Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 234, NWS Lincoln, IL

July 21, 2003Marshall County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 21, 2003, 1:30 AM CDT for Marshall County, Illinois. It was in force for 60 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: Jul 21, 2003, 1:30 AM CDT (06:30 UTC)
Expired: Jul 21, 2003, 2:30 AM CDT
In force: 60 min
Issued by: NWS Lincoln, IL
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Marshall County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 100 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:34 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 severe thunderstorm 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 nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 113 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: 3041 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -67 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1003 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 123 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 251 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.5
Supercell composite: 9.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KILX 210630
SVRILX
ILC123-210730-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
130 AM CDT MON JUL 21 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  MARSHALL COUNTY IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS

* UNTIL 230 AM CDT

* AT 130 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF CAMP GROVE
  TO LAWN RIDGE...OR FROM 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF LACON TO 12 MILES
  WEST OF LACON...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
  SPARLAND
  LACON
  HENRY
  VARNA
  TOLUCA
  WENONA

THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 75 MPH...
DAMAGING HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. TAKE
SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

GO TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES IF YOU ARE IN THE
WARNED AREA.

LARGE HAIL IN EXCESS OF 1.5 INCHES WILL ACCOMPANY THIS DANGEROUS STORM.
MOVE INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE
HOMES IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNED AREA.

REPORT SEVERE WEATHER OR ANY STORM DAMAGE TO YOUR LOCAL ESDA...OR THE
NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY...FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE. STAY TUNED FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

LAT...LON 4111 8934 4112 8906 4093 8905 4092 8949
          4098 8946 4098 8964 4116 8965 4116 8933

$$

KELLY

NNNN

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 20, 8:40 PM CDT, 4 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 8:40 PM CDT, 4 hours 50 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
840 PM CDT SUN JUL 20 2003

NO CHANGES REQUIRED TO GOING ZONE FORECAST PACKAGE...THUS NO EVENING
UPDATE NEEDED. TORNADO WATCH PLACED JUST TO THE NORTHWEST OF OUR
CWA THIS EVENING AND WILL PROBABLY SEE A WATCH FOR OUR AREA IN THE
NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. WATER VAPOR SHOWING FAIRLY DECENT SPEED MAX
PUSHING ACRS WRN IA THIS EVENING WITH WIND PROFILERS SHOWING WINDS
INCREASING AT H5 TO AROUND 50 KTS. AS FEATURE PUSHES EAST...SHEAR
PROFILES ALONG WITH CURRENT INSTABILITY WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF
ORGANIZED SEVERE STORMS ACRS CNTRL IL OVERNIGHT...WITH THREAT PUSHING
INTO OUR SE MONDAY MORNING.

.ILX...NONE.

SMITH

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 20, 9:01 PM CDT, 4 hours 29 minutes before

ILZ027>031-036>038-040>057-061>063-066>068-071>073-211100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
901 PM CDT SUN JUL 20 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

THERE IS A RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS TONIGHT
WITH THE THREAT FOR ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER SHIFTING INTO SOUTHEAST
ILLINOIS MONDAY MORNING. A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL
INTERACT WITH A COLD FRONT WHICH IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE
MIDWEST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. VERY WARM AND HUMID AIR IS IN
PLACE AHEAD OF THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY TONIGHT AND AS THE UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE AND COLD FRONT MOVE TOWARDS ILLINOIS OVERNIGHT...THE
THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL INCREASE.

THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...ALTHOUGH
LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. AREAS ALONG AND
NORTHWEST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER WILL SEE THE CHANCES FOR STORMS BETWEEN
1100 PM AND 200 AM...WHILE AREAS FURTHER EAST AND SOUTH WILL SEE THE CHANCES
FOR SEVERE WEATHER AFTER 200 AM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

AS THE FRONT CONTINUES SOUTHWARD...THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE
WEATHER THROUGH MONDAY MORNING SOUTHEAST OF INTERSTATE 70.  IN
ADDITION...THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN TUESDAY
AND TUESDAY AFTERNOON.  AFTER THAT...ANOTHER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS
WILL BE ON TAP FOR SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS ANTICIPATED ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
ILLINOIS LATE TONIGHT AND DURING THE MORNING HOURS OF MONDAY.

SMITH

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 21, 1:22 AM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN, IL
122 AM CDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

0120 AM    1 N ELMWOOD               IL   .75 INCH HAIL
07/21/03   PEORIA                         REPORTED BY HAM RADIO.

GEELHART

Local storm report, Jul 21, 1:25 AM CDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN, IL
125 AM CDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

0120 AM    1 N ELMWOOD               IL   .75 INCH HAIL
07/21/03   PEORIA                         REPORTED BY HAM RADIO.

GEELHART

Local storm report, Jul 21, 1:28 AM CDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
0128 AM CDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

0120 AM    1 N ELMWOOD               IL   0.75 IN HAIL
07/21/03   PEORIA                         REPORTED BY HAM RADIO.

GEELHART

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lincoln, IL issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 21, 12:21 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Knox, Stark	54 min
Jul 21, 1:13 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Knox, Peoria, Stark	62 min
Jul 21, 1:34 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Fulton	26 min
Jul 21, 1:36 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Marshall, Stark	54 min
Jul 21, 1:43 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Tazewell, Woodford	62 min
Jul 21, 1:58 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	McLean	62 min
Jul 21, 2:14 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Logan	61 min
Jul 21, 2:19 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Peoria, Tazewell	6 hr
Jul 21, 2:40 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	DeWitt, Macon	65 min
Jul 21, 2:51 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Champaign, Piatt	54 min
Jul 21, 3:18 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Logan	3 hr
Jul 21, 3:37 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	DeWitt, Macon, Piatt	6 hr
Jul 21, 3:50 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Champaign, Vermilion	6 hr
Jul 21, 3:54 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Sangamon	51 min
Jul 21, 4:04 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Douglas	6 hr
Jul 21, 4:09 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Coles	51 min
Jul 21, 4:31 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Clark, Cumberland	44 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 2003 Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.