Alert archive / Iowa / Tornado Watches in 2003
Tornado Watch 341
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 10, 2003, 3:50 PM CDT for 20 counties in Illinois; 35 counties in Iowa; Putnam County, Schuyler County, Scotland County, Missouri. It was in force for 6 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 10, 2003, 3:50 PM CDT (20:50 UTC)
- Expired
- May 10, 2003, 10:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 6 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 58 counties
Appanoose County, IA, Benton County, IA, Cedar County, IA, Clinton County, IA, Davis County, IA, Des Moines County, IA, Grundy County, IA, Hardin County, IA, Henry County, IA, Iowa County, IA, Jackson County, IA, Jasper County, IA, Jefferson County, IA, Johnson County, IA, Jones County, IA, Keokuk County, IA, Lee County, IA, Linn County, IA, Louisa County, IA, Lucas County, IA, Mahaska County, IA, Marion County, IA, Marshall County, IA, Monroe County, IA, Muscatine County, IA, Polk County, IA, Poweshiek County, IA, Scott County, IA, Story County, IA, Tama County, IA, Van Buren County, IA, Wapello County, IA, Warren County, IA, Washington County, IA, Wayne County, IA, Bureau County, IL, Carroll County, IL, Fulton County, IL, Henderson County, IL, Henry County, IL, Jo Daviess County, IL, Knox County, IL, Lee County, IL, Marshall County, IL, McDonough County, IL, Mercer County, IL, Ogle County, IL, Peoria County, IL, Putnam County, IL, Rock Island County, IL, Stark County, IL, Stephenson County, IL, Tazewell County, IL, Warren County, IL, Whiteside County, IL, Putnam County, MO, Schuyler County, MO, Scotland County, MO
The radar
The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:53 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.
Warnings issued inside it
43 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 4:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Wayne | 50 min |
| May 10, 4:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Appanoose | 48 min |
| May 10, 4:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Putnam | 60 min |
| May 10, 4:46 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Appanoose, Wayne | 44 min |
| May 10, 4:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Poweshiek, Tama | 27 min |
| May 10, 4:55 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EAX | Putnam | 65 min |
| May 10, 4:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DVN | Benton | 48 min |
| May 10, 5:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Marion, Wapello | 34 min |
| May 10, 5:17 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Marion | 28 min |
| May 10, 5:28 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Clark, Scotland | 32 min |
| May 10, 5:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Appanoose, Davis | 46 min |
| May 10, 5:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Jasper, Poweshiek | 29 min |
| May 10, 5:34 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Benton, Buchanan | 26 min |
| May 10, 5:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DVN | Iowa, Keokuk, Washington | 10 min |
| May 10, 5:43 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Mahaska | 32 min |
| May 10, 5:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DVN | Iowa, Johnson, Keokuk | 42 min |
| May 10, 5:49 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Poweshiek | 26 min |
| May 10, 5:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DMX | Tama | 33 min |
| May 10, 5:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DVN | Delaware, Linn | 48 min |
| May 10, 5:58 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Davis | 47 min |
| May 10, 6:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EAX | Putnam | 29 min |
| May 10, 6:07 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Wapello | 38 min |
| May 10, 6:12 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Appanoose, Davis | 33 min |
| May 10, 6:14 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Poweshiek | 31 min |
| May 10, 6:22 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Tama | 23 min |
| May 10, 6:30 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Jefferson | 30 min |
| May 10, 6:33 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Lee | 27 min |
| May 10, 6:44 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DMX | Davis | 46 min |
| May 10, 6:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DVN | Delaware, Linn | 46 min |
| May 10, 6:51 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Van Buren | 39 min |
| May 10, 7:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Hancock, McDonough | 46 min |
| May 10, 7:40 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Henry | 35 min |
| May 10, 7:53 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Fulton, Knox | 52 min |
| May 10, 8:03 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Louisa | 27 min |
| May 10, 8:06 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Warren | 24 min |
| May 10, 8:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Mercer | 46 min |
| May 10, 8:45 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Fulton, Mason | 60 min |
| May 10, 8:46 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Knox, Stark | 44 min |
| May 10, 8:54 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Bureau, Henry | 81 min |
| May 10, 9:19 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Peoria, Tazewell | 56 min |
| May 10, 9:36 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LOT | Lee | 39 min |
| May 10, 9:45 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Mason, Tazewell | 60 min |
| May 10, 9:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Fulton | 61 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Davenport, (KDVN), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 114 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1102 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 51 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 139 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 225 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 102045
SEL1
SPC WW 102050
IAZ000-ILZ000-110300-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 341
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
350 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
EASTERN IOWA
NORTHWEST ILLINOIS
EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 350 PM UNTIL
1000 PM CDT.
...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 55 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF PEORIA ILLINOIS
TO 65 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF OTTUMWA IOWA.
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 336...WW 337...WW 338...WW
339...WW 340...
DISCUSSION...SURFACE LOW IS FORECAST TO RAPIDLY DEEPEN AND TRACK
NORTHWARD INTO IA. RAPID DESTABILIZATION IS FORECAST TO OCCUR OVER
EASTERN IA...WHERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT SHOULD OCCUR SOON.
TORNADIC SUPERCELLS ARE LIKELY...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING
TORNADOES.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.
...HART
402,0891 402,0933 422,0933 422,0891SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 7:47 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Calhoun, Greene, Morgan, Pike, Scott | 88 min |
| May 9, 8:40 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bond, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clinton, Coles and 18 more | 2 hr |
| May 9, 10:04 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams | 26 min |
| May 9, 10:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Brown, Cass, Champaign, DeWitt, Ford, Fulton and 22 more | 5 hr |
| May 10, 5:43 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Christian, Fulton and 15 more | 92 min |
| May 10, 5:50 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adams, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Christian and 25 more | 5 hr |
| May 10, 8:30 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland and 9 more | 6 hr |
| May 10, 9:25 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson and 14 more | 2 hr |
| May 10, 10:39 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas and 5 more | 2 hr |
| May 10, 10:54 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Alexander, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Cass and 69 more | 66 min |
| May 10, 12:38 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clay, Crawford, Jasper, Lawrence, Richland | 97 min |
| May 10, 3:17 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Hancock, Henderson, Mercer, Rock Island | 58 min |
| May 10, 4:00 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Franklin, Jackson, Perry, Randolph, Union | 5 hr |
| May 10, 4:48 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Christian and 25 more | 87 min |
| May 10, 5:40 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Adams, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Christian and 21 more | 5 hr |
| May 10, 6:41 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Christian and 14 more | 64 min |
| May 10, 5:57 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette | 93 min |
| May 10, 6:15 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Winneshiek | 5 hr |
| May 9, 11:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Barton, Bates, Benton, Caldwell, Carroll and 36 more | 6 hr |
| May 10, 1:15 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Andrew | 5 hr |
| May 10, 1:22 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Newton | 83 min |
| May 10, 2:28 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Andrew, Buchanan | 92 min |
| May 10, 3:05 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Barton, Bates, Benton, Cedar, Dade, Henry and 7 more | 5 hr |
| May 10, 3:15 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll and 25 more | 5 hr |
| May 10, 5:27 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Barton, Bates, Benton, Cass, Cedar, Dade and 9 more | 93 min |
| May 10, 7:06 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll and 25 more | 54 min |
| May 10, 10:58 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Andrew, Audrain, Barton, Bates, Benton and 42 more | 2 hr |
| May 10, 11:35 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Adair, Audrain, Bates, Benton, Boone, Caldwell and 38 more | 7 hr |
| May 10, 11:55 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Barry, Barton, Camden, Cedar, Christian, Dade and 13 more | 7 hr |
| May 10, 1:42 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Audrain, Bates, Benton, Boone, Caldwell and 38 more | 2 hr |
| May 10, 1:59 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Barry, Barton, Camden, Cedar, Christian, Dade and 12 more | 2 hr |
| May 10, 3:30 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Crawford, Dent, Douglas, Franklin, Gasconade, Howell and 16 more | 2 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Iowa, 2003Tornado Watches in Illinois, 2003Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2003Every tornado watch 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.