Alert archive / Missouri / Tornado Watches in 2003
Tornado Watch 344
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 10, 2003, 5:40 PM CDT for 27 counties in Illinois; 38 counties in Missouri. It was in force for 5 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 10, 2003, 5:40 PM CDT (22:40 UTC)
- Expired
- May 10, 2003, 11:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 5 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 65 counties
Adams County, IL, Bond County, IL, Brown County, IL, Calhoun County, IL, Cass County, IL, Christian County, IL, Clinton County, IL, DeWitt County, IL, Greene County, IL, Hancock County, IL, Jersey County, IL, Logan County, IL, Macon County, IL, Macoupin County, IL, Madison County, IL, Mason County, IL, McDonough County, IL, Menard County, IL, Monroe County, IL, Montgomery County, IL, Morgan County, IL, Piatt County, IL, Pike County, IL, Saint Clair County, IL, Sangamon County, IL, Schuyler County, IL, Scott County, IL, Adair County, MO, Audrain County, MO, Benton County, MO, Boone County, MO, Callaway County, MO, Chariton County, MO, City of Saint Louis, MO, Clark County, MO, Cole County, MO, Cooper County, MO, Franklin County, MO, Gasconade County, MO, Henry County, MO, Howard County, MO, Jefferson County, MO, Knox County, MO, Lewis County, MO, Lincoln County, MO, Linn County, MO, Macon County, MO, Maries County, MO, Marion County, MO, Miller County, MO, Moniteau County, MO, Monroe County, MO, Montgomery County, MO, Morgan County, MO, Osage County, MO, Pettis County, MO, Pike County, MO, Ralls County, MO, Randolph County, MO, Saint Charles County, MO, Saint Louis County, MO, Saline County, MO, Scotland County, MO, Shelby County, MO, Warren County, MO
The radar
The St Louis radar (KLSX), 105 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:43 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
34 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 5:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Boone, Moniteau | 48 min |
| May 10, 5:44 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EAX | Cooper | 46 min |
| May 10, 5:44 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Knox, Lewis | 31 min |
| May 10, 5:47 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Lewis, Marion | 43 min |
| May 10, 5:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Clark | 34 min |
| May 10, 5:58 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EAX | Randolph | 32 min |
| May 10, 6:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Shelby | 41 min |
| May 10, 6:13 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | EAX | Henry | 47 min |
| May 10, 6:13 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Marion, Monroe, Ralls | 47 min |
| May 10, 6:21 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Adams | 39 min |
| May 10, 6:28 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Lewis | 47 min |
| May 10, 6:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Audrain, Boone | 61 min |
| May 10, 6:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Saline | 45 min |
| May 10, 6:37 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Hancock | 23 min |
| May 10, 6:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Franklin | 66 min |
| May 10, 6:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Chariton | 38 min |
| May 10, 6:53 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Adams | 52 min |
| May 10, 6:59 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Hancock | 31 min |
| May 10, 7:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Macon | 63 min |
| May 10, 7:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Jefferson | 38 min |
| May 10, 7:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Knox, Shelby | 52 min |
| May 10, 7:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | DVN | Hancock, McDonough | 46 min |
| May 10, 7:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Knox | 46 min |
| May 10, 7:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Clinton, Saint Clair | 45 min |
| May 10, 7:36 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Brown | 39 min |
| May 10, 7:38 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Schuyler | 52 min |
| May 10, 7:43 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Adams | 17 min |
| May 10, 8:15 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Brown | 15 min |
| May 10, 8:25 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Schuyler | 50 min |
| May 10, 8:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LSX | Audrain | 43 min |
| May 10, 8:45 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Fulton, Mason | 60 min |
| May 10, 9:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Schuyler | 61 min |
| May 10, 9:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Schuyler | 60 min |
| May 10, 9:45 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Mason, Tazewell | 60 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
Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 297 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
- 1867 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -15 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 689 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 53 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 296 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 300 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 3.5
- Supercell composite
- 12.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 102236
SEL4
SPC WW 102240
ILZ000-MOZ000-110400-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 344
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
540 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL ILLINOIS
CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSOURI
EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 540 PM UNTIL
1100 PM CDT.
...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 120 STATUTE MILES EAST AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF QUINCY ILLINOIS TO 35
MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF JEFFERSON CITY MISSOURI.
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...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO
WATCH NUMBER 337. WATCH NUMBER 337 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 540
PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 337...WW 338...WW 340...WW 341...WW 342...WW
343...
DISCUSSION...STRONG CYCLOGENESIS IS UNDERWAY INTO NRN MO/ERN IA AS
VIGOROUS UPPER TROUGH SHIFTS TOWARDS AREA. CONDITIONS ARE PRIMED
FOR LONGED LIVED TORNADIC SUPERCELLS AHEAD OF DRY LINE. ADDITIONALLY
ALONG DRY LINE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE REDEVELOPING RAPIDLY.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26040.
...HALES
402,0881 380,0894 380,0940 402,0924SPC 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, 3:50 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Bureau, Carroll, Fulton, Henderson, Henry, Jo Daviess and 14 more | 6 hr |
| 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, 6:41 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Christian and 14 more | 64 min |
| 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 Missouri, 2003Tornado Watches in Illinois, 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.