Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Watches in 2002
Tornado Watch 139
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Apr 21, 2002, 2:15 PM CDT for 4 states. It was in force for 4 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 21, 2002, 2:15 PM CDT (19:15 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 21, 2002, 6:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 62 counties
Alexander County, IL, Bond County, IL, Christian County, IL, Clark County, IL, Clay County, IL, Clinton County, IL, Coles County, IL, Crawford County, IL, Cumberland County, IL, Edwards County, IL, Effingham County, IL, Fayette County, IL, Franklin County, IL, Gallatin County, IL, Hamilton County, IL, Jackson County, IL, Jasper County, IL, Jefferson County, IL, Johnson County, IL, Lawrence County, IL, Macoupin County, IL, Madison County, IL, Marion County, IL, Massac County, IL, Monroe County, IL, Montgomery County, IL, Perry County, IL, Pope County, IL, Pulaski County, IL, Randolph County, IL, Richland County, IL, Saint Clair County, IL, Saline County, IL, Shelby County, IL, Union County, IL, Wabash County, IL, Washington County, IL, Wayne County, IL, White County, IL, Williamson County, IL, Vigo County, IN, Ballard County, KY, Carlisle County, KY, Fulton County, KY, Hickman County, KY, McCracken County, KY, Bollinger County, MO, Butler County, MO, Cape Girardeau County, MO, Carter County, MO, City of Saint Louis, MO, Iron County, MO, Madison County, MO, Mississippi County, MO, New Madrid County, MO, Perry County, MO, Ripley County, MO, Saint Francois County, MO, Sainte Genevieve County, MO, Scott County, MO, Stoddard County, MO, Wayne County, MO
The radar
The Paducah radar (KPAH), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:19 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
17 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 21, 2:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Lawrence | 38 min |
| Apr 21, 2:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Lawrence | 33 min |
| Apr 21, 2:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Perry | 52 min |
| Apr 21, 3:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Effingham | 51 min |
| Apr 21, 3:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Franklin | 32 min |
| Apr 21, 3:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Jefferson | 14 min |
| Apr 21, 3:40 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Franklin | 35 min |
| Apr 21, 3:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Clay | 32 min |
| Apr 21, 4:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Wayne | 29 min |
| Apr 21, 4:04 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Hamilton | 26 min |
| Apr 21, 4:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Jackson | 23 min |
| Apr 21, 4:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Franklin | 34 min |
| Apr 21, 4:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Cape Girardeau | 32 min |
| Apr 21, 4:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | White | 31 min |
| Apr 21, 4:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Hamilton, Saline | 28 min |
| Apr 21, 4:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Union | 40 min |
| Apr 21, 5:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Gallatin, White | 23 min |
The nearest sounding before it
Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 289 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 417 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 71 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 504 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 540 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WWUS20 KWNS 211913 SEL9 SPC WW 211908 ILZ000-MOZ000-212300- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 139 STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 208 PM CDT SUN APR 21 2002 THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 215 PM UNTIL 600 PM CDT. TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF POPLAR BLUFF MISSOURI TO 15 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF MATTOON ILLINOIS. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND 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. OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 136. WATCH NUMBER 136 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 215 PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 137...WW 138... DISCUSSION...INCREASING TORNADO THREAT DEVELOPING NEAR AND NORTH OF OUTFLOW BOUNDARY ACROSS CENTRAL IL...WHERE SURFACE LOW WILL LIKELY TRACK. SUPERCELLS WILL ALSO LIKELY DEVELOP SWD ALONG APPROACHING COLD FRONT INTO SRN IL. AVIATION...TORNADOES AND 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 26040. ...EVANS 362,0912 393,0895 393,0871 362,0884 WWUS20 KWNS 211913 SEL9 SPC WW 211908 ILZ000-MOZ000-212300- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 139 STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 208 PM CDT SUN APR 21 2002 THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 215 PM UNTIL 600 PM CDT. TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF POPLAR BLUFF MISSOURI TO 15 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF MATTOON ILLINOIS. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND 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. OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 136. WATCH NUMBER 136 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 215 PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 137...WW 138... DISCUSSION...INCREASING TORNADO THREAT DEVELOPING NEAR AND NORTH OF OUTFLOW BOUNDARY ACROSS CENTRAL IL...WHERE SURFACE LOW WILL LIKELY TRACK. SUPERCELLS WILL ALSO LIKELY DEVELOP SWD ALONG APPROACHING COLD FRONT INTO SRN IL. AVIATION...TORNADOES AND 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 26040. ...EVANS 362,0912 393,0895 393,0871 362,0884
SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 21, 5:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Fayette, Greene, Jackson and 9 more | 6 hr |
| Apr 21, 11:00 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Alexander, Bond, Calhoun, Clay, Clinton, Crawford and 30 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 21, 12:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Hardin | 5 hr |
| Apr 21, 5:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Gallatin, Hardin, Johnson, Pope | 5 hr |
| Apr 21, 1:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Elliott, Floyd, Greenup and 8 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 21, 2:00 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Bates, Benton, Buchanan and 38 more | 6 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Illinois, 2002Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2002Tornado Watches in Kentucky, 2002Every tornado 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.