Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 16, NWS St. Louis, MO

March 28, 1997Clinton County, Marion County, Illinois

NWS St. Louis, MO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 28, 1997, 4:02 PM CST for Clinton County, Marion County, Illinois. It was in force for 43 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Mar 28, 1997, 4:02 PM CST (22:02 UTC)
Expired
Mar 28, 1997, 4:45 PM CST
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS St. Louis, MO
Area
Whole counties

Counties Clinton County, IL, Marion County, IL

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 132 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:01 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 28, 4:10 PM CSTHail 1Vernon, IL

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 28, 2:15 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 176 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, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 1997-03-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 127 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 1997-03-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 207 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
127 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-142 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
815 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
207 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
211 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KSTL 282205 RRA
SVRSTL
ILC027-121-282245-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
402 PM CST FRI MAR 28 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ST LOUIS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  445 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS
 
   ...EASTERN CLINTON COUNTY...WESTERN MARION COUNTY
 
AT 4 PM...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR THE TOWN OF
HUEY. THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THE STORM
WILL MOVE THROUGH THE TOWNS OF BOULDER AND VERNON AND ACROSS
CARLYLE LAKE.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM! BE PREPARED FOR DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. STAY INSXIDE AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
 
RCE

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, Mar 28, 11:00 AM CST, 5 hours 2 minutes before
MOZ042-041-050-010-048-072-062-059-084-018-019-052-085-027-047-
051-034-049-036-035-099-061-075-074-063-064-009-026-060-073-ILZ095-
064-096-098-069-065-058-099-059-100-070-102-060-097-079-101-074-
MOZ065-290000-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1100 AM CST FRI MAR 28 1997

THIS OUTLOOK COVERS THE COUNTY WARNING AREA OF THE NWS OFFICE
IN ST LOUIS.  AREAS INCLUDED ARE PARTS OF CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND
EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI...AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS.

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY EVENING OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND A SMALL PORTION OF
SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS.  SURROUNDING THIS AREA...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK
OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS COVERING MUCH OF EASTERN MISSOURI AND
WESTERN ILLINOIS...GENERALLY TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM NEAR WEST
PLAINS TO MEXICO...TO AROUND 10 MILES EAST OF MEMPHIS.

GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS WERE DRAWING WARM MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR
NORTHWARD IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING THOUGH CENTRAL MISSOURI
LATE THIS MORNING.  AS THIS COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO PROGRESS
EASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON...THE COMBINATION OF COLD AIR IN THE MIDDLE
LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND CONTINUED HEATING AHEAD OF THE FRONT
SHOULD RESULT IN A MODERATELY TO VERY UNSTABLE AIR MASS OVER FAR
EASTERN MISSOURI AND WESTERN ILLINOIS.  THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF
WHICH MAY BE SEVERE...ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT AS IT
MOVES ACROSS EASTERN MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON.

THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FROM THESE STORMS SHOULD BE LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD KEEP ADVISED OF
THE LATEST FORECAST FOR POSSIBLE SKYWARN ACTION.

GLASS
Special weather statement, Mar 28, 11:04 AM CST, 4 hours 58 minutes before
MOZ042-041-050-010-048-072-062-059-084-018-019-052-085-027-047-
051-034-049-036-035-099-061-075-074-063-064-009-026-060-073-ILZ095-
064-096-098-069-065-058-099-059-100-070-102-060-097-079-101-074-
MOZ065-290000-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1100 AM CST FRI MAR 28 1997

THIS OUTLOOK COVERS THE COUNTY WARNING AREA OF THE NWS OFFICE
IN ST LOUIS.  AREAS INCLUDED ARE PARTS OF CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND
EAST CENTRAL MISSOURI...AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS.

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY EVENING OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND A SMALL PORTION OF
SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS.  SURROUNDING THIS AREA...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK
OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS COVERING MUCH OF EASTERN MISSOURI AND
WESTERN ILLINOIS...GENERALLY TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM NEAR WEST
PLAINS TO MEXICO...TO AROUND 10 MILES EAST OF MEMPHIS.

GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS WERE DRAWING WARM MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR
NORTHWARD IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING THOUGH CENTRAL MISSOURI
LATE THIS MORNING.  AS THIS COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO PROGRESS
EASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON...THE COMBINATION OF COLD AIR IN THE MIDDLE
LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND CONTINUED HEATING AHEAD OF THE FRONT
SHOULD RESULT IN A MODERATELY TO VERY UNSTABLE AIR MASS OVER FAR
EASTERN MISSOURI AND WESTERN ILLINOIS.  THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF
WHICH MAY BE SEVERE...ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT AS IT
MOVES ACROSS EASTERN MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON.

THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FROM THESE STORMS SHOULD BE LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD KEEP ADVISED OF
THE LATEST FORECAST FOR POSSIBLE SKYWARN ACTION.

GLASS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 28, 2:02 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXBond, Madison43 min
Mar 28, 2:08 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXGreene52 min
Mar 28, 2:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXRandolph48 min
Mar 28, 2:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXMadison, Saint Clair45 min
Mar 28, 2:52 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXSaint Clair, Washington53 min
Mar 28, 3:20 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXWashington40 min
Mar 28, 3:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXMacoupin48 min
Mar 28, 4:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXFayette45 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.