Alert archive / Kentucky / Tornado Watches in 2004

Tornado Watch 344

May 30, 2004Dearborn County, Ohio County, Switzerland County, Indiana; 75 counties in Kentucky; 62 counties in Ohio

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 30, 2004, 9:20 PM EDT for Dearborn County, Ohio County, Switzerland County, Indiana; 75 counties in Kentucky; 62 counties in Ohio. It was in force for 7 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: May 30, 2004, 9:20 PM EDT (01:20 UTC)
Expired: May 31, 2004, 4:00 AM EDT
In force: 7 hr
Issued by: the Storm Prediction Center

All 140 counties

Dearborn County, IN, Ohio County, IN, Switzerland County, IN, Adair County, KY, Anderson County, KY, Bath County, KY, Bell County, KY, Boone County, KY, Bourbon County, KY, Boyd County, KY, Boyle County, KY, Bracken County, KY, Breathitt County, KY, Campbell County, KY, Carroll County, KY, Carter County, KY, Casey County, KY, Clark County, KY, Clay County, KY, Clinton County, KY, Cumberland County, KY, Elliott County, KY, Estill County, KY, Fayette County, KY, Fleming County, KY, Franklin County, KY, Gallatin County, KY, Garrard County, KY, Grant County, KY, Green County, KY, Greenup County, KY, Harlan County, KY, Harrison County, KY, Henry County, KY, Jackson County, KY, Jessamine County, KY, Johnson County, KY, Kenton County, KY, Knott County, KY, Knox County, KY, Laurel County, KY, Lawrence County, KY, Lee County, KY, Leslie County, KY, Lewis County, KY, Lincoln County, KY, Madison County, KY, Magoffin County, KY, Marion County, KY, Mason County, KY, McCreary County, KY, Menifee County, KY, Mercer County, KY, Metcalfe County, KY, Monroe County, KY, Montgomery County, KY, Morgan County, KY, Nelson County, KY, Nicholas County, KY, Owen County, KY, Owsley County, KY, Pendleton County, KY, Perry County, KY, Powell County, KY, Pulaski County, KY, Robertson County, KY, Rockcastle County, KY, Rowan County, KY, Russell County, KY, Scott County, KY, Shelby County, KY, Spencer County, KY, Taylor County, KY, Washington County, KY, Wayne County, KY, Whitley County, KY, Wolfe County, KY, Woodford County, KY, Adams County, OH, Allen County, OH, Ashland County, OH, Athens County, OH, Auglaize County, OH, Brown County, OH, Butler County, OH, Champaign County, OH, Clark County, OH, Clermont County, OH, Clinton County, OH, Coshocton County, OH, Crawford County, OH, Delaware County, OH, Erie County, OH, Fairfield County, OH, Fayette County, OH, Franklin County, OH, Gallia County, OH, Greene County, OH, Hamilton County, OH, Hancock County, OH, Hardin County, OH, Henry County, OH, Highland County, OH, Hocking County, OH, Holmes County, OH, Huron County, OH, Jackson County, OH, Knox County, OH, Lawrence County, OH, Licking County, OH, Logan County, OH, Madison County, OH, Marion County, OH, Medina County, OH, Miami County, OH, Montgomery County, OH, Morgan County, OH, Morrow County, OH, Muskingum County, OH, Perry County, OH, Pickaway County, OH, Pike County, OH, Portage County, OH, Preble County, OH, Putnam County, OH, Richland County, OH, Ross County, OH, Sandusky County, OH, Scioto County, OH, Seneca County, OH, Shelby County, OH, Stark County, OH, Summit County, OH, Tuscarawas County, OH, Union County, OH, Vinton County, OH, Warren County, OH, Wayne County, OH, Wood County, OH, Wyandot County, OH

The radar

The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:22 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

83 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 30, 9:20 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Powell, Wolfe	40 min
May 30, 9:20 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LMK	Bourbon	3 hr
May 30, 9:22 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Johnson	83 min
May 30, 9:22 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Johnson	6 hr
May 30, 9:24 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Floyd, Johnson	51 min
May 30, 9:36 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Breathitt	24 min
May 30, 9:39 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	LMK	Madison	3 hr
May 30, 9:57 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Breathitt, Knott	48 min
May 30, 9:58 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Powell	47 min
May 30, 10:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Estill	30 min
May 30, 10:27 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Bath	6 hr
May 30, 10:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Menifee	45 min
May 30, 10:32 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Estill, Montgomery, Powell	6 hr
May 30, 11:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Breathitt	44 min
May 30, 11:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Montgomery, Preble	62 min
May 30, 11:19 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Magoffin	41 min
May 30, 11:30 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILN	Miami, Shelby	45 min
May 30, 11:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Allen, Barren, Nelson	40 min
May 30, 11:38 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Shelby, Spencer	37 min
May 30, 11:40 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Dearborn, Ohio, Switzerland	65 min
May 30, 11:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Henry	33 min
May 30, 11:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Breathitt	46 min
May 30, 11:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Green	44 min
May 30, 11:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Washington	42 min
May 30, 11:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Anderson	37 min
May 31, 12:00 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Marion, Taylor	45 min
May 31, 12:02 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Franklin	43 min
May 31, 12:03 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILN	Champaign, Clark, Logan	42 min
May 31, 12:05 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Grant, Owen	40 min
May 31, 12:08 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Breathitt, Magoffin, Menifee, Morgan, Wolfe	6 hr
May 31, 12:08 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Metcalfe, Monroe	52 min
May 31, 12:13 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Mercer, Woodford	47 min
May 31, 12:14 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Adair	46 min
May 31, 12:16 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Montgomery	44 min
May 31, 12:19 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Boyle	41 min
May 31, 12:22 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Campbell, Kenton, Pendleton	38 min
May 31, 12:23 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Scott	37 min
May 31, 12:27 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Cumberland	48 min
May 31, 12:31 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Fayette, Jessamine	44 min
May 31, 12:38 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Bracken	37 min
May 31, 12:38 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Harrison	37 min
May 31, 12:38 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Greene	52 min
May 31, 12:39 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Wayne	66 min
May 31, 12:39 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Casey, Clinton, Lincoln, Russell	51 min
May 31, 12:43 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Garrard	47 min
May 31, 12:44 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Robertson	46 min
May 31, 12:45 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Pulaski	60 min
May 31, 12:46 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Bourbon	44 min
May 31, 12:51 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Nicholas	39 min
May 31, 12:52 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Mason	38 min
May 31, 12:54 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Bath, Estill, Fleming, Jackson, Montgomery, Powell and 1 more	66 min
May 31, 12:57 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Bath, Estill, Fleming, Jackson, Montgomery, Powell and 1 more	63 min
May 31, 12:57 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Clark, Madison	48 min
May 31, 1:06 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Laurel, McCreary	54 min
May 31, 1:07 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Madison	38 min
May 31, 1:09 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILN	Mason	36 min
May 31, 1:13 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Highland	47 min
May 31, 1:19 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Lewis	56 min
May 31, 1:23 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Rowan	67 min
May 31, 1:27 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Bath	33 min
May 31, 1:31 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Carter	59 min
May 31, 1:33 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Elliott	42 min
May 31, 1:34 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILN	Lewis	26 min
May 31, 1:36 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Pike, Ross	39 min
May 31, 1:39 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Clay, Knox, Lee, Menifee, Owsley, Whitley and 1 more	66 min
May 31, 1:40 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILN	Scioto	50 min
May 31, 1:41 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Greenup	64 min
May 31, 1:53 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Breathitt, Morgan, Perry	52 min
May 31, 1:55 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Elliott, Rowan	65 min
May 31, 1:57 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Boyd, Lawrence	48 min
May 31, 2:03 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	RLX	Carter	4 hr
May 31, 2:07 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Bell, Leslie, Magoffin	53 min
May 31, 2:10 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Morgan, Wolfe	35 min
May 31, 2:13 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Breathitt	62 min
May 31, 2:20 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Bell, Knox	40 min
May 31, 2:24 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RLX	Gallia	51 min
May 31, 2:26 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott	64 min
May 31, 2:27 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JKL	Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott	63 min
May 31, 2:35 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Clay	3 hr
May 31, 3:00 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Floyd, Johnson	4 hr
May 31, 3:01 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Johnson	29 min
May 31, 3:02 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	JKL	Johnson	28 min
May 31, 3:14 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	JKL	Harlan, Letcher	6 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

Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 99 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: 778 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -28 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 710 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 316 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 399 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.7
Supercell composite: 9.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 310135
SEL4  
SPC WW 310120
KYZ000-OHZ000-WVZ000-LEZ000-310800-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 344
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
920 PM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 

       CENTRAL AND EASTERN KENTUCKY
       OHIO
       FAR EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA
       LAKE ERIE

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING FROM 920 PM UNTIL
400 AM EDT.

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 80 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF MANSFIELD OHIO TO 40 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF LONDON KENTUCKY.

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 335...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 338. WATCH NUMBER 335 338
WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 920 PM EDT. CONTINUE...WW 336...WW
339...WW 341...WW 342...WW 343...

DISCUSSION...LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDING SUPERCELLS AND
BOWING SEGMENTS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE WW OVERNIGHT.  ADDITIONAL
CLUSTER OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS REMAINS IN PLACE OVER ERN KY.  SHEAR
WILL BE ENHANCED...SUGGESTING TORNADOES AND VERY STRONG/DAMAGING
WINDS SHOULD ACCOMPANY THE LINE OF STORMS AS IT SPREADS EWD ACROSS
WW.  TORNADO THREAT MAY BE GREATER NEAR INTERSECTION WITH OUTFLOW
BOUNDARIES OVER NRN OH AND IN NORTH CENTRAL KY.

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 500.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.


...EVANS

412,0805 363,0830 363,0860 412,0840

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 30, 8:21 PM EDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Dearborn, Ohio, Switzerland	84 min
May 30, 9:39 PM EDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Blackford, Boone, Brown and 63 more	96 min
May 30, 11:47 PM EDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Dearborn, Ohio, Switzerland, Union	58 min
May 31, 1:50 PM EDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	DeKalb, Elkhart, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben	55 min
May 31, 12:40 AM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	Floyd, Harlan, Knott, Letcher, Martin, Pike	5 hr
May 31, 2:40 AM EDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clark and 38 more	2 hr
May 31, 4:40 AM EDT	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Floyd, Harlan, Knott, Letcher, Martin, Pike	95 min

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Kentucky, 2004 Tornado Watches in Ohio, 2004 Tornado Watches in Indiana, 2004 Every tornado watch in 2004

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.