORTED BY CHANNEL 7 OBSERVER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 25, 8:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAcadia63 min
Apr 25, 10:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCalcasieu, Cameron67 min
Apr 25, 10:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJefferson Davis60 min
Apr 25, 11:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHCameron56 min
Apr 26, 12:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHVermilion62 min
Apr 26, 12:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHLafayette60 min
Apr 26, 1:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHSaint Landry60 min
Apr 26, 6:16 AM CDTTornado WarningLCHVermilion59 min
Apr 26, 7:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHVermilion37 min
Apr 26, 8:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHIberia30 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

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.