Alert archive / Kentucky / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 60, NWS Paducah, KY

May 7, 2003Daviess County, Kentucky

NWS Paducah, KY issued this tornado warning at May 7, 2003, 12:53 AM CDT for Daviess County, Kentucky. It was in force for 52 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 7, 2003, 12:53 AM CDT (05:53 UTC)
Expired: May 7, 2003, 1:45 AM CDT
In force: 52 min
Issued by: NWS Paducah, KY
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Daviess County, KY

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, 11:50 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 5.9 hours before the alert went out and 184 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.

922 
WFUS53 KPAH 070553
TORPAH
KYC059-070645-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1252 AM CDT WED MAY 7 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH KENTUCKY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  DAVIESS COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KENTUCKY

* UNTIL 145 AM CDT

* AT 1250 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 9 MILES WEST OF
  MOSELEYVILLE...OR ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTH OF HEBBARDSVILLE...MOVING
  EAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE...
  3 MILES NORTH OF MOSELEYVILLE AT 110 AM CDT
  3 MILES SOUTH OF OWENSBORO AT 120 AM CDT
  3 MILES NORTH OF MASONVILLE AT 135 AM CDT
  4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KNOTTSVILLE...5 MILES NORTHWEST OF WHITESVILLE
     AT 145 AM CDT

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 3768 8683 3760 8699 3761 8721 3769 8741
          3773 8738 3778 8727 3782 8715 3778 8710
          3783 8704 3785 8693 3782 8690 3783 8685
          3774 8683 3771 8687

$$

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, 9 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 3:16 PM CDT, 9 hours 37 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, 7 hours 13 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, 11:49 PM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1149 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

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

1140 PM    1NW MAYFIELD              KY   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/06/03   GRAVES                         REPORTED BY GRAVES COUNTY
                                          EM...

1140 PM    1E MAYFIELD               KY   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/06/03   GRAVES                         REPORTED BY GRAVES COUNTY
                                          DES...REPORTED AT HWY 131
                                          AND HWY 80

...CORRECTED FOR TIME OF REPORT...

Local storm report, May 7, 12:06 AM CDT, 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1206 AM CDT WED MAY 07 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....
0956 PM    TICKS RIDGE               IL   TORNADO
05/06/03   PULASKI                        *** 1 DEAD ***
                                          REPORTED BY EOC...48 YEAR
                                          OLD MALE CRUSHED BY
                                          DEBRIS

Local storm report, May 7, 12:12 AM CDT, 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1212 AM CDT WED MAY 07 2003

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

1155 PM    MOORS RESORT              KY   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/06/03   MARSHALL                       REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER...JUST NORTH OF
                                          US HWY 68...

Local storm report, May 7, 12:22 AM CDT, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1222 AM CDT WED MAY 07 2003

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

1221 AM    EVANSVILLE                IN   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/07/03   VANDERBURGH                    REPORTED BY THE MEDIA

Local storm report, May 7, 12:32 AM CDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1232 AM CDT WED MAY 07 2003

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

1115 PM                              KY   WIND DAMAGE
05/06/03   CARLISLE                       NUMEROUS TREES DOWN
                                          ACROSS MUCH OF THE COUNTY
                                          REPORTED BY CARLISLE
                                          COUNTY DES

Local storm report, May 7, 12:45 AM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1245 AM CDT WED MAY 07 2003

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

1135 PM    SYMSONIA                  KY   WIND DAMAGE
05/06/03   GRAVES                         NUMEROUS TREES DOWN
                                          REPORTED BY MARSHALL
                                          COUNTY DES

1150 PM    2E DRAFFENVILLE           KY   WIND DAMAGE
05/06/03   MARSHALL                       NUMEROUS TREES AND
                                          POWERLINES DOWN REPORTED
                                          BY TRAINED SPOTTERS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 6, 9:33 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Ballard	42 min
May 6, 9:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	McCracken	42 min
May 6, 10:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Livingston	55 min
May 6, 10:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Crittenden	45 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, 11:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Union	44 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, 12:56 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	PAH	Union	2 hr

Nearby

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.