Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 7, NWS Paducah, KY

April 24, 2003Jefferson County, Illinois

NWS Paducah, KY issued this tornado warning at Apr 24, 2003, 5:56 PM CDT for Jefferson County, Illinois. It was in force for 34 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 24, 2003, 5:56 PM CDT (22:56 UTC)
Expired: Apr 24, 2003, 6:30 PM CDT
In force: 34 min
Issued by: NWS Paducah, KY
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Jefferson County, IL

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 nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 203 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 2122 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 16 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 47 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

032 
WFUS53 KPAH 242256
TORPAH
ILC081-242330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
556 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH KENTUCKY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  JEFFERSON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 551 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO OVER MOUNT
  VERNON...OR ABOUT 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MOUNT VERNON...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE BLUFORD

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 3829 8897 3820 8878 3830 8871 3847 8871
          3847 8886

$$

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 Apr 24, 2:20 PM CDT, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 24, 2:20 PM CDT, 3 hours 36 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
220 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

MAIN FORECAST CONCERN THIS PACKAGE IS WITH SEVERE WEATHER THREAT
THIS EVENING...AND POSSIBLY AGAIN OVER SOUTHERN AREAS ON FRIDAY.

GFS MODEL LAPSE RATES THROUGH THE 850-500 MB LAYER INDICATE ELEVATED
INSTABILITY IN PLACE TODAY. THIS HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY A CLUSTER OF
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING FROM THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL INTO THE PAH AREA
EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE GRADUAL NEWD TRANSITION OF THE SURFACE
WARM FRONT AND INCREASING WARM AIR ADVECTION THROUGH AR WILL AID IN
BOUNDARY LAYER LIFTING OF PARCELS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SERN MO AND WESTERN KY.

NEARLY VERTICALLY STACKED LOW WILL MOVE THROUGH SERN KS EARLY THIS
EVENING...REACHING KPAH BETWEEN 15-18Z FRIDAY. CONVEYOR BELT
MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY FORCE A MENTION OF AT LEAST CATEGORICAL
PCPN /OCCASIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS/ THROUGH FRIDAY. COVERAGE
RAIN VS. THUNDER WILL LIKELY BE IN A NARROW ZONE...BUT GIVEN THE
PROXIMITY OF THE UPPER LOW TO THE PAH FORECAST AREA...NOT ABLE TO
SPLIT OUT THUNDER/NON-THUNDER LOCATIONS ATTM FOR FRI.

KEPT MENTION OF CHANCE OF SEVERE IN GRIDDED FORECAST ABOUT THE SAME
AS PREVIOUS COUPLE OF FORECAST PACKAGES AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH SPC
SLIGHT RISK OUTLOOK. SEE SPC DISCO FOR MORE DETAILS.

UPPER LOW COMES ACROSS THE REGION TOMORROW...KEEPING MID LEVEL LAPSE
RATES STEEP AND DEEP SHEAR PROFILES IN PLACE OVER SOUTHERN KY. THINK
BIGGEST THREAT WILL BE WITH DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL...WITH MAIN
TORNADO THREAT FURTHER SOUTH INTO TN/GA/AL.

WILL ALLOW THINGS TO DRY OUT FROM WEST TO EAST FRIDAY NIGHT...AND
SKIES TO BECOME PARTLY CLOUDY FROM WEST TO EAST ON SATURDAY.
NEXT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL COME EARLY NEXT WEEK
AS A WEAKER DISTURBANCE ALOFT MOVES IN FROM THE PLAINS.

DUE TO EXTENSIVE CLOUDS/PRECIP...WILL SIDE WITH THE COOLER MAV (AVN)
MOS TEMPS FRIDAY.

PAH...NONE.

MEFFERT

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 24, 5:00 AM CDT, 12 hours 56 minutes before

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-100-
107>112-114-251000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
500 AM CDT THU APR 24 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS LATE THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH TONIGHT...ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS AND
THE PURCHASE AREA OF WESTERN KENTUCKY. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE
DAMAGING HAIL AND THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES.

SPECIFICALLY...THE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE GREATEST OVER
THE OUTLOOK AREA LOCATED WEST OF A LINE FROM PERRYVILLE
MISSOURI...VIENNA ILLINOIS AND MURRAY KENTUCKY.  THE POTENTIAL FOR
ISOLATED TORNADIC DEVELOPMENT WILL BE GREATEST ACROSS SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI FROM LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT...WITH A SMALL CHANCE
FOR DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE PURCHASE AREA OF WESTERN KENTUCKY FROM
LATE EVENING AND AFTER MIDNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST EARLY FRIDAY
MORNING. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN LATE SUNDAY
OVER SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. A DAILY CHANCE FOR
THUNDERSTORMS WILL THEN CONTINUE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY OF NEXT
WEEK ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
FOR SEVERE WEATHER.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 24, 5:11 PM CDT, 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
511 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

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

0455 PM    2NE BIEHLE                MO   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/24/03   PERRY                          REPORTED BY PERRY COUNTY
                                          SHERIFFS OFFICE

0459 PM    MURPHYSBORO               IL   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/24/03   JACKSON                        REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTERS

0503 PM    CARBONDALE                IL   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/24/03   JACKSON                        REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTERS

Special weather statement, Apr 24, 5:15 PM CDT, 41 minutes before

ILZ081-242245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
515 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO FRANKLIN COUNTY ILLINOIS...

AT 513 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
BETWEEN ELKVILLE AND ROYALTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. WHILE
THE STORM DOES APPEAR TO BE WEAKENING AT THIS TIME...SMALL HAIL UP
TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER REMAINS POSSIBLE. TORRENTIAL RAINS ARE
ALSO LIKELY...IN ADDITION TO DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY
WINDS. SOME COMMUNITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE ROYALTON...
ZEIGLER...CHRISTOPHER...AND VALIER.

RJP

Local storm report, Apr 24, 5:34 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
534 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

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

0520 PM    MULKEYTOWN                IL   1.25 INCH HAIL
04/24/03   FRANKLIN                       REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTERS

0529 PM    SESSER                    IL   1.25 INCH HAIL
04/24/03   FRANKLIN                       REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTERS

0530 PM    WHITTINGTON               IL   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/24/03   FRANKLIN                       REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTERS

Local storm report, Apr 24, 5:44 PM CDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
544 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

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

0536 PM    NASON                     IL   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/24/03   JEFFERSON                      REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 24, 4:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Jackson	32 min
Apr 24, 5:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Franklin	23 min
Apr 24, 5:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Jefferson	39 min
Apr 24, 6:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Wayne	35 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.