Alert archive / Missouri / Tornado Watches in 1997
Tornado Watch 323
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 26, 1997, 12:30 AM CDT for 39 counties in Missouri. It was in force for 5 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 26, 1997, 12:30 AM CDT (05:30 UTC)
- Expired
- May 26, 1997, 5:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 5 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 39 counties
Barry County, MO, Barton County, MO, Bates County, MO, Benton County, MO, Camden County, MO, Cass County, MO, Cedar County, MO, Christian County, MO, Cole County, MO, Dade County, MO, Dallas County, MO, Douglas County, MO, Greene County, MO, Henry County, MO, Hickory County, MO, Howell County, MO, Jasper County, MO, Johnson County, MO, Laclede County, MO, Lawrence County, MO, Maries County, MO, McDonald County, MO, Miller County, MO, Moniteau County, MO, Morgan County, MO, Newton County, MO, Osage County, MO, Ozark County, MO, Pettis County, MO, Phelps County, MO, Polk County, MO, Pulaski County, MO, St. Clair County, MO, Stone County, MO, Taney County, MO, Texas County, MO, Vernon County, MO, Webster County, MO, Wright County, MO
The radar
The Springfield radar (KSGF), 18 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:31 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.
Warnings issued inside it
5 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 12:58 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | St. Clair | 47 min |
| May 26, 1:14 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Benton, Hickory | 51 min |
| May 26, 1:39 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | SGF | Benton, St. Clair | 3 hr |
| May 26, 2:32 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Laclede | 33 min |
| May 26, 3:15 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | LSX | Cole, Osage | 3 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 58 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 418 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -54 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1632 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 29 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 94 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
416
WWUS9 KMKC 260455
SEL3
MKC WW 260455
MOZ000-261000-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 323
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1155 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 1997
THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MISSOURI
EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY MORNING FROM 1230 AM UNTIL 500 AM CDT.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 80 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MONETT MISSOURI TO 25 MILES
EAST NORTHEAST OF KNOB NOSTER MISSOURI.
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO WATCH
NUMBER 322. WATCH NUMBER 322 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 1230 AM
CDT. CONTINUE...WW 320...WW 321...
DISCUSSION...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI INTO
SOUTHEAST KANSAS EXPECTED TO MOVE EASTWARD DURING THE EARLY MORNING
HOURS. ACTIVITY IS OCCURING IN LEFT EXIT REGION OF STRONG MID AND
UPPER LEVEL JET STREAM WHERE MOST FAVORABLE DIVERGENCE ALOFT IS
LOCATED. VAD AND PROFILER WINDS CONTINUE TO SHOW STRONG WINDS
VEERING IN THE LOW AND MID LEVELS SUGGESTING CONTINUED THREAT FOR
SUPERCELLS.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26030.
...WEISS
362,0944 384,0943 384,0913 362,0915SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 10:00 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Bates, Benton, Buchanan, Carroll, Cass, Cedar and 16 more | 4 hr |
| May 26, 3:00 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Barry, Barton, Bates, Bollinger, Butler, Camden and 42 more | 6 hr |
| May 26, 4:00 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Mississippi, Scott | 6 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Missouri, 1997Every tornado watch 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.