Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 43, NWS Paducah, KY

May 6, 2003Massac County, Illinois; Ballard County, Kentucky

NWS Paducah, KY issued this tornado warning at May 6, 2003, 9:33 PM CDT for Massac County, Illinois; Ballard County, Kentucky. It was in force for 42 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: May 6, 2003, 9:33 PM CDT (02:33 UTC)
Expired: May 6, 2003, 10:15 PM CDT
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Paducah, KY
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Massac County, IL, Ballard County, KY

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 19 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:36 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
May 6, 5:40 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 2.6 hours before the alert went out and 238 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: 1519 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 720 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 92 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 120 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.9
Supercell composite: 3.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

884 
WFUS53 KPAH 070233
TORPAH
ILC127-KYC007-070315-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
933 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH KENTUCKY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  MASSAC COUNTY IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
  NORTHERN BALLARD COUNTY IN WESTERN KENTUCKY

* UNTIL 1015 PM CDT

* AT 931 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 6 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF BANDANA...OR ABOUT OVER NEW GRAND CHAIN...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED NEAR MOUND CITY.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE JOPPA

SEEK SHELTER NOW MOVE INTO A BASEMENT...OR INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. ABANDON MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES.

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

LAT...LON 3713 8908 3719 8901 3720 8893 3716 8891
          3717 8879 3722 8891 3732 8891 3730 8870
          3717 8874

$$

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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 6, 3:16 PM CDT, 6 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 3:16 PM CDT, 6 hours 17 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
315 PM CDT MON MAY 5 2003

FORECAST CHALLENGES CONTINUE TO BE CONVECTIVE CHANCES THROUGHOUT THE
WEEK AND SEVERE WEATHER.

MANY PARAMETERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON THIS PACKAGE. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ALONG WEAK FRONT ALONG THE
NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE CWA INTO THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD
INCREASE AS STORMS CURRENTLY OVER WESTERN MISSOURI AND KANSAS REACH
OUR AREA LATER THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE
WITH PART OF THE AREA IN MODERATE RISK.

FOLLOWING THE ETA/MESOETA FOR THE MOST PART AND ALL MODELS HAVE
GENERAL AGREEMENT ON SOME TIMING OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
ATTEMPTED TO TIME THE PRECIPITATION IN THE GRIDS. ONE WAVE MOVES
THROUGH TONIGHT AND THE NEXT LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO
THURSDAY...LINGERING INTO FRIDAY. LEFT A SLIGHT CHANCE IN ON
SATURDAY.

THERE IS SOME CONCERN ABOUT FLOODING...BUT AFTER CONSULTING WITH
HYDROLOGIST...FEEL THAT WE HAVE HAD A DAY TO DAY OUT AND THE HIGHEST
QPF IS FORECAST TO OUR NORTH. WILL MENTION BOTH SEVERE AND HEAVY
RAINFALL.

AS FOR TEMPERATURES...GENERALLY WENT WITH A CONSENSUS OF AVAILABLE
GUIDANCE THROUGH THURSDAY.

.PAH...NONE.

PS

Hazardous weather outlook, May 6, 5:40 PM CDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-100-
107>112-114-071000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
540 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

...TORNADO WATCH 275 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT...
...POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EPISODE EARLY TONIGHT
ACROSS THE REGION...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND WESTERN KENTUCKY.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST
MISSOURI AS OF LATE AFTERNOON. THIS ACTIVITY WILL BE HEADED EAST TO
SOUTHEAST INTO SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI BETWEEN 700
PM AND 900 PM. THERE IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF SEVERE WEATHER WITH
THIS ACTIVITY...INCLUDING TORNADOES...HIGH WIND AND LARGE HAIL.
THE ACTIVITY WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE INTO SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND WESTERN
KENTUCKY AROUND MID EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE QUAD STATE
EARLY WEDNESDAY AND LATER WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  AN ORGANIZED LINE OF
STORMS MAY STILL BE PRODUCING SOME DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS THE FAR
EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE QUAD STATE AROUND SUNRISE WEDNESDAY
MORNING.  A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION LATER ON
WEDNESDAY...RESULTING IN DRY CONDITIONS FOR MUCH OF THE DAY.

HOWEVER...THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO LIFT BACK NORTH ACROSS SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI AND SOUTHWEST KENTUCKY AFTER MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  THE
POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG AND JUST
NORTH OF THIS BOUNDARY...PRIMARILY OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI.  LARGE
HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARD...BUT DAMAGING WINDS AND AN ISOLATED
TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

THERE WILL BE PERIODIC CHANCES OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM THURSDAY
THROUGH MONDAY...AS THE AREA REMAINS IN SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND A
MEANDERING FRONTAL BOUNDARY STAYS IN THE VICINITY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF SPOTTERS WILL BE NEEDED BY ABOUT 700 PM OR 800 PM
ACROSS SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...AND LATER THIS
EVENING OVER SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND WESTERN KENTUCKY.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 6, 8:55 PM CDT, 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
855 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

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

0859 PM    SEDGEWICKVILLE            MO   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/06/03   BOLLINGER                      REPORTED BY EOC

Local storm report, May 6, 8:59 PM CDT, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
859 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

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

0900 PM    FRUITLAND                 MO   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/06/03   CAPE GIRARDEAU                 REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER

Local storm report, May 6, 9:00 PM CDT, 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
900 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

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

0900 PM    PERRYVILLE                MO   80 MPH WIND GUST
05/06/03   PERRY                          REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER

0857 PM    MILLER CITY               IL   TORNADO
05/06/03   ALEXANDER                      REPORTED BY POLICE

Local storm report, May 6, 9:06 PM CDT, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
906 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

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

0857 PM    5NW CAPE GIRARDEAU        MO   TORNADO
05/06/03   CAPE GIRARDEAU                 REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER ROPE TYPE TORNADO
                                          THAT WAS SPOTTED

Local storm report, May 6, 9:07 PM CDT, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
907 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

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

0905 PM    TAMMS                     IL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/06/03   ALEXANDER                      REPORTED BY POLICE

0910 PM    2W TAMMS                  IL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/06/03   ALEXANDER                      REPORTED BY POLICE THE
                                          EXACT LOCATION WAS 5
                                          MILES NORTH OR OLIVE
                                          BRANCH AND 2 MILES WEST
                                          OF TAMMS

Local storm report, May 6, 9:25 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
925 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

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

0923 PM    CYPRESS                   IL   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/06/03   JOHNSON                        REPORTED BY EOC

The office that day

Everything else NWS Paducah, KY issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 6, 8:33 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Alexander	42 min
May 6, 8:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Jackson, Perry	45 min
May 6, 8:55 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Pulaski, Union	50 min
May 6, 9:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Alexander	13 min
May 6, 9:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Jackson, Perry	33 min
May 6, 9:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Johnson	47 min
May 6, 9:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Jefferson	23 min
May 6, 9:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Franklin	36 min
May 6, 9:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Union	48 min
May 6, 9:56 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	PAH	Perry	3 hr
May 6, 9:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Pope	49 min
May 6, 9:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Jefferson	31 min
May 6, 10:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Pope	55 min
May 6, 10:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Massac	8 min
May 6, 10:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Johnson	12 min
May 6, 10:20 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	PAH	Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Union	3 hr
May 6, 10:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Johnson, Pulaski	49 min
May 6, 10:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Wayne	29 min
May 6, 10:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Union	12 min
May 6, 10:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Massac	39 min
May 6, 10:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Hardin	45 min
May 6, 10:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Pope	46 min
May 6, 11:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Massac	37 min
May 6, 11:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Gallatin	44 min
May 6, 11:40 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	PAH	Johnson, Massac, Pope	4 hr
May 7, 12:56 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	PAH	Hardin	2 hr
May 6, 9:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	McCracken	42 min
May 6, 10:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Ballard, Carlisle, Graves, Hickman, McCracken	54 min
May 6, 10:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Ballard	51 min
May 6, 11:09 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Graves, McCracken	36 min
May 6, 11:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Livingston	39 min
May 6, 11:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Fulton	30 min
May 6, 11:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Marshall	39 min
May 6, 11:47 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Marshall	28 min
May 6, 11:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Caldwell, Crittenden	27 min
May 6, 11:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Henderson	61 min
May 7, 12:03 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Lyon, Trigg	42 min
May 7, 12:08 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Hopkins	37 min
May 7, 12:09 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Calloway	51 min
May 7, 12:19 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Webster	26 min
May 7, 12:53 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Daviess	52 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2003 Tornado Warnings in Kentucky, 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.