Alert archive / Missouri / Tornado Warnings in 2002

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Springfield, MO

April 30, 2002Douglas County, Ozark County, Missouri

NWS Springfield, MO issued this tornado warning at Apr 30, 2002, 9:38 AM CDT for Douglas County, Ozark County, Missouri. It was in force for 52 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
Apr 30, 2002, 9:38 AM CDT (14:38 UTC)
Expired
Apr 30, 2002, 10:30 AM CDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Springfield, MO
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Douglas County, MO, Ozark County, MO

The radar

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 80 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:38 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 30, 9:45 AM CDTHail 1Wasola, 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.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 30, 9:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 2.6 hours before the alert went out and 105 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, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2002-04-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 40 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2002-04-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 69 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
40 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-440 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1432 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
65 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
69 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
241 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

067 
WFUS53 KSGF 301438
TORSGF
MOC067-153-301530-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
938 AM CDT TUE APR 30 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN OZARK COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI
  SOUTHERN DOUGLAS COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST MISSOURI

* UNTIL 1030 AM CDT

* AT 933 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 7 MILES SOUTH OF
  AVA...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF...
  OZARK AND DOUGLAS COUNTIES.

THE TOWNS OF SQUIRES...WASOLA...ROCKBRIDGE AND BRIXEY ARE ALSO IN THE
PATH OF THIS TORNADIC STORM.

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 3697 9275 3681 9280 3670 9239 3689 9243

FOSTER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 30, 8:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFChristian51 min
Apr 30, 8:41 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFGreene64 min
Apr 30, 8:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFLawrence57 min
Apr 30, 9:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFDouglas, Ozark55 min
Apr 30, 9:11 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFCedar64 min
Apr 30, 9:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFBarry62 min
Apr 30, 9:20 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFDade, Polk55 min
Apr 30, 9:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFStone63 min
Apr 30, 9:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFChristian, Greene60 min
Apr 30, 9:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFTaney61 min
Apr 30, 9:52 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFDallas, Webster53 min
Apr 30, 9:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFHowell65 min
Apr 30, 9:58 AM CDTTornado WarningSGFChristian47 min
Apr 30, 10:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFOregon57 min
Apr 30, 10:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFOzark55 min
Apr 30, 10:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFHowell63 min
Apr 30, 1:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFCedar, St. Clair21 min
Apr 30, 1:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFHickory41 min
Apr 30, 1:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFDallas, Polk35 min
Apr 30, 2:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFLaclede38 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Missouri, 2002Every tornado warning in 2002Tornadoes 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.