Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 10, NWS Lake Charles, LA

March 31, 2002Vernon Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 31, 2002, 5:54 AM CST for Vernon Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 51 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Mar 31, 2002, 5:54 AM CST (11:54 UTC)
Expired
Mar 31, 2002, 6:45 AM CST
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Vernon Parish, LA

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 31, 6:05 AM CSTHail 0.75Anacoco, 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 125 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 2002-03-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2027 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 00:00Z on 2002-03-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 97 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
2027 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
712 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
97 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
121 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.5
Supercell composite
6.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

181 
WUUS54 KLCH 311154
SVRLCH
LAC115-311245-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
552 AM CST SUN MAR 31 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  VERNON PARISH IN WEST CENTRAL LOUISIANA

* UNTIL 645 AM CST

* AT 549 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES WEST OF ANACOCO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  35 MPH.

* THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  SLAGLE BY 610 AM CST
  SIMPSON BY 620 AM CST

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

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

LAT...LON 3124 9354 3115 9344 3121 9294 3136 9306

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 Mar 31, 2:57 AM CST, 2 hours 57 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 2:57 AM CST, 2 hours 57 minutes before
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
257 AM CST SUN MAR 31 2002

.TODAY...
A cold front will advance across the forecast area this morning...
with polar air following in the wake of front. Advecting continental
air will slide over standing water...causing potential evaporation. I
believe that both MOS solutions are too warm. Robust evaporational
cooling will partially offset the returning afternoon sun. I will
lower the afternoon maximums a few F degrees...more closer to the
benchmark normals.

.TONIGHT...
a polar HIGH builds southeast into the Tennessee Valley. Ongoing cold
air advection will keep the nocturnal boundary layer unstable.
Radiational-evaporational cooling will allow overnight minimums to
fall a few F degrees below the benchmark normals.

.MONDAY...
A strong April sun will warm afternoon maximums to near 80 degrees...
about 5 F degrees above the benchmark normals. Evaporational cooling
will be of minor concern...most of the standing waters will have
already evaporated.

.LCH...NONE

.PRELIMINARY NUMBERS...
AEX 74/48/76/52/79  60002
BPT 77/52/77/57/80  40002
LCH 77/52/78/56/80  40002
LFT 76/53/78/56/80  60002

Trares

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

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.