Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Watches in 2003
Tornado Watch 704
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Jul 9, 2003, 5:25 PM CDT for 30 counties in Illinois; Vermillion County, Indiana. It was in force for 4 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 9, 2003, 5:25 PM CDT (22:25 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 9, 2003, 9:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 31 counties
Cass County, IL, Champaign County, IL, Christian County, IL, Clark County, IL, Coles County, IL, Cumberland County, IL, DeWitt County, IL, Douglas County, IL, Edgar County, IL, Ford County, IL, Fulton County, IL, Henry County, IL, Iroquois County, IL, Knox County, IL, Livingston County, IL, Logan County, IL, Macon County, IL, Marshall County, IL, Mason County, IL, McLean County, IL, Menard County, IL, Moultrie County, IL, Peoria County, IL, Piatt County, IL, Putnam County, IL, Sangamon County, IL, Stark County, IL, Tazewell County, IL, Vermilion County, IL, Woodford County, IL, Vermillion County, IN
The radar
The Lincoln radar (KILX), 45 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:27 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
28 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 5:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Champaign | 61 min |
| Jul 9, 5:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | McLean | 59 min |
| Jul 9, 5:33 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | ILX | McLean | 6 hr |
| Jul 9, 5:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Champaign | 63 min |
| Jul 9, 5:49 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Piatt | 41 min |
| Jul 9, 5:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Tazewell | 65 min |
| Jul 9, 5:58 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | ILX | Champaign, Vermilion | 6 hr |
| Jul 9, 6:08 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Vermilion | 52 min |
| Jul 9, 6:12 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | ILX | Woodford | 6 hr |
| Jul 9, 6:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Woodford | 59 min |
| Jul 9, 6:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | DeWitt | 55 min |
| Jul 9, 6:20 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | IND | Fountain, Montgomery, Parke, Putnam, Tippecanoe, Vermillion and 1 more | 3 hr |
| Jul 9, 6:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Fulton | 66 min |
| Jul 9, 6:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | McLean | 62 min |
| Jul 9, 6:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Piatt | 56 min |
| Jul 9, 6:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Edgar | 62 min |
| Jul 9, 6:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Douglas | 63 min |
| Jul 9, 7:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Vermilion | 43 min |
| Jul 9, 7:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Tazewell | 56 min |
| Jul 9, 7:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Tazewell | 48 min |
| Jul 9, 7:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Mason | 62 min |
| Jul 9, 7:22 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | ILX | Edgar | 6 hr |
| Jul 9, 7:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | Peoria | 66 min |
| Jul 9, 7:55 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | ILX | Mason | 6 hr |
| Jul 9, 8:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILX | DeWitt | 60 min |
| Jul 9, 8:00 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ILX | Mason | 60 min |
| Jul 9, 8:21 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | ILX | Piatt | 6 hr |
| Jul 9, 8:40 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | ILX | DeWitt, Logan | 5 hr |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 71 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
- 279 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -182 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 874 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 18 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 116 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 106 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 092221
SEL4
SPC WW 092225
ILZ000-100200-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 704
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
525 PM CDT WED JUL 9 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL ILLINOIS
EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 525 PM UNTIL
900 PM CDT.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 60 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES WEST OF PEORIA ILLINOIS TO 20 MILES
SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF DANVILLE ILLINOIS.
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 697...WW 698...WW 699...WW
700...WW 701...WW 702...WW 703...
DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS/SUPERCELLS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING
ESE ALONG STALLED BOUNDARY/FRONT THROUGH CENTRAL IL. GIVEN EXPECTED
LONG RESIDENCE TIME IN VORTICITY-RICH ENVIRONMENT NEAR
BOUNDARY...HIGH SURFACE DEWPOINTS IN COOL AIR...AND MODEST DEEP
SHEAR...POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES IN ADDITION TO
LARGE HAIL AND BOWING SEGMENTS WITH HIGH WIND.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 28030.
...CORFIDI
413,0902 404,0872 390,0872 394,0902
WWUS20 KWNS 092221
SEL4
SPC WW 092225
ILZ000-100200-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 704
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
525 PM CDT WED JUL 9 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL ILLINOIS
EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 525 PM UNTIL
900 PM CDT.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 60 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES WEST OF PEORIA ILLINOIS TO 20 MILES
SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF DANVILLE ILLINOIS.
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 697...WW 698...WW 699...WW
700...WW 701...WW 702...WW 703...
DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS/SUPERCELLS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING
ESE ALONG STALLED BOUNDARY/FRONT THROUGH CENTRAL IL. GIVEN EXPECTED
LONG RESIDENCE TIME IN VORTICITY-RICH ENVIRONMENT NEAR
BOUNDARY...HIGH SURFACE DEWPOINTS IN COOL AIR...AND MODEST DEEP
SHEAR...POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES IN ADDITION TO
LARGE HAIL AND BOWING SEGMENTS WITH HIGH WIND.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 28030.
...CORFIDI
413,0902 404,0872 390,0872 394,0902SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 8, 8:59 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Brown, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark and 36 more | 2 hr |
| Jul 8, 10:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bond, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay and 27 more | 5 hr |
| Jul 9, 2:21 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bond, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay and 27 more | 114 min |
| Jul 9, 9:54 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bureau, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Crawford and 28 more | 96 min |
| Jul 9, 11:10 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bureau, Champaign, Clark, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas and 17 more | 6 hr |
| Jul 9, 12:34 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Clinton, Effingham and 17 more | 56 min |
| Jul 9, 1:35 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Champaign, Coles, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Grundy and 4 more | 55 min |
| Jul 9, 3:12 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clark, Edgar, Kankakee | 33 min |
| Jul 9, 3:15 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Carroll, Henderson, Henry, Jo Daviess, Knox, Mercer and 5 more | 6 hr |
| Jul 9, 5:04 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland and 18 more | 86 min |
| Jul 9, 5:38 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bureau, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Knox and 12 more | 97 min |
| Jul 8, 8:37 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bartholomew, Benton, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Carroll and 50 more | 2 hr |
| Jul 9, 3:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adams, Bartholomew, Blackford, Dearborn, Decatur, Delaware and 21 more | 5 hr |
| Jul 9, 5:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bartholomew, Benton, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Clay and 26 more | 3 hr |
| Jul 9, 6:02 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Dearborn, Decatur, Fayette, Franklin, Jefferson, Jennings and 7 more | 88 min |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Illinois, 2003Tornado Watches in Indiana, 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.