Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Paducah, KY

April 25, 2003Alexander County, Pulaski County, Illinois

NWS Paducah, KY issued this tornado warning at Apr 25, 2003, 3:03 PM CDT for Alexander County, Pulaski County, Illinois. 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: Apr 25, 2003, 3:03 PM CDT (20:03 UTC)
Expired: Apr 25, 2003, 3:45 PM CDT
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Paducah, KY
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Alexander County, IL, Pulaski County, IL

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:05 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 nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 8.1 hours before the alert went out and 274 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: 3 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -232 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 656 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 279 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 296 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.

490 
WFUS53 KPAH 252003
TORPAH
ILC003-153-252045-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
302 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH KENTUCKY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  ALEXANDER COUNTY IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
  PULASKI COUNTY IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

* UNTIL 345 PM CDT

* AT 300 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 8 MILES         
  NORTHWEST OF TAMMS...AND AND ANOTEHR STORM 4 MILES EAST OF         
  TAMMS...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.

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 3716 8918 3721 8946 3725 8946 3726 8950
          3734 8948 3734 8912

$$

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 25, 3:20 AM CDT, 11 hours 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 25, 3:20 AM CDT, 11 hours 43 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
320 AM CDT FRI APR 25 2003

MAIN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAS SHIFTED INTO SOUTHEAST
ILLINOIS...WEST KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA. A FEW SHOWERS AND
STORMS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CLOSED LOW OVER SW MISSOURI WITH
COVERAGE IN A DIURNAL WANE. MODELS SIMILAR IN THEIR FORECAST
MOVEMENT OF THE UPPER AND SFC LOW THROUGH TONIGHT...TAKING BOTH
ALMOST DUE EAST ACROSS THE FA TODAY. SO...FOR TODAY...WILL MAINTAIN
FAIRLY HIGH POPS...BUT BACK DOWN FROM CATEGORICAL...SINCE LITTLE
IN THE WAY OF COVERAGE EXISTS TO OUR WEST. WILL USE LIKELY
TERMINOLOGY AND GO WITH POPS 60-70 PERCENT. EXPECT THE CONVECTION TO
FLARE UP AGAIN...AS CONDITIONS BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE TODAY
COINCIDENT WITH THE UPPER LOW MOVING ACROSS THE REGION. EAST 1/2 OF
THE FA IN A SLIGHT RISK PER DAY 1 FROM THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER.
WILL MAINTAIN EVENING CHANCE OF SHRA/TSRA...THEN GO WITH DRY
CONDITIONS FROM MIDNIGHT ON. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE STILL FORECAST TO
BUILD IN FOR THE WEEKEND. THUS GOING DRY FORECAST ON TRACK.

EARLY NEXT WEEK...GFS OUTPUT TRENDING AWAY FROM CHANCE OF CONVECTION
FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY. GFS SETS UP A FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO OUR
NORTH...RATHER THAN PUSHING IT SOUTH TOWARD OUR FA SUCH AS THE ETA
SUGGESTS...LATE MONDAY. NEW 00 UTC CANADIAN SUPPORTS THE GFS TREND
KEEPING QPF...FRONTAL POSITION NORTH...SO WILL HOLD OFF ON POPS
TIL WEDNESDAY.

GENERALLY USED A BLEND OF FWC/MAV AND ETA12 TEMPS FOR MAX/MIN
TRENDS OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS. CURRENT LOCAL FORECAST VALUES LINE
UP FAIRLY WELL WITH THE GUIDANCE.

.PAH...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 25, 10:06 AM CDT, 4 hours 57 minutes before

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-100-
107>112-114-261000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
105 AM CDT FRI APR 25 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY OVER SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA. A STRONG UPPER
LEVEL STORM SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO WESTERN KENTUCKY AND
EXTREME SOUTHERN ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WEATHER SYSTEM WILL
AGAIN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION TODAY INTO
THIS EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS WILL LIKELY REACH SEVERE
LEVELS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. A BRIEF
TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY TODAY AND THIS EVENING FOR PORTIONS OF
WESTERN KENTUCKY...SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA.

MEFFERT

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 25, 9:37 AM CDT, 5 hours 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
937 AM CDT FRI APR 25 2003

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

0925 AM    VIENNA                    IL   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/25/03   JOHNSON                        REPORTED BY SPOTTER

0933 AM    7E VIENNA                 IL   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/25/03   JOHNSON                        REPORTED BY SPOTTER

0939 AM    MURRAY                    KY   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/25/03   CALLOWAY                       REPORTED AT MURRAY HIGH
                                          SCHOOL

Local storm report, Apr 25, 12:51 PM CDT, 2 hours 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1251 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2003

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

1245 PM    CENTRAL CITY              KY   0.75 INCH HAIL
04/25/03   MUHLENBERG                     REPORTED BY DISPATCH

Special weather statement, Apr 25, 1:10 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before

ILZ092-093-KYZ001>004-MOZ110>112-114-252000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
110 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2003

...FUNNEL CLOUDS AND SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE OVER
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON...

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO REDEVELOP EARLY THIS AFTERNOON OVER
EXTREME SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH EAST INTO THE QUAD STATE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EAST THROUGH THE
SAME AREA AND ENCOUNTER VERY UNSTABLE AIR ALOFT. THIS COMBINATION OF
WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL FUEL SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS
OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND EXTREME WESTERN KENTUCKY. SOME HAIL WILL
BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND
DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

IN ADDITION...WIND PATTERNS ALOFT WILL BE CONDUCIVE FOR ROTATING
STORMS...WHICH MAY LEAD TO THE FORMATION OF FUNNEL CLOUDS. THOUGH
MOST OF THESE FUNNELS WILL STAY ALOFT...AN ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADO
CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

A BRIEF FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED OVER MISSISSIPPI COUNTY JUST
BEFORE 100 PM. THIS FUNNEL IS NO LONGER VISIBLE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES.

MEFFERT

Special weather statement, Apr 25, 2:35 PM CDT, 28 minutes before

ILZ092-093-KYZ001>006-MOZ110>112-114-252130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
235 PM CDT FRI APR 25 2003

...FUNNEL CLOUDS AND SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE OVER
PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...EXTREME SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND
EXTREME WESTERN KENTUCKY THIS AFTERNOON...

THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO REDEVELOP EARLY THIS AFTERNOON OVER
EXTREME SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...EXTREME SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND EXTREME
WESTERN KENTUCKY. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL
CONTINUE TO PUSH EAST INTO THE QUAD STATE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. IN
ADDITION...A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EAST THROUGH THE SAME AREA AND
ENCOUNTER VERY UNSTABLE AIR. THIS COMBINATION OF WEATHER CONDITIONS
WILL FUEL SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI AND EXTREME WESTERN KENTUCKY. LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE
WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND DEADLY
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

IN ADDITION...WIND PATTERNS ALOFT WILL BE CONDUCIVE FOR ROTATING
STORMS...WHICH MAY LEAD TO THE FORMATION OF FUNNEL CLOUDS. THOUGH
MOST OF THESE FUNNELS SHOULD STAY ALOFT...AN ISOLATED BRIEF TORNADO
CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...ALONG WITH STORM SPOTTERS IN THE
FIELD...WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND
OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES.

MEFFERT

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 24, 8:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Johnson, Williamson	36 min
Apr 25, 9:06 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Pulaski	24 min
Apr 25, 9:27 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Johnson	48 min
Apr 25, 2:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Alexander	28 min
Apr 25, 3:43 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	PAH	Alexander	92 min
Apr 25, 4:44 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	PAH	Pulaski	91 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.