Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 28, NWS Lake Charles, LA

April 7, 2003Iberia Parish, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 7, 2003, 2:13 PM CDT for Iberia Parish, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 62 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 7, 2003, 2:13 PM CDT (19:13 UTC)
Expired: Apr 7, 2003, 3:15 PM CDT
In force: 62 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Iberia Parish, LA, St. Mary Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 147 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:16 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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 7, 10:05 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 7.2 hours before the alert went out and 146 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: 1791 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -58 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 518 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -64 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 9 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: -0.6
Supercell composite: -2.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

731 
WUUS54 KLCH 071913
SVRLCH
LAC045-101-072015-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
213 PM CDT MON APR 7 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  IBERIA PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA
  ST. MARY PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA

* UNTIL 315 PM CDT

* AT 211 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES WEST OF CYPREMORT POINT...MOVING EAST
  AT 20 MPH.

* THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  CYPREMORT POINT BY 220 PM CDT
  JEANERETTE BY 240 PM CDT
  BALDWIN BY 255 PM CDT
  CHARENTON...FRANKLIN BY 300 PM CDT
  CENTERVILLE BY 315 PM CDT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...DESTRUCTIVE
HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL RAIN.

CALL 337-477-5285 TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 2984 9194 2967 9189 2972 9134 3002 9154

$$

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 Lake Charles, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 7, 9:55 AM CDT, 4 hours 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 7, 9:55 AM CDT, 4 hours 18 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
955 AM CDT MON APR 7 2003

SFC ANALYSIS THIS MRNG SHOWS QSTNRY FNTL BDRY NEAR A KGWO-KMLU-
KIER-KCLL LINE...W/ 1009MB LO NEAR KDRT. HOWEVER A WEAK PRE-FNTL
TROF IS SHOWING UP FROM N OF KBRO ACROSS THE NWRN GULF TO NEAR KLFT
AND KBTR TO KPIB. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A WEAK RIPPLE IN THE
FLOW OFF THE UPR TX CST...WHILE A MORE SIGNIFICANT S/WV IS EMBEDDED
IN THE SUBTROP FLOW OVER NRN MEX. 88D MOSAIC SHOWS THESE FEATURES
HAVE COMBINED TO PRODUCE A STRING OF RW/TRW ALONG THE TROF. SVR WX
WARNINGS ALREADY BEING ISSUED FOR THIS ACTIVITY.

KLCH 12Z SOUNDING SHOWED SOME DRYING HAD TAKEN PLACE SINCE LAST
EVE...W/ PWAT DOWN FROM 1.7 TO 1.1 INCHES. SOUNDING MODIFIED TO FCST
MAX OF 86F SHOWS SERIOUS INSTABILITY/ENERGY (LI -9/CAPE 3400).
HOWEVER ONGOING CLOUD COVER SHOULD LIMIT INSOLATION THIS AFTN & 86
LOOKS UNATTAINABLE. HOWEVER A MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS LOOKS
CERTAIN & ADJUSTED CAPES SHOULD STILL EXCEED 2K. COVERAGE &
TRAJECTORY OF ONGOING ACTIVITY OFFSHORE LEADS TO BUMP UP POPS TO
LIKELY ACROSS THE SRN ZONES. DRYING ABOVE THE 900MB LEVEL SHOULD
HELP LEAD TO DAMAGING WIND POTENTIAL WHILE MUCH LOWER WBZ COULD HELP
SOME HAIL DEVELOPMENT. SPC LOOKING AT AREA FOR A WW WHICH SEEMS
FAIR. WILL ADD SVR WORDING TO ZONES.

LGE/TRL

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...

KLCH 81 63 67 45 / 60 70 40 00
KBPT 81 61 67 44 / 60 70 40 00
KAEX 82 58 66 40 / 40 70 40 00
KLFT 83 64 69 46 / 60 70 60 00

.LCH...NONE.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...

EARLY THIS MORNING...CLOUDY SKIES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH JUST
A FEW SHOWERS HOLDING ON OVER CENTRAL LOUISIANA. CEILING HEIGHTS
CURRENTLY RUNNING 4 TO 11 HUNDRED FT AND HAVE SHOW A GENERAL TREND
DOWN OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS. WILL HAVE TO WATCH CLOSELY WITH THE
POTENTIAL FOR STRATUS TO HIT THE DECK. OTHERWISE...STEADY SOUTHERLY
FLOW AND LACK OF RADIATIONAL COOLING HAS ALLOWED TEMPERATURES TO
REMAIN IN THE LOW 70S...MUCH CLOSER TO NORMAL HIGHS THAN NORMAL
LOWS.

SURFACE ANALYSIS INDICATING EAST TO WEST ORIENTED STATIONARY FRONT
ALONG LOUISIANA/ARKANSAS...TEXAS/OKLAHOMA BORDERS WHILE RETREATING
DRY-LINE EXTENDS SOUTH THROUGH EAST CENTRAL TEXAS. PREFRONTAL DEW
POINTS HOLDING IN THE LOW 70S OVER THE FCST AREA. IN THE MID
LEVELS...CLOSED LOW EVIDENT ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY MOVING INTO WEST
IOWA...WHILE IN THE UPPER LEVELS 130 KNOT JET MAX ORIENTED FROM
CENTRAL TEXAS INTO MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ALONG SOUTHEAST PERIPHERY
OF UPPER LEVEL TROF.

WILL REMAIN IN A VERY UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN OVER THE NEXT 24
HOURS. EVENING LCH SOUNDING INDICATING PRECIPITABLE WATER AT 1.69
INCHES WITH MOISTURE MAINLY BELOW MID LEVEL INVERSION AT 7K FEET.
SEEING SOME DRIER MID LEVEL AIR ASSOCIATED WITH FLOW BECOMING
INCREASING WESTERLY....BUT WILL RECOVER THROUGH THE DAY WITH TROF
ADVANCING TOWARD REGION. GFS MODEL SOUNDING SHOWING PRECIPITABLE
WATER INCREASING TO 1.83 INCHES...AND REMAINING IN THIS AREA TIL
FROPA LATE TONIGHT/TUESDAY MORNING.

ETA SUGGESTING INITIAL SHORTWAVE REACHING SOUTHERN LOUISIANA COAST
LATE THIS AFTERNOON. LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE SOMEWHAT LIMITED HOWEVER
WITH BOUNDARY NORTH OF FORECAST AREA. WILL CARRY 40 PERCENT POPS FOR
AFTERNOON HOURS. BEST RAIN CHANCES APPEAR TONIGHT AS BOUNDARY MAKES
ITS WAY INTO AREA WITH WELL DEFINED LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE DEVELOPING
COINCIDENT WITH SEVERAL PERTURBATIONS MOVING THROUGH MID LEVEL FLOW.
WILL MAINTAIN LIKELY POPS DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. HAVE NOTED SPC
PLACING ALL OF REGION IN SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE TODAY/TONIGHT.

MODELS CONSISTENT IN DROPPING NE-SW ORIENTED FRONT TO NEAR BPT/AEX
BY MIDNIGHT...TO THE LAFAYETTE AREA TOWARD SUNRISE. FRONT CLEARS
ACADIANA BY NOON TUESDAY. WILL MAINTAIN CHANCE FOR SHOWERS THROUGH
THE DAY TIL SHARP DRYING COMES IN FROM THE WEST AS MID LEVEL LOW
TRACKS INTO MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. REMAINDER OF WEEK LOOKS
DRY...WITH UNSEASONABLY COOL TEMPS ON THE WAY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY
AS 1030+ SURFACE HIGH NOSES INTO REGION. WILL BE RETURNING TO MORE
SEASONABLE TEMPS LATER IN THE WEEK.

MARCOTTE

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 7, 5:20 AM CDT, 8 hours 53 minutes before

LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-081102-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
520 AM CDT MON APR 7 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS...CENTRAL...
SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS
AFTERNOON...BECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD OVERNIGHT...AS A COLD FRONT
ADVANCES AND MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. WITH CONSIDERABLE INSTABILITY
IN PLACE AND FAVORABLE UPPER AIR SUPPORT...A FEW OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE.

.DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...
THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST OF THE REGION EARLY TUESDAY
WITH RAINS DIMINISHING THROUGH THE DAY. FAIR WEATHER HIGH
PRESSURE WILL FOLLOW AND REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF
THE WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 7, 1:40 PM CDT, 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
0140 PM CDT MON APR 07 2003

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

0138 PM    CAMERON                   LA   1.00 IN HAIL
04/07/03   CAMERON                        PUBLIC REPORT OF
                                          QUARTER-SIZE HAIL

0138 PM    CAMERON                   LA   1.75 IN HAIL
04/07/03   CAMERON                        CAMERON S.O. REPORTS
                                          GOLFBALL-SIZE HAIL ONGOING
                                          IN DOWNTOWN CAMERON

LGE

Local storm report, Apr 7, 1:45 PM CDT, 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
0145 PM CDT MON APR 07 2003

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

1147 AM    HENRY                     LA   1.75 IN HAIL
04/07/03   VERMILION                      BACK WINDOW OF CAR BROKEN

ITO

Local storm report, Apr 7, 1:49 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
0149 PM CDT MON APR 07 2003

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

1225 AM    5 S LOREAUVILLE           LA   4.25 IN HAIL
04/07/03   IBERIA                         PUBLIC REPORTED
                                          SOFTBALL-SIZED HAIL

ITO

Local storm report, Apr 7, 1:49 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED FOR TIME OCCURENCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
0149 PM CDT MON APR 07 2003

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

1225 PM    5 S LOREAUVILLE           LA   4.25 IN HAIL
04/07/03   IBERIA                         PUBLIC REPORTED
                                          SOFTBALL-SIZED HAIL

ITO

Local storm report, Apr 7, 2:10 PM CDT, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
0210 PM CDT MON APR 07 2003

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

0205 PM    2 SW HAMSHIRE             TX   0.75 IN HAIL
04/07/03   JEFFERSON                      TV METEOROLOGIST REPORTED
                                          DIME-SIZED HAIL.

ITO

Local storm report, Apr 7, 2:11 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
0211 PM CDT MON APR 07 2003

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

0150 PM    CREOLE                    LA   1.00 IN HAIL
04/07/03   CAMERON                        PUBLIC REPORTED
                                          QUARTER-SIZED HAIL COVERED
                                          THE GROUND.

ITO

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 7, 9:12 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		63 min
Apr 7, 9:56 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Cameron	34 min
Apr 7, 10:13 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		32 min
Apr 7, 10:46 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		59 min
Apr 7, 10:50 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vermilion	40 min
Apr 7, 10:58 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Acadia, Lafayette, Vermilion	62 min
Apr 7, 11:41 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		64 min
Apr 7, 11:41 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		64 min
Apr 7, 11:47 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Iberia	58 min
Apr 7, 12:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Cameron, Vermilion	61 min
Apr 7, 12:49 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		56 min
Apr 7, 12:49 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		56 min
Apr 7, 1:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Cameron	52 min
Apr 7, 1:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vermilion	66 min
Apr 7, 1:49 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		56 min
Apr 7, 2:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Cameron, Vermilion	62 min
Apr 7, 3:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Lafayette	66 min
Apr 7, 3:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Martin	63 min
Apr 7, 3:20 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		55 min
Apr 7, 3:20 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		55 min
Apr 7, 3:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Cameron	62 min
Apr 7, 3:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Iberia, Saint Martin	59 min
Apr 7, 4:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	St. Mary	26 min
Apr 7, 5:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vermilion	27 min
Apr 7, 5:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Iberia, Saint Martin	46 min
Apr 7, 5:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Cameron	26 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 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.