Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Watches in 2002

Tornado Watch 161

April 27, 20024 states

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Apr 27, 2002, 10:00 PM CDT for 4 states. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Apr 27, 2002, 10:00 PM CDT (03:00 UTC)
Expired
Apr 28, 2002, 3:00 AM CDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 89 counties

Alexander County, IL, Bond County, IL, Champaign County, IL, Christian County, IL, Clark County, IL, Clay County, IL, Clinton County, IL, Coles County, IL, Crawford County, IL, Cumberland County, IL, DeWitt County, IL, Douglas County, IL, Edgar County, IL, Edwards County, IL, Effingham County, IL, Fayette County, IL, Ford County, IL, Franklin County, IL, Gallatin County, IL, Hamilton County, IL, Hardin County, IL, Iroquois County, IL, Jackson County, IL, Jasper County, IL, Jefferson County, IL, Johnson County, IL, Knox County, IL, Lawrence County, IL, Livingston County, IL, Logan County, IL, Macon County, IL, Macoupin County, IL, Madison County, IL, Marion County, IL, Marshall County, IL, Mason County, IL, Massac County, IL, McLean County, IL, Menard County, IL, Montgomery County, IL, Moultrie County, IL, Peoria County, IL, Perry County, IL, Piatt County, IL, Pope County, IL, Pulaski County, IL, Randolph County, IL, Richland County, IL, Saint Clair County, IL, Saline County, IL, Sangamon County, IL, Shelby County, IL, Stark County, IL, Tazewell County, IL, Union County, IL, Vermilion County, IL, Wabash County, IL, Washington County, IL, Wayne County, IL, White County, IL, Williamson County, IL, Woodford County, IL, Gibson County, IN, Knox County, IN, Posey County, IN, Vanderburgh County, IN, Ballard County, KY, Caldwell County, KY, Calloway County, KY, Carlisle County, KY, Christian County, KY, Crittenden County, KY, Fulton County, KY, Graves County, KY, Henderson County, KY, Hickman County, KY, Hopkins County, KY, Livingston County, KY, Lyon County, KY, Marshall County, KY, McCracken County, KY, Trigg County, KY, Union County, KY, Webster County, KY, Cape Girardeau County, MO, Mississippi County, MO, New Madrid County, MO, Perry County, MO, Scott County, MO

Warnings issued inside it

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 27, 10:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXFulton, Peoria41 min
Apr 27, 10:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXChristian, Shelby55 min
Apr 27, 10:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMason, Tazewell, Woodford48 min
Apr 27, 10:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXMoultrie, Piatt47 min
Apr 27, 10:57 PM CDTTornado WarningLSXClinton, Saint Clair, Washington48 min
Apr 27, 11:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXColes, Edgar30 min
Apr 27, 11:42 PM CDTTornado WarningPAHPerry33 min
Apr 27, 11:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXClay, Richland38 min
Apr 27, 11:58 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningILXColes, Edgar4 hr
Apr 27, 11:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXEdgar32 min
Apr 28, 12:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHJackson40 min
Apr 28, 12:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHFranklin, Jefferson50 min
Apr 28, 12:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILXLawrence, Richland44 min
Apr 28, 12:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHHamilton, Wayne36 min
Apr 28, 12:42 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHJackson18 min
Apr 28, 12:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHFranklin, Williamson34 min
Apr 28, 1:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHHamilton, Saline41 min
Apr 28, 1:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHUnion38 min
Apr 28, 1:11 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHUnion34 min
Apr 28, 1:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHGallatin, Wabash, White46 min
Apr 28, 1:17 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningINDDaviess, Jackson, Jennings, Knox, Lawrence, Martin3 hr
Apr 28, 1:17 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningINDDaviess, Jackson, Jennings, Knox, Lawrence, Martin118 min
Apr 28, 1:32 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHJohnson43 min
Apr 28, 1:47 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHPope43 min
Apr 28, 1:52 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHNew Madrid38 min
Apr 28, 2:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHHardin38 min
Apr 28, 2:14 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHHardin46 min
Apr 28, 2:28 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHPope32 min
Apr 28, 2:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHMassac44 min
Apr 28, 2:42 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHWebster33 min
Apr 28, 2:54 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHHopkins36 min

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 00:00Z, 3.0 hours before the alert went out and 96 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, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2002-04-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 2002-04-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 516 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
439 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
79 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
516 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
567 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.

000
WWUS20 KWNS 280247
SEL1  
SPC WW 280241
ILZ000-INZ000-KYZ000-MOZ000-280800-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 161
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
941 PM CDT SAT APR 27 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS                           
   SOUTHWEST INDIANA                            
   WESTERN KENTUCKY                           
   SOUTHEAST MISSOURI                           

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING FROM 1000 PM UNTIL
300 AM 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 45 MILES NORTH OF BLOOMINGTON ILLINOIS TO 40 MILES
SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF PADUCAH KENTUCKY.

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...  CONTINUE...WW 159...WW 160...

DISCUSSION...ISOLATED STRONG/SEVERE STORMS CONTINUE TO TRACK
EASTWARD INTO WESTERN IL...WHILE NEW STORMS FORM ACROSS EXTREME
SOUTHERN IL AND WESTERN KY.  SURFACE WARM FRONT BISECTS WATCH
AREA...WITH SHORT TERM THREAT OF TORNADOES HIGHEST IN STORMS ACROSS
SOUTHERN PART OF WATCH.  HOWEVER...MORE STORMS SHOULD MOVE INTO
AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH GREATER THREAT FARTHER NORTH.

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 24045.

...HART

410,0873 363,0871 363,0894 410,0901

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 27, 7:45 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCFulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, Mercer and 2 more4 hr
Apr 28, 2:00 AM CDTTornado WatchSPCHardin, Massac, Pope5 hr
Apr 28, 12:00 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBartholomew, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Clark, Clay and 50 more5 hr
Apr 28, 10:45 AM CDTTornado WatchSPCOhio, Switzerland5 hr
Apr 28, 5:15 AM CDTTornado WatchSPCAdair, Allen, Barren, Boyle, Breathitt, Casey and 26 more4 hr
Apr 28, 11:30 AM CDTTornado WatchSPCAdair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Bourbon and 76 more5 hr
Apr 28, 12:30 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCHarlan, Letcher, Martin, Pike4 hr
Apr 28, 4:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCFloyd, Harlan, Knott, Letcher, Martin, Pike4 hr
Apr 28, 4:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCFloyd, Harlan, Knott, Letcher, Martin, Pike4 hr
Apr 27, 11:15 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCBollinger, Butler, Carter, Howell, Iron, Madison and 7 more5 hr

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Illinois, 2002Tornado Watches in Kentucky, 2002Tornado Watches in Missouri, 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.