Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Watches in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 39

March 25, 200213 parishes in Louisiana; 13 counties in Texas

The Storm Prediction Center issued this severe thunderstorm watch at Mar 25, 2002, 7:30 PM CST for 13 parishes in Louisiana; 13 counties in Texas. It was in force for 6 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 25, 2002, 7:30 PM CST (01:30 UTC)
Expired
Mar 26, 2002, 1:00 AM CST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 26 counties

Acadia Parish, LA, Allen Parish, LA, Avoyelles Parish, LA, Beauregard Parish, LA, Calcasieu Parish, LA, Cameron Parish, LA, Evangeline Parish, LA, Jefferson Davis Parish, LA, Lafayette Parish, LA, Rapides Parish, LA, Saint Landry Parish, LA, Vermilion Parish, LA, Vernon Parish, LA, Angelina County, TX, Chambers County, TX, Hardin County, TX, Harris County, TX, Jasper County, TX, Jefferson County, TX, Liberty County, TX, Newton County, TX, Orange County, TX, Polk County, TX, San Jacinto County, TX, Trinity County, TX, Tyler County, TX

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:32 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.

Warnings issued inside it

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 25, 8:16 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXPolk44 min
Mar 25, 8:21 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSHVAngelina39 min
Mar 25, 8:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHJasper, Tyler52 min
Mar 25, 9:49 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHRapides56 min
Mar 25, 10:24 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHBeauregard, Vernon66 min
Mar 25, 10:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHBeauregard, Vernon63 min
Mar 25, 10:39 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXLiberty, Montgomery51 min
Mar 25, 10:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHAvoyelles52 min
Mar 26, 12:09 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLCHRapides66 min
Mar 26, 12:13 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHGXHarris, Liberty62 min

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 73 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 2002-03-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 819 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 2002-03-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 77 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
819 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-18 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
932 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
77 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
117 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
5.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 260132
SEL9  
SPC WW 260124
LAZ000-TXZ000-CWZ000-260700-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 39
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
724 PM CST MON MAR 25 2002

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

   SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA                          
   SOUTHEAST TEXAS                              
   COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING FROM 730 PM UNTIL
100 AM CST.

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 105 STATUTE MILES
EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF PORT
ARTHUR TEXAS TO 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF FORT POLK LOUISIANA.

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.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...  CONTINUE...WW 37...WW 38...

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS /INCLUDING SUPERCELLS/ EXPECTED TO
INCREASE IN COVERAGE/INTENSITY DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS OVER
WW AREA AS LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH 700 MB TROUGH NOW OVER FAR E TX
CONTINUES EWD.  INITIAL ACTIVITY LIKELY TO BE ELEVATED ABOVE
FRONTAL SURFACE...BUT SURFACE-BASED STORMS POSSIBLE LATER THIS
EVENING AS TROUGH MOVES ABOVE WARM SECTOR.

SHALLOW BACKING OF LOW LEVEL WARM SECTOR FLOW...DUE TO LOW CENTER
NEAR BRO...MAY ENHANCE LOW LEVEL ROTATIONAL POTENTIAL OF ANY
PREFRONTAL  STORMS.  BUT LOW TO MID TROPOSPHERIC FLOW EXPECTED TO
REMAIN A BIT TOO WEAK TO JUSTIFY A TORNADO WATCH ATTM.

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 25035.

...CORFIDI

311,0913 292,0915 292,0952 311,0951

WWUS20 KWNS 260132
SEL9  
SPC WW 260124
LAZ000-TXZ000-CWZ000-260700-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 39
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
724 PM CST MON MAR 25 2002

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

   SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA                          
   SOUTHEAST TEXAS                              
   COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING FROM 730 PM UNTIL
100 AM CST.

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 105 STATUTE MILES
EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF PORT
ARTHUR TEXAS TO 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF FORT POLK LOUISIANA.

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.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...  CONTINUE...WW 37...WW 38...

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS /INCLUDING SUPERCELLS/ EXPECTED TO
INCREASE IN COVERAGE/INTENSITY DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS OVER
WW AREA AS LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH 700 MB TROUGH NOW OVER FAR E TX
CONTINUES EWD.  INITIAL ACTIVITY LIKELY TO BE ELEVATED ABOVE
FRONTAL SURFACE...BUT SURFACE-BASED STORMS POSSIBLE LATER THIS
EVENING AS TROUGH MOVES ABOVE WARM SECTOR.

SHALLOW BACKING OF LOW LEVEL WARM SECTOR FLOW...DUE TO LOW CENTER
NEAR BRO...MAY ENHANCE LOW LEVEL ROTATIONAL POTENTIAL OF ANY
PREFRONTAL  STORMS.  BUT LOW TO MID TROPOSPHERIC FLOW EXPECTED TO
REMAIN A BIT TOO WEAK TO JUSTIFY A TORNADO WATCH ATTM.

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 25035.

...CORFIDI

311,0913 292,0915 292,0952 311,0951

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 25, 6:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne and 19 more6 hr
Mar 25, 11:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBienville, Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, De Soto and 18 more6 hr
Mar 26, 12:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAcadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard and 22 more5 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Louisiana, 2002Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Texas, 2002Every severe thunderstorm watch 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.