Alert archive / Missouri / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 316, NWS Springfield, MO

December 18, 2002Christian County, Missouri

NWS Springfield, MO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Dec 18, 2002, 2:50 AM CST for Christian County, Missouri. It was in force for 25 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: Dec 18, 2002, 2:50 AM CST (08:50 UTC)
Expired: Dec 18, 2002, 3:15 AM CST
In force: 25 min
Issued by: NWS Springfield, MO
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Christian County, MO

The radar

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 27 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:50 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
Dec 18, 2:57 AM CST	Hail 1	Ozark, MO

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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Dec 17, 10:40 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 51 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: 39 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -55 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1087 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 267 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 432 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KSGF 180850
SVRSGF
MOC043-180915-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
248 AM CST WED DEC 18 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CHRISTIAN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI

* UNTIL 315 AM CST

* AT 245 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  A CLUSTER OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL TO THE
  SIZE OF NICKELS...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. 
  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR NIXA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20   
  MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
   OZARK BY 255 AM CST.

THE TOWNS OF SELMORE...FREMONT HILLS AND LINDEN ARE ALSO IN THE PATH
OF THIS STORM.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. IF A TORNADO
IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A STURDY
STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.

LAT...LON 3702 9335 3691 9334 3708 9298 3709 9322

$$

CRAMER

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 Springfield, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Dec 18, 2:35 AM CST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 18, 2:35 AM CST, 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
235 AM CST WED DEC 18 2002

PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERNS REMAIN SEVERE WEATHER TODAY...AND
PRECIPITATION CHANCES THURSDAY AND SATURDAY.

VERY ACTIVE WEATHER DEVELOPED AS ADVERTISED OVERNIGHT AS 30H JET
WITH 125 KT WINDS AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR DEVELOPED OVER THE AREA.
WATER VAPOR SHOWS LEAD MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE AND ASSOCIATED DRY SLOT
SLIDING ALONG THE KANSAS/OKLAHOMA BORDER. THUNDERSTORMS AND A SOME
SUPERCELLS CONTINUED WITH ACTIVITY FOCUSED WEST OF A BRANSON TO
SALEM LINE.  AT 08Z CONWAY AND NEODESHA WIND PROFILERS INDICATE
SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WINDS AT 60 KTS AT 85H. TRUE WARM FRONT APPEARS TO
BE OVER CENTRAL MISSOURI WITH THE COLD FRONT STRETCHING ACROSS
CENTRAL KANSAS.  HOWEVER MESO SCALE BOUNDARY APPEARS TO HAVE SET UP
NEAR THE INTERSTATE 44 CORRIDOR.  SURFACE BASED CAPES REMAIN NEAR
1000 J/KG WITH HELICITIES NEAR 600 M/S.

ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE INTO THE MORNING AS THE INITIAL SHORTWAVE
ROTATES NORTHEAST AND REGION REMAINS IN A VERY WARM AND MOIST
AIRMASS.  INITIAL COLD FRONT OR PRE FRONTAL TROUGH WILL PUSH EAST
INTO SOUTHWEST MISSOURI BY EARLY AFTERNOON AND INTO SOUTH CENTRAL
MISSOURI BY LATE AFTERNOON.  IN THE MEAN TIME THE NEXT UP STREAM
SHORTWAVE WILL BE TRACKING FROM THE DESERT SOUTHWEST AND INTO THE
SOUTHERN PLAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON.  AMPLE SURFACE BASED
INSTABILITY AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY AND CONTINUED DEEP LEVEL SHEAR
WILL MAINTAIN POTENTIAL OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND ISOLATED
TORNADOES.

COMPLEX AND ACTIVE PATTERN WILL CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND.
SECONDARY COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE AREA EARLY THURSDAY AS THE
PRIMARY SHORTWAVE SWINGS ACROSS THE AREA. SOME QUESTION TO WHETHER
LIGHT PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL PERSIST TONIGHT AND THURSDAY WITH
THE PASSAGE OF THIS SHORTWAVE.  WILL FOLLOW CLOSER TO GFS MODEL AND
MENTION CHANCE OF SPRINKLES OR LIGHT RAIN THURSDAY.  ALSO FOLLOWING
THE COOLER MAV GUIDANCE.

COLDER AIR WILL CONTINUE TO SINK INTO THE REGION FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY.  GFS SHOWS ANOTHER SHORTWAVE RIDING ACROSS THE REGION
SATURDAY AND THIS IS REASONABLE AGREEMENT WITH THE ECMWF.  WILL
INTRODUCE CHANCE OF RAIN OR SNOW FOR SATURDAY BUT REMOVE
PRECIPITATION CHANCES SUNDAY.

ISC GRIDS WILL BE SENT AROUND 3 AM.

.SGF...
MO...NONE.
KS...NONE.

FOSTER

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 18, 12:45 AM CST, 2 hours 5 minutes before

KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-181200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
1245 AM CST WED DEC 18 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME
SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
  WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER MUCH OF THE
  MISSOURI OZARKS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

  THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FOCUSED ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM ROLLA
  TO BRANSON THROUGH 4 AM.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD EAST INTO
  SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS.

  A POTENT STORM SYSTEM WAS RAPIDLY TAKING SHAPE ACROSS THE
  CENTRAL PLAINS STATES TONIGHT. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET MOVING
  OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES WILL INTERACT WITH LOW LEVEL
  MOISTURE TO PRODUCE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT.
  THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP FROM NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
  INTO MISSOURI AND RACE TO THE NORTHEAST AT NEAR 50 MPH. THESE
  STORMS WILL MAINTAIN THEIR INTENSITY THROUGH TONIGHT AS STRONG
  WIND SHEAR COMBINES WITH IMPRESSIVE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND AN
  APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM.

  A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

  THE CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE INTO TOMORROW AS THE
  MAIN COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. THE GREATEST CHANCE
  OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE EAST OF A LINE FROM WARSAW TO
  CASSVILLE MISSOURI. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND
  DAMAGING WINDS. NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED FROM
  THURSDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

  SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED WEST OF AN ROLLA TO BRANSON
  LINE THROUGH 4 AM. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY NEEDED OVER SOUTH
  CENTRAL MISSOURI DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS.

FOSTER

THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE IN GRAPHICAL FORMAT...ALONG WITH OTHER
WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION...AT
HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/SGF

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 18, 2:06 AM CST, 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
206 AM CST WED DEC 18 2002

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

0200 AM    1 S LAMAR                 MO   TORNADO
12/18/02   BARTON                         TORNADO DAMAGED ONE
                                          HOME NO INJURIES
                                          REPORTED. DEBRIS ACROSS
                                          HWY 126. NICKLE SIZE
                                          HAIL ALSO REPORTED.
                                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

Local storm report, Dec 18, 2:20 AM CST, 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
220 AM CST WED DEC 18 2002

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

0153 AM    BOSTON                    MO   TORNADO
12/18/02   BARTON                         THREE HOUSES DESTROYED
                                          AT THE INTERSECTION OF
                                          HYW JJ AND 126. THIS IS
                                          A CONTINUATION OF THE
                                          REPORT FROM 5 NE OF
                                          JASPER. REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

Local storm report, Dec 18, 2:21 AM CST, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
221 AM CST WED DEC 18 2002

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

0153 AM    ASBURY                    MO   2 INCH HAIL
12/18/02   JASPER                         REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

Local storm report, Dec 18, 2:30 AM CST, 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
230 AM CST WED DEC 18 2002

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

0155 AM    1 SW BOSTON               MO   TORNADO
12/18/02   BARTON                         ONE STORY FRAME HOUSE,
                                          SILO, AND BARN
                                          DESTROYED. REPORTED BY
                                          HAM RADIO OPERATOR.

Local storm report, Dec 18, 2:36 AM CST, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
236 AM CST WED DEC 18 2002

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

0235 AM    2 SW ARNICA               MO   .88 INCH HAIL
12/18/02   CEDAR                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

Local storm report, Dec 18, 2:37 AM CST, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
237 AM CST WED DEC 18 2002

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

0235 AM    5 N STOCKTON              MO   .88 INCH HAIL
12/18/02   CEDAR                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 17, 8:43 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Newton	32 min
Dec 17, 8:47 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Lawrence	28 min
Dec 17, 9:14 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Lawrence	46 min
Dec 17, 9:29 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Greene	46 min
Dec 17, 9:44 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Polk	46 min
Dec 17, 9:44 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Greene	61 min
Dec 17, 9:47 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Dallas	43 min
Dec 17, 10:01 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	McDonald	19 min
Dec 17, 10:13 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Newton	32 min
Dec 17, 10:14 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Laclede	31 min
Dec 17, 10:25 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Camden, Miller	65 min
Dec 17, 10:33 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Barry, Lawrence	27 min
Dec 17, 10:44 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Webster	46 min
Dec 17, 10:46 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Laclede	14 min
Dec 17, 10:59 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Lawrence	21 min
Dec 17, 11:04 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Pulaski	26 min
Dec 17, 11:06 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Vernon	24 min
Dec 17, 11:08 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Laclede	52 min
Dec 17, 11:16 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Greene	44 min
Dec 17, 11:20 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Greene	40 min
Dec 17, 11:32 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Vernon	58 min
Dec 17, 11:48 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Polk	27 min
Dec 17, 11:53 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Dallas	52 min
Dec 18, 12:15 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Benton, St. Clair	60 min
Dec 18, 12:26 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Vernon	34 min
Dec 18, 12:34 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Laclede	26 min
Dec 18, 1:12 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Benton, Morgan	48 min
Dec 18, 1:18 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Jasper	42 min
Dec 18, 1:35 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Barton	40 min
Dec 18, 2:06 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Dade	39 min
Dec 18, 2:13 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Cedar	32 min
Dec 18, 2:41 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Hickory, Polk	49 min
Dec 18, 3:06 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Greene, Webster	24 min
Dec 18, 3:13 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Webster	47 min
Dec 18, 3:22 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Camden	23 min
Dec 18, 3:30 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Wright	45 min
Dec 18, 3:41 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Morgan	49 min
Dec 18, 4:15 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Vernon	30 min
Dec 18, 4:25 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	St. Clair	50 min
Dec 18, 5:01 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Benton	44 min
Dec 18, 5:09 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Benton	36 min
Dec 18, 6:29 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Christian, Stone, Taney	46 min
Dec 18, 6:45 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Christian, Douglas, Taney	30 min
Dec 18, 7:10 AM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Douglas, Webster, Wright	35 min
Dec 18, 9:04 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Webster, Wright	41 min
Dec 18, 2:24 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SGF	Ozark	36 min
Dec 18, 2:36 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SGF	Ozark	24 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Missouri, 2002 Every 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.