Alert archive / Idaho / Tornado Warnings in 2006

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Spokane, WA

May 22, 2006Kootenai County, Shoshone County, Idaho

NWS Spokane, WA issued this tornado warning at May 22, 2006, 2:23 PM PDT for Kootenai County, Shoshone County, Idaho. It was in force for 22 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: May 22, 2006, 2:23 PM PDT (21:23 UTC)
Expired: May 22, 2006, 2:45 PM PDT
In force: 22 min
Issued by: NWS Spokane, WA
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Kootenai County, ID, Shoshone County, ID

The radar

The Spokane radar (KOTX), 105 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:24 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Spokane, WA (KOTX), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 24 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: 5 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -114 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1111 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 158 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 271 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000
WFUS56 KOTX 222123
TOROTX
IDC055-079-222145-
/O.NEW.KOTX.TO.W.0001.060522T2123Z-060522T2145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
223 PM PDT MON MAY 22 2006

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPOKANE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL KOOTENAI COUNTY IN THE PANHANDLE OF IDAHO
  NORTHWESTERN SHOSHONE COUNTY IN THE PANHANDLE OF IDAHO

* UNTIL 245 PM PDT

* AT 220 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO OVER EXTREME
  NORTHWESTERN SHOSHONE COUNTY...OR ABOUT 16 MILES NORTH OF
  PINEHURST...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS WILL BE NEAR...
  RURAL NORTHWESTERN SHOSHONE COUNTY AT 240 PM PDT

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 4803 11620 4801 11611 4778 11614 4771 11617
      4771 11634 4773 11641 4789 11640 4790 11632
      4802 11631 4806 11624

$$

RP

3 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS56 KOTX 222136
SVSOTX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
236 PM PDT MON MAY 22 2006

IDC055-079-222145-
/O.CON.KOTX.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-060522T2145Z/
SHOSHONE ID-KOOTENAI ID-
236 PM PDT MON MAY 22 2006

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 245 PM PDT FOR EXTREME
EAST CENTRAL KOOTENAI AND NORTHWESTERN SHOSHONE COUNTIES...

AT 233 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED OVER EXTREME
NORTHWESTERN SHOSHONE COUNTY...OR ABOUT 26 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
SANDPOINT...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DIME 
SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 4803 11620 4801 11611 4778 11614 4771 11617
      4771 11634 4773 11641 4789 11640 4790 11632
      4802 11631 4806 11624

$$

RP

000 
WWUS56 KOTX 222141
SVSOTX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
239 PM PDT MON MAY 22 2006

IDC055-222149-
/O.CAN.KOTX.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-060522T2145Z/
KOOTENAI ID-
239 PM PDT MON MAY 22 2006

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR KOOTENAI COUNTY IS CANCELLED...
THE TORNADO HAS MOVED OUT OF THE AREA.

LAT...LON 4803 11620 4801 11611 4782 11612 4781 11614
      4775 11615 4772 11617 4772 11632 4803 11629
      4806 11624

$$

IDC079-222145-
/O.CON.KOTX.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-060522T2145Z/
SHOSHONE ID-
239 PM PDT MON MAY 22 2006

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 245 PM PDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN SHOSHONE COUNTY...

AT 237 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED OVER EXTREME
NORTHWESTERN SHOSHONE COUNTY...OR ABOUT 24 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
SANDPOINT...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DIME 
SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 4803 11620 4801 11611 4782 11612 4781 11614
      4775 11615 4772 11617 4772 11632 4803 11629
      4806 11624

$$

RP

000 
WWUS56 KOTX 222151
SVSOTX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
248 PM PDT MON MAY 22 2006

IDC079-222158-
/O.EXP.KOTX.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-060522T2145Z/
SHOSHONE ID-
248 PM PDT MON MAY 22 2006

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN SHOSHONE COUNTY EXPIRES AT
245 PM PDT...

THE TORNADO HAS WEAKENED AND APPEARS TO HAVE MOVED INTO NORTHWEST 
MONTANA AND OUT OF THE AREA...THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING FOR 
NORTHWEST SHOSHONE COUNTY HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM PDT
MONDAY EVENING FOR NORTHWESTERN IDAHO AND EASTERN WASHINGTON.

LAT...LON 4803 11620 4801 11611 4782 11612 4781 11614
      4775 11615 4772 11617 4772 11632 4803 11629
      4806 11624

$$

RP

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 22, 10:46 AM PDT, 3 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 22, 10:46 AM PDT, 3 hours 37 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1046 AM PDT MON MAY 22 2006

.SYNOPSIS...A MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL PROVIDE SHOWERS AND
POSSIBLY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA TODAY. THE FLOW WILL TURN
MORE SOUTHWESTERLY ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY FOR CONTINUED SHOWERY
WEATHER. A COOL PACIFIC SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA FOR COOL AND
WET WEATHER FOR THE END OF THE WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
REST OF TODAY AND THIS EVENING...STRONG AND VERY MOIST SOUTHERLY
FLOW ALOFT OVER THE FORECAST AREA TODAY...WITH SATELLITE AND MODELS
INDICATING AN INCOMING NEGATIVELY TILTED UPPER WAVE IN THIS FLOW
SET TO PASS THOUGH THE REGION LATE TODAY AND THIS EVENING. THIS IS
RECOGNIZED AS A CLASSIC NORTHWESTERN SEVERE WEATHER PATTERN...AND
NORMALLY FORECASTING SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WOULD BE A SAFE
BET. HOWEVER THIS TIME THE FLY IN THE OINTMENT IS THE SOPPING
WET NATURE OF THE CURRENT AIR MASS. MODEL SOUNDINGS SUGGEST WITH
PLAUSIBLE AFTERNOON DEW POINTS NEAR 50 DEGREES...HIGH TEMPERATURES
NEED TO ACHIEVE LOW TO MID 70S TO OVERCOME CIN AND UNLOCK 800-1000+
J/KG CAPE AND ALLOW WIDESPREAD CUMULONIMBUS OVER THE REGION. GIVEN
THE WIDESPREAD PRE-CURSOR SHOWER ACTIVITY AND HEAVY CLOUD COVER
VISIBLE ON SATELLITE THESE REQUISITE HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE
DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE OVER THE WESTERN ZONES...AND EASIEST TO ACHIEVE
OVER THE IDAHO PANHANDLE WHERE PERIODIC CLEARING...OR AT LEAST
THINNING OF CLOUDS IS LIKELY DURING THIS AFTERNOONS SOLAR MAXIMUM
HEATING PERIOD. ZONE UPDATE WILL REFLECT THIS THINKING WITH A MORE
NUMEROUS AFTERNOON COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED.
STRONG LOW AND MID LEVEL SHEAR WITH GOOD JET DYNAMIC SUPPORT ALOFT
CREATES THE RISK THAT SOME OF THESE STORMS...MOST LIKELY THOSE THAT
FORM OVER IDAHO...WILL BE ORGANIZED AND PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. /FUGAZZI

&&

.AVIATION...NUMEROUS VFR CEILING/VIS SHOWERS WITH SCATTERED MVFR
CEILINGS THROUGH 03Z OVER ALL LOCATIONS WITH MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS IN
LOW CLOUDS AND PCPN. AFTER 20Z EAST OF A KOMK-KALW LINE SCATTERED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP WITH ISOLATED IFR VISIBILITIES IN
HEAVY PRECIPITATION. AFTER 02Z WEST OF A KOMK-KALW LINE AND AFTER
06Z EAST OF TIS LINE CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE TO ISOLATED MOUNTAIN
SHOWERS AND MOSTLY VFR CONDITIONS OVER THE COLUMBIA BASIN. /MJF

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SPOKANE        74  47  69  46  66  44 /  60  60  30  50  40  30
COEUR DALENE  75  43  70  44  65  42 /  60  70  40  50  40  30
PULLMAN        74  44  67  47  64  42 /  60  70  30  40  30  30
LEWISTON       78  51  74  51  72  48 /  60  70  40  30  20  20
COLVILLE       75  41  71  43  64  42 /  60  60  40  50  50  30
SANDPOINT      76  41  71  42  65  42 /  60  60  40  40  40  30
KELLOGG        78  43  67  43  64  41 /  60  70  40  40  40  30
MOSES LAKE     74  49  75  51  71  46 /  60  30  20  30  20  10
WENATCHEE      72  51  73  51  70  48 /  60  30  20  30  20  10
OMAK           70  47  75  46  72  44 /  60  40  40  30  30  20

&&

.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...FLOOD WATCHES FOR BOUNDARY AND NEZ PERCE COUNTIES.
WA...FLOOD WATCHES FOR SOUTH WHITMAN...GARFIELD...AND ASOTIN
COUNTIES.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 22, 2:19 PM PDT, 4 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
219 PM PDT MON MAY 22 2006

IDZ001>004-026-027-WAZ031>033-036-037-232130-
NORTHERN PANHANDLE-COEUR DALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE-
CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS-LEWISTON AREA-
LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES-NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS-
LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-WASHINGTON PALOUSE-
SPOKANE AREA-NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SANDPOINT...RATHDRUM...BONNERS FERRY...
PRIEST RIVER...COEUR DALENE...POST FALLS...HAYDEN...MOSCOW...
ST. MARIES...KELLOGG...PINEHURST...OSBURN...WALLACE...MULLAN...
LEWISTON...KAMIAH...CRAIGMONT...NEZPERCE...WINCHESTER...ANATONE...
PEOLA...CLARKSTON...PULLMAN...SPOKANE...COLVILLE...DEER PARK...
CHEWELAH...NEWPORT...KETTLE FALLS
219 PM PDT MON MAY 22 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH
IDAHO...NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO...NORTHEAST WASHINGTON AND SOUTHEAST
WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE COUPLED WITH A PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL
RESULT IN NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME
OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE SEVERE WITH LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND HEAVY RAIN. EXPECT THESE CONDITIONS TO
CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

SHOWERY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK. A COOLER AND
WETTER WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED FOR THE END OF THE WEEK.

WAZ034-035-038-041>044-232130-
MOSES LAKE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS-
WENATCHEE AREA-EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES-OKANOGAN VALLEY-
WATERVILLE PLATEAU-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOSES LAKE...EPHRATA...OTHELLO...
QUINCY...RITZVILLE...COULEE DAM...ODESSA...ELECTRIC CITY...
WILBUR...GRAND COULEE...COULEE CITY...REPUBLIC...INCHELIUM...
WENATCHEE...LEAVENWORTH...MAZAMA...TWISP...WINTHROP...OMAK...
OKANOGAN...BREWSTER...BRIDGEPORT...OROVILLE...WATERVILLE...
MANSFIELD
219 PM PDT MON MAY 22 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
WASHINGTON...EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON AND NORTH CENTRAL
WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SHOWERY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REGION. THERE IS A
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

SHOWERY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK. A COOLER AND
WETTER WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED FOR THE END OF THE WEEK.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Spokane, WA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 21, 5:50 PM PDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OTX	Nez Perce	25 min
May 21, 6:58 PM PDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OTX	Latah, Nez Perce	32 min
May 21, 7:52 PM PDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OTX	Shoshone	38 min
May 22, 1:38 PM PDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OTX	Benewah, Kootenai	52 min
May 22, 2:33 PM PDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OTX	Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone	42 min
May 22, 3:29 PM PDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OTX	Bonner, Boundary	46 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Idaho, 2006 Every tornado warning in 2006 Tornadoes in 2006

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.