Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Watches in 2000

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 280

May 12, 20004 states

The Storm Prediction Center issued this severe thunderstorm watch at May 12, 2000, 8:15 PM CDT for 4 states. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 12, 2000, 8:15 PM CDT (01:15 UTC)
Expired
May 13, 2000, 1:00 AM CDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 50 counties

Alexander County, IL, Edwards County, IL, Franklin County, IL, Gallatin County, IL, Hamilton County, IL, Hardin County, IL, Jackson County, IL, Jefferson County, IL, Johnson County, IL, Massac County, IL, Perry County, IL, Pope County, IL, Pulaski County, IL, Saline County, IL, Union County, IL, Wabash County, IL, Wayne County, IL, White County, IL, Williamson County, IL, Dubois County, IN, Gibson County, IN, Orange County, IN, Pike County, IN, Posey County, IN, Spencer County, IN, Vanderburgh County, IN, Warrick County, IN, Ballard County, KY, Carlisle County, KY, Crittenden County, KY, Fulton County, KY, Graves County, KY, Henderson County, KY, Hickman County, KY, Livingston County, KY, Lyon County, KY, Marshall County, KY, McCracken County, KY, Union County, KY, Webster County, KY, Bollinger County, MO, Butler County, MO, Cape Girardeau County, MO, Mississippi County, MO, New Madrid County, MO, Perry County, MO, Ripley County, MO, Scott County, MO, Stoddard County, MO, Wayne County, MO

Warnings issued inside it

12 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 12, 9:11 PM CDTTornado WarningPAHWayne64 min
May 12, 9:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHPerry39 min
May 12, 10:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHEdwards, Wabash52 min
May 12, 10:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHBollinger, Stoddard52 min
May 12, 10:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHUnion19 min
May 12, 10:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHWilliamson17 min
May 12, 10:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHAlexander, Pulaski37 min
May 12, 10:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHJohnson33 min
May 12, 11:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHMississippi27 min
May 12, 11:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLMKDubois26 min
May 13, 12:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHCarlisle, Hickman41 min
May 13, 12:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLMKOrange33 min

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 276 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2000-05-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2626 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2000-05-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 110 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
2626 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
963 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
110 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
72 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
4.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

655 
WWUS9 KMKC 130100
SEL0  
MKC WW 130050
ILZ000-INZ000-KYZ000-MOZ000-130600-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 280
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
750 PM CDT FRI MAY 12 2000

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   SOUTHERN ILLINOIS                           
   SOUTHWEST INDIANA                            
   WESTERN KENTUCKY                           
   SOUTHEAST MISSOURI                           

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING FROM 815 PM UNTIL
100 AM CDT.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 75 STATUTE MILES
EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF POPLAR BLUFF
MISSOURI TO 40 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF EVANSVILLE INDIANA.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR 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...  CONTINUE...WW 271...WW 272...WW
273...WW 274...WW 275...WW 277...WW 278...WW 279...

DISCUSSION...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS INTENSIFYING OVER SOUTHERN MO
WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS AS IT MOVES
EWD TOWARD THE MS RIVER.


AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 26030.

...VESCIO

383,0862 362,0884 362,0912 383,0891

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 12, 11:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCGallatin, Hardin, Massac, Pope, Pulaski6 hr
May 13, 2:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAdair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Boone and 73 more6 hr
May 12, 8:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCDunklin, Pemiscot5 hr
May 12, 10:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCDunklin, Pemiscot6 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Illinois, 2000Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Kentucky, 2000Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Missouri, 2000Every severe thunderstorm watch 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.