Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2000

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 68, NWS Lake Charles, LA

April 2, 2000Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 2, 2000, 7:25 PM CDT for Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 65 min. 2 reports 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: Apr 2, 2000, 7:25 PM CDT (00:25 UTC)
Expired: Apr 2, 2000, 8:30 PM CDT
In force: 65 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Whole counties

County Saint Landry Parish, LA

The radar

The Ft Polk radar (KPOE), 111 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:27 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 2, 8:30 PM CDT	Hail 0.75	Opelousas, LA
Apr 2, 8:35 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind	Palmetto, LA

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 2, 6:00 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 126 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: 656 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -45 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 541 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 95 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 251 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.0
Supercell composite: 9.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KLCH 030026
SVRLCH
LAC097-030130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
725 PM CDT SUN APR 2 2000

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  ST. LANDRY PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA

* UNTIL 830 PM CDT

* AT 720 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM BETWEEN BIG CANE AND PALMETTO...MOVING       
  NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...DESTRUCTIVE
HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL RAIN.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT MONDAY MORNING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

CALL 337-477-5285 TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE WEATHER SERVICE.

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 2, 1:43 PM CDT, 5 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 2, 1:43 PM CDT, 5 hours 42 minutes before

SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
143 PM CDT SUN APR 2 2000

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT...
...POSSIBLE FLOODING PROBLEM TONIGHT...

.FIRST PERIOD...
AT THE TOP OF THE FRICTION LAYER (NEAR 925 MB)...THE LLJ (LOW-LEVEL
JET) AND ATTENDANT THETA-E (EQUIVALENT POTENTIAL TEMPERATURE) RIDGE
EXTENDS FROM ALABAMA THROUGH THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THIS
MESO-SCALE CONFIGURATION HAS SET-UP A FRONTAL INTERFACE...SITUATED
ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA. EXPECT CONVECTIVE RAINS ORGANIZING
INTO LINES WITHIN THE LAFAYETTE/NEW IBERIA NEIGHBORHOOD. OTHERWISE
...CONTINUOUS STABLE RAINS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE
FORECAST AREA...THE GENTLE RAINFALL RATES WILL BRING THE GROUND TO
FIELD CAPACITY. LOCALIZED FLOODING MAY BE A PROBLEM...UNDULATIONS IN
THE SOUTHWESTERLY CURRENT ALOFT MAY TRIGGER A FEW EMBEDDED TSTMS.
FINALLY...LOW CEILINGS AND PATCHY FOG ARE LIKELY IN THE RAIN AREAS.

.SECOND PERIOD...
THE SYNOPTIC CONFIGURATION BECOMES COMPLICATED. THE ETA GUIDANCE
DEPICTS THE 925 MB FRONTAL INTERFACE SKEDADDLING ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA...SHOVING THE CONVECTIVE RAINS TO THE EAST OF THE LAFAYETTE/NEW
IBERIA NEIGHBORHOOD. SIGNIFICANT QUASI-GEOSTROPHIC LIFT (500 MB PVA)
BECOMES ESTABLISHED ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA...
BUT FORTUNATELY IN THE WAKE OF THE 925 MB FRONTAL INTERFACE. THE
STRONG DESCENT IN THE WAKE WILL EXTINGUISH THE RAINS...BEGINNING FROM
THE WEST (EARLY AFTERNOON) AND ENDING TO THE EAST (EARLY EVENING).
FINALLY...THE PRIMARY SOUTHERN PLAINS COLD FRONT WILL BULLDOSE INTO
UPPER SOUTHEAST TEXAS DURING THE EARLY EVENING.

.THIRD PERIOD...
EXPECT A RAPID COOL-DOWN AS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS COLD FRONT SPILLS
INTO THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO. BRISK NORTHERS WILL BRING ABOUT
CLEAR SKIES AND COLD WIND CHILLS. GUSTY WINDS MAY BE A PROBLEM...
COLD AIR ADVECTION WITHIN THE FRICTION LAYER WILL PRODUCE A SUPER-
ADIABATIC LAPSE RATE...WHICH ENCOURAGES DOWNWARD MOMENTUM TRANSFER.
WIND GUSTS TO 30 KT ARE POSSIBLE.

.FOURTH PERIOD...
BRISK WINDS WILL SLOWLY RELAX BY THE AFTERNOON. AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL
BE RUNNING ABOUT 10 DEG F BELOW NORMAL.

21

.LCH...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT
TX...TX180>182-210-215>216
LA...LA027>029-030>033-041>043-051

PRELIMINARY NUMBERS...
LCH 67/72/49/65 8820
BPT 68/74/47/65 7710
LFT 68/74/52/60 8840
AEX 65/68/47/58 7720

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 2, 6:03 PM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
603 PM CDT SUN APR 2 2000

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

0600 PM    PORT ARTHUR              TX    1.75 INCH HAIL
04/2/00    JEFFERSON                      REPORTED BY PUBLIC

FN

Local storm report, Apr 2, 6:37 PM CDT, 48 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
637 PM CDT SUN APR 2 2000

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

0550 PM    PORT ARTHUR              TX    1.00 INCH HAIL
04/2/00    JEFFERSON                      REPORTED BY SHERIFFS DEPT.

FN

Local storm report, Apr 2, 6:43 PM CDT, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
643 PM CDT SUN APR 2 2000

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

0640 PM    HACKBERRY                LA    TORNADO
04/2/00    CAMERON                        TORNADO ON THE GROUND...AS
                                          OF THIS LOCAL STORM
                                          REPORT...NUMEROUS CALELS

FN

Local storm report, Apr 2, 6:59 PM CDT, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
659 PM CDT SUN APR 2 2000

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

0700 PM    LAKE CHARLES             LA    1.50 INCH HAIL
04/2/00    CALCASIEU                      REPORTED BY NATIONAL WEATHER
                                          SERVICE LAKE CHARLES

FN

Local storm report, Apr 2, 7:03 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
703 PM CDT SUN APR 2 2000

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

0645 PM    MAMOU                    LA    TORNADO
04/2/00    EVANGELINE                     INJURIES...DAMAGE...WILL
                                          UPDATE WHEN WE GET
                                          MORE INFORMATION

FeN

Local storm report, Apr 2, 7:08 PM CDT, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES, LA
708 PM CDT SUN APR 2 2000

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

0645 PM    VILLE PLATTE             LA    .75 INCH HAIL
04/2/00    EVANGELINE                     REPORTED BY SHERIFFS DEPT

FN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 2, 7:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Avoyelles	68 min
Apr 2, 7:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Jefferson Davis	57 min
Apr 2, 7:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Acadia, Evangeline	61 min
Apr 2, 8:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Landry	61 min
Apr 2, 10:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard	61 min
Apr 2, 11:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vernon	60 min
Apr 2, 11:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen, Rapides	64 min
Apr 3, 12:01 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard	59 min
Apr 3, 3:37 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Vernon	68 min
Apr 3, 4:45 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Calcasieu	60 min
Apr 3, 5:00 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Calcasieu	60 min
Apr 3, 5:22 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Jefferson Davis	53 min
Apr 3, 5:32 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Cameron	58 min
Apr 3, 5:51 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Acadia, Allen, Evangeline, Jefferson Davis	54 min
Apr 3, 5:51 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Landry	54 min
Apr 3, 6:09 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia	66 min
Apr 3, 6:34 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Lafayette	56 min
Apr 3, 6:38 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Lafayette	67 min
Apr 3, 6:49 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Landry	56 min
Apr 3, 6:57 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vermilion	63 min
Apr 3, 7:07 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Martin	68 min
Apr 3, 7:27 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Iberia, St. Mary	63 min
Apr 3, 10:26 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Calcasieu	64 min
Apr 3, 10:26 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen	64 min
Apr 3, 11:00 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Evangeline, Rapides	60 min
Apr 3, 11:00 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard	60 min
Apr 3, 11:37 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Avoyelles	68 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 2000 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2000

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.