Alert archive / Missouri / Severe Thunderstorm Watches in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 45

March 29, 20029 counties in Illinois; 59 counties in Missouri

The Storm Prediction Center issued this severe thunderstorm watch at Mar 29, 2002, 7:30 AM CST for 9 counties in Illinois; 59 counties in Missouri. It was in force for 6 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 29, 2002, 7:30 AM CST (13:30 UTC)
Expired
Mar 29, 2002, 1:00 PM CST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 68 counties

Alexander County, IL, Clinton County, IL, Jackson County, IL, Madison County, IL, Monroe County, IL, Perry County, IL, Randolph County, IL, Saint Clair County, IL, Washington County, IL, Benton County, MO, Bollinger County, MO, Boone County, MO, Butler County, MO, Callaway County, MO, Camden County, MO, Cape Girardeau County, MO, Carter County, MO, Cedar County, MO, Christian County, MO, City of Saint Louis, MO, Cole County, MO, Cooper County, MO, Crawford County, MO, Dade County, MO, Dallas County, MO, Dent County, MO, Douglas County, MO, Franklin County, MO, Gasconade County, MO, Greene County, MO, Henry County, MO, Hickory County, MO, Howell County, MO, Iron County, MO, Jefferson County, MO, Johnson County, MO, Laclede County, MO, Lafayette County, MO, Lawrence County, MO, Madison County, MO, Maries County, MO, Miller County, MO, Moniteau County, MO, Montgomery County, MO, Morgan County, MO, New Madrid County, MO, Osage County, MO, Perry County, MO, Pettis County, MO, Phelps County, MO, Polk County, MO, Pulaski County, MO, Reynolds County, MO, Saint Charles County, MO, Saint Francois County, MO, Saint Louis County, MO, Sainte Genevieve County, MO, Saline County, MO, Scott County, MO, Shannon County, MO, St. Clair County, MO, Stoddard County, MO, Texas County, MO, Warren County, MO, Washington County, MO, Wayne County, MO, Webster County, MO, Wright County, MO

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 136 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:31 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

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 29, 7:45 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFMiller45 min
Mar 29, 8:21 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFMaries39 min

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 206 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 2002-03-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 67 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, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2002-03-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 300 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
67 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-713 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1631 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
300 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
545 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 
WWUS20 KWNS 291321
SEL5  
SPC WW 291312
ILZ000-MOZ000-291900-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 45
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
712 AM CST FRI MAR 29 2002

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

   WESTERN ILLINOIS                           
   CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSOURI                           

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 730 AM UNTIL 100
PM 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 80 STATUTE MILES
NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF KNOB
NOSTER MISSOURI TO 35 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF CAPE GIRARDEAU
MISSOURI.

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.

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS /INCLUDING SUPERCELLS/ EXPECTED TO
INCREASE IN COVERAGE/INTENSITY NEXT SEVERAL HOURS AS FRONTOGENESIS/
ELEVATED MOISTURE INFLUX CONTINUE ALONG A WNW/ESE AXIS OVER CNTRL
MO.  STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND STRONG /70 KT/ WLY SHEAR WILL
BE FAVORABLE FOR LARGE HAIL.  COLD DOWNDRAFT POTENTIAL ON 12Z SGF
SOUNDING ALSO SUGGESTS POSSIBILITY FOR DAMAGING WINDS LATER THIS
MORNING.
  
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 450.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 27045.

...CORFIDI

391,0935 385,0891 363,0891 365,0935

WWUS20 KWNS 291321
SEL5  
SPC WW 291312
ILZ000-MOZ000-291900-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 45
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
712 AM CST FRI MAR 29 2002

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

   WESTERN ILLINOIS                           
   CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSOURI                           

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 730 AM UNTIL 100
PM 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 80 STATUTE MILES
NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF KNOB
NOSTER MISSOURI TO 35 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF CAPE GIRARDEAU
MISSOURI.

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.

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS /INCLUDING SUPERCELLS/ EXPECTED TO
INCREASE IN COVERAGE/INTENSITY NEXT SEVERAL HOURS AS FRONTOGENESIS/
ELEVATED MOISTURE INFLUX CONTINUE ALONG A WNW/ESE AXIS OVER CNTRL
MO.  STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND STRONG /70 KT/ WLY SHEAR WILL
BE FAVORABLE FOR LARGE HAIL.  COLD DOWNDRAFT POTENTIAL ON 12Z SGF
SOUNDING ALSO SUGGESTS POSSIBILITY FOR DAMAGING WINDS LATER THIS
MORNING.
  
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 450.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 27045.

...CORFIDI

391,0935 385,0891 363,0891 365,0935

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 29, 11:00 AM CSTTornado WatchSPCClay, Crawford, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin and 18 more5 hr
Mar 29, 3:00 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCAlexander, Edwards, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Johnson and 8 more5 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Missouri, 2002Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Illinois, 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.