Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Quad Cities, IA

April 30, 2003Bureau County, Illinois

NWS Quad Cities, IA issued this tornado warning at Apr 30, 2003, 8:55 PM CDT for Bureau County, Illinois. It was in force for 50 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Apr 30, 2003, 8:55 PM CDT (01:55 UTC)
Expired: Apr 30, 2003, 9:45 PM CDT
In force: 50 min
Issued by: NWS Quad Cities, IA
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Bureau County, IL

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 91 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:56 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 30, 5:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 85 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1022 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -104 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 839 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 457 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 611 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 12.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

340 
WFUS53 KDVN 010155 CCA
TORDVN
ILC011-010245-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING...CORRECTION TO FIPS CODE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
854 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN THE QUAD CITIES HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  BUREAU COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS

* UNTIL 945 PM CDT

* AT 841 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR AND SPOTTERS INDICATED A POSSIBLE
  TORNADO 6 MILES WEST OF NEPONSET...OR 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF
  KEWANEE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE ARLINGTON...BUDA...BUREAU...
  CHERRY...COAL HOLLOW...DOVER...HOLLOWAYVILLE...JOHNSON SAUK TRAIL
  S. P....KASBEER...LA MOILLE...LADD...MALDEN...MANLIUS...MINERAL...
  OTTVILLE...PROVIDENCE...SEATONVILLE...SHEFFIELD...TISKILWA...VAN
  ORIN...WYANET AND ZEARING

NIGHTTIME TORNADOES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THEY ARE
DIFFICULT TO SEE. TAKE COVER NOW

DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE ALSO LIKELY WITH THIS DANGEROUS
STORM

LAT...LON 4147 8986 4124 8986 4125 8937 4133 8934
          4134 8919 4159 8921

$$

WOLF

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Apr 30, 3:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 3:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 55 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED FOR DATE/TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
300 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

SYNOPTIC PICTURE THIS AFTERNOON SHOWS WARM FRONT EXTENDING FROM AN
EASTERN KANSAS LOW THRU NORTHERN MISSOURI TO BRL TO PRINCETON.  AT
500H BROAD RIDGE EXTENDS ACROSS THE EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE
COUNTRY...WITH A BROAD TROF WEST AND A CLOSED LOW OVER SOUTHERN
IDAHO.  THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO FIRE ALONG THE 850MB FRONT...
WITH A SECOND LINE OF STORMS SOUTH ALONG THE FRONT ITSELF.

THE MODELS INITIALIZED WELL THIS MORNING AT THE SURFACE AND 500MB.
NONE OF THE MODELS HAVE DONE TERRIBLY WELL WITH QPF SINCE 12Z.

THE PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERNS OVER THE NEXT 7 DAYS ARE TWO-FOLD.
FIRST IS THE ONGOING EVENT. ALTHOUGH THE HEAVIEST PRECIP WILL
END AFTER TONIGHT...IT WILL CONTINUE ON AND OFF THROUGH THURSDAY
NIGHT BEFORE KICKING EAST...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST PORTIONS.
THE SECOND EVENT IS A WARM FRONT AND ASSOCIATED LOW AND COLD FRONT
IN THE SUNDAY AND MONDAY TIME FRAME...POSSIBLY LINGERING INTO
TUESDAY.

THE SHORT-TERM MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT ON THE HANDLING OF
THE WARM FRONT...BRING IT NORTH TO INTERSTATE 80 THIS EVENING IN
ILLINOIS...AND SOUTH OF I-80 IN IOWA...A SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST
ORIENTATION. CONVECTION MAY DIMINISH TEMPORARILY LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND EARLY THIS EVENING...AS THE PRIMARY ACTIVITY MOVES EAST OF THE
AREA.  PRESSURE FALLS IN EAST CENTRAL IOWA WILL BRING THE KANSAS LOW
NORTHEAST INTO THE EVENING...AS THE WARM FRONT BECOMES STATIONARY.
MOISTURE CONVERGENCE IS ALREADY INCREASING ALONG THE FRONT IN
NORTHWEST MISSOURI. CONVECTION WILL INCREASE AGAIN ACROSS THE AREA
WITH THE APPROACH OF THE SURFACE LOW...AIDED BY STRONG VVS THROUGH
AT LEAST 06Z AND MODERATE 300MB DIVERGENCE.  THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO
HEAD SOUTHEAST BY 09Z...EXITING THE AREA AROUND 15Z.  THE FRONT MAKES
SLOW PROGRESS ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH THE ASSOCIATED
LOW REACHING THE EVV AREA BY 12Z FRIDAY. A STRONG VORT MAX THURSDAY
NIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING WILL BRING A LAST ROUND OF RAINFALL. THE
500MB SHORT WAVE PASSES OVERHEAD FRIDAY...WEAKENING AS IT GOES.

ON SUNDAY ANOTHER LOW MOVES INTO CENTRAL KANSAS...WITH A WARM FRONT
POSSIBLY FORMING ACROSS NORTHERN MISSOURI...SOMEWHAT ANALOGOUS TO
OUR CURRENT SYSTEM.  THE MEDIUM-RANGE MODELS ARE IN FAIR AGREEMENT
ON LIFTING THIS FRONT THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA SUNDAY NIGHT AND
MONDAY...WITH THE TRAILING COLD FRONT MONDAY EVENING...AND A SURFACE
WAVE MOVING FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ALONG THE FRONT BEFORE IT
KICKS EAST ON TUESDAY.

WILL CONTINUE WITH ONGOING FORECAST...WITH ONLY MINOR CHANGES.  MAIN
DIFFERENCE WILL BE TO HANG ONTO PRECIP THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...AND
POSSIBLY INTO FRIDAY.

DVN...
IA...NONE.
IL...NONE.
MO...NONE.

REA

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 30, 5:20 AM CDT, 15 hours 35 minutes before

IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007-009-
015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-011000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
520 AM CDT WED APR 30 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN IOWA...
NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A STRONG...SPRING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED OVER KANSAS WILL MOVE INTO
MISSOURI TODAY.  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO FIRE ALONG
AND NORTH OF A STATIONERY FRONT PARKED SOUTH OF I-80 TODAY.  BY LATE
AFTERNOON...STORMS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE TRAILING COLD
FRONT. FAIRLY LOW FREEZING LEVELS MAY ALLOW FOR LARGE HAIL UP TO THE
SIZE OF QUARTERS ALONG THE STATIONERY FRONT...NEAR AND NORTH OF I-80.
ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34...STORMS LATER TODAY INTO THIS EVENING MAY
PRODUCE HAIL THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 60
MPH. ISOLATED TORNADOES MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN THE WARM AIR SOUTH OF
HIGHWAY 34 IF SURFACE TEMPERATURES REACH INTO THE 80S.  IN ADDITION...
THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND THE ASSOCIATED FRONTS
WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND STORMS...PRODUCING
WIDESPREAD TOTAL STORM RAIN AMOUNTS OF AN INCH OR MORE...WITH SOME AREAS
RECEIVING UP TO 3 INCHES BY THURSDAY MORNING.  THE HEAVIEST RAIN AMOUNTS
MAY CAUSE SOME MINOR FLOODING IN LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS LATE SUNDAY INTO
MONDAY.  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AS THIS
SYSTEM PASSES.  SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LEVELS ALONG WITH
MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS.

EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND SPOTTERS SHOULD MONITOR CONDITIONS LATER TODAY
FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON STORM REDEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS PROBABLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 34.

&&

UPCOMING SPOTTER TRAINING CLASSES:

April 28, 2003:  Training - Keosauqua, IA - 7 pm

Severe weather and tornado spotter training will be conducted in
Keosauqua, Iowa (Van Buren County) at the Roberts Center at 7 pm.
This is a free 2 hour class. For additional information, contact Don
Pool at vbcoeng@netins.net

April 29, 2003:  Training - Keokuk, IA - 630 pm

Severe weather and tornado spotter training will  be conducted in
Keokuk, IA (Lee County) at the Holiday Inn Express at 630 pm.  This
will be a free 2 hour class.  For additional information, contact
Steve Cirinna at 319-372-4124.

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING URL:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dvn

NICHOLS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 30, 8:19 PM CDT, 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
819 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0804 PM    NEW WINDSOR               IL   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   MERCER                         REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

Local storm report, Apr 30, 8:25 PM CDT, 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
825 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0825 PM    GALVA                     IL   1 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   HENRY                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

0825 PM    7 W KEWANEE               IL   TORNADO
04/30/03   HENRY                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

Local storm report, Apr 30, 8:29 PM CDT, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
829 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0826 PM    AURORA                    IA   .75 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   BUCHANAN                       REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

Local storm report, Apr 30, 8:34 PM CDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
834 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0826 PM    URBANA                    IA   1 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   BENTON                         REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

0828 PM    FAIRFIELD                 IA   HEAVY RAIN
04/30/03   JEFFERSON                      2.00 INCHES OF RAIN
                                          REPORTED BY  NWS
                                          EMPLOYEE.

0832 PM    GALVA                     IL   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   HENRY                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

Local storm report, Apr 30, 8:46 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
846 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0841 PM    KEWANEE                   IL   1 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   HENRY                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

0844 PM    GALVA                     IL   .75 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   HENRY                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

0845 PM    MATHERVILLE               IL   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   MERCER                         REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

Local storm report, Apr 30, 8:52 PM CDT, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
852 PM CDT WED APR 30 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0840 PM    3 NE GALVA                IL   TORNADO
04/30/03   HENRY                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Quad Cities, IA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 30, 7:20 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Henry	55 min
Apr 30, 8:00 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DVN	Mercer	5 hr
Apr 30, 8:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Henry	38 min
Apr 30, 8:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Rock Island	50 min
Apr 30, 8:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Mercer	39 min
Apr 30, 8:44 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Bureau	61 min
Apr 30, 9:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Henry	58 min
Apr 30, 9:24 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	DVN	Henry	5 hr
Apr 30, 9:37 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Putnam	38 min
Apr 30, 9:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Henderson	48 min
Apr 30, 9:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Bureau	57 min
Apr 30, 10:02 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DVN	Warren	43 min
Apr 30, 10:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DVN	Putnam	45 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2003 Every tornado warning in 2003 Tornadoes in 2003

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.