Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Watches in 2004

Tornado Watch 345

May 30, 20044 states

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 30, 2004, 9:15 PM CDT for 4 states. It was in force for 7 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 30, 2004, 9:15 PM CDT (02:15 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 2004, 4:00 AM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 72 counties

Blount County, AL, Colbert County, AL, Cullman County, AL, DeKalb County, AL, Etowah County, AL, Fayette County, AL, Franklin County, AL, Jackson County, AL, Lamar County, AL, Lauderdale County, AL, Lawrence County, AL, Limestone County, AL, Madison County, AL, Marion County, AL, Marshall County, AL, Morgan County, AL, St. Clair County, AL, Walker County, AL, Winston County, AL, Dade County, GA, Chickasaw County, MS, Clay County, MS, Itawamba County, MS, Lee County, MS, Monroe County, MS, Prentiss County, MS, Tishomingo County, MS, Bedford County, TN, Bledsoe County, TN, Cannon County, TN, Cheatham County, TN, Clay County, TN, Coffee County, TN, Cumberland County, TN, Davidson County, TN, Decatur County, TN, DeKalb County, TN, Dickson County, TN, Fentress County, TN, Franklin County, TN, Giles County, TN, Grundy County, TN, Hardin County, TN, Hickman County, TN, Houston County, TN, Humphreys County, TN, Jackson County, TN, Lawrence County, TN, Lewis County, TN, Lincoln County, TN, Macon County, TN, Marion County, TN, Marshall County, TN, Maury County, TN, Montgomery County, TN, Moore County, TN, Overton County, TN, Perry County, TN, Pickett County, TN, Putnam County, TN, Robertson County, TN, Rutherford County, TN, Sequatchie County, TN, Smith County, TN, Sumner County, TN, Trousdale County, TN, Van Buren County, TN, Warren County, TN, Wayne County, TN, White County, TN, Williamson County, TN, Wilson County, TN

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:14 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

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 30, 9:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXBenton, Houston, Humphreys, Montgomery, Stewart60 min
May 30, 9:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGDecatur36 min
May 30, 9:48 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXBenton, Hickman, Humphreys, Perry27 min
May 30, 9:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXRobertson50 min
May 30, 10:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXMacon, Sumner37 min
May 30, 10:19 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXHickman, Perry26 min
May 30, 10:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXMontgomery51 min
May 30, 10:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXDickson, Humphreys38 min
May 30, 10:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXRobertson20 min
May 30, 10:45 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXDickson, Hickman30 min
May 30, 11:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXCheatham, Davidson, Dickson39 min
May 30, 11:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGPrentiss37 min
May 30, 11:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGTishomingo45 min
May 30, 11:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHardin43 min
May 30, 11:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLee, Pontotoc23 min
May 30, 11:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCalhoun, Chickasaw35 min
May 30, 11:34 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXDavidson, Wilson26 min
May 30, 11:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGItawamba23 min
May 30, 11:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXMacon, Sumner, Trousdale50 min
May 30, 11:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLee17 min
May 30, 11:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNColbert, Lauderdale34 min
May 30, 11:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXDickson, Hickman, Humphreys, Lawrence, Lewis, Maury and 3 more40 min
May 30, 11:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarion66 min
May 30, 11:54 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXDavidson, Wilson2 hr
May 30, 11:55 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXHumphreys4 hr
May 30, 11:55 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXDavidson, Rutherford, Williamson, Wilson35 min
May 30, 11:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGChickasaw, Itawamba, Monroe49 min
May 31, 12:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNFranklin29 min
May 31, 12:02 AM CDTTornado WarningHUNLauderdale28 min
May 31, 12:06 AM CDTTornado WarningHUNColbert, Franklin24 min
May 31, 12:16 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXDickson4 hr
May 31, 12:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXBedford, Cannon, Coffee, Davidson, Giles, Lawrence and 6 more37 min
May 31, 12:27 AM CDTTornado WarningOHXBedford, Marshall, Maury, Rutherford, Williamson33 min
May 31, 12:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNLawrence, Limestone44 min
May 31, 12:39 AM CDTTornado WarningOHXGiles21 min
May 31, 12:47 AM CDTTornado WarningHUNLincoln33 min
May 31, 12:47 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXHickman4 hr
May 31, 12:50 AM CDTTornado WarningHUNLimestone, Morgan25 min
May 31, 12:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXWinston67 min
May 31, 12:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNMadison37 min
May 31, 12:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLamar, Marion48 min
May 31, 12:57 AM CDTTornado WarningHUNMadison33 min
May 31, 12:58 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANClay, Oktibbeha47 min
May 31, 1:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXBedford, Cannon, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Grundy and 5 more43 min
May 31, 1:10 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXRutherford4 hr
May 31, 1:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXMarion, Sequatchie63 min
May 31, 1:16 AM CDTTornado WarningHUNFranklin29 min
May 31, 1:18 AM CDTTornado WarningHUNLincoln, Moore32 min
May 31, 1:19 AM CDTTornado WarningOHXBedford, Coffee26 min
May 31, 1:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFayette60 min
May 31, 1:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNJackson45 min
May 31, 1:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXCoffee, Cumberland, Fentress, Grundy, Overton, Putnam and 3 more47 min
May 31, 1:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXBledsoe, Hamilton59 min
May 31, 1:49 AM CDTTornado WarningOHXGrundy26 min
May 31, 1:50 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningHUNDeKalb, Marshall40 min
May 31, 1:52 AM CDTTornado WarningMRXMarion28 min
May 31, 1:55 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXDavidson, Sumner, Wilson4 hr
May 31, 2:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDade, Walker28 min
May 31, 2:10 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXOverton4 hr
May 31, 2:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCDade, Walker32 min
May 31, 2:13 AM CDTTornado WarningMRXSequatchie32 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

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 2.3 hours before the alert went out and 160 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 2004-05-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2491 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 2004-05-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 192 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
2491 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1127 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
192 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
257 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.8
Supercell composite
16.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 310215
SEL5  
SPC WW 310215
ALZ000-TNZ000-310900-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 345
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1015 PM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

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

       NORTHERN ALABAMA
       MIDDLE TENNESSEE

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING FROM 1015 PM UNTIL
500 AM EDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 90 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES EAST OF COLUMBUS MISSISSIPPI TO 45 MILES
NORTHEAST OF NASHVILLE TENNESSEE.

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 341...WW 342...WW
343...WW 344...

DISCUSSION...LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO SPREAD WEST TO
EAST ACROSS WW OVERNIGHT.  AIR MASS REMAINS VERY UNSTABLE...WITH
SUFFICIENT SHEAR FOR EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS AND BOWING SEGMENTS WITHIN
THE LINE.  DAMAGING WINDS AND A FEW TORNADOES ARE EXPECTED.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26035.


...EVANS

333,0890 363,0874 363,0842 333,0860

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 30, 8:54 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCColbert, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone and 2 more66 min
May 30, 11:05 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCColbert, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone and 4 more55 min
May 31, 12:40 AM CDTTornado WatchSPCCherokee5 hr
May 31, 1:06 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBlount, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin and 11 more84 min
May 31, 3:40 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCherokee95 min
May 31, 3:45 AM CDTTornado WatchSPCAutauga, Bibb, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Clay and 17 more5 hr
May 31, 5:31 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAutauga, Bibb, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Clay and 17 more119 min
May 31, 9:21 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaldwin, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale and 8 more54 min
May 31, 10:00 AM CDTTornado WatchSPCBaldwin, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Dale, Escambia and 5 more6 hr
May 31, 1:06 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaldwin, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Dale, Escambia and 5 more54 min
May 31, 3:30 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCDale, Geneva, Henry, Houston4 hr
May 31, 8:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBurke, Columbia, Elbert, Glascock, Greene, Hancock and 12 more5 hr
May 31, 10:18 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAppling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch and 27 more27 min
May 31, 10:40 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAppling, Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch and 25 more6 hr
May 31, 1:27 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAtkinson, Brantley, Chatham, Clinch, Echols, Lanier and 6 more63 min
May 31, 2:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCCamden, Charlton5 hr
May 31, 5:28 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCamden, Charlton92 min
May 31, 5:59 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBen Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Colquitt, Cook, Irwin and 5 more61 min
May 31, 6:30 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCCharlton, Echols4 hr
May 30, 8:55 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAdams, Amite, Claiborne, Copiah, Franklin, Hinds and 10 more65 min
May 30, 10:35 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCIssaquena5 hr
May 30, 10:55 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAlcorn, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll and 31 more5 hr
May 31, 1:27 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAttala, Choctaw, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Madison and 4 more2 hr

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 2004Tornado Watches in Alabama, 2004Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2004Every 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.