Alert archive / Illinois / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 73, NWS Lincoln, IL

May 30, 2008Douglas County, Edgar County, Illinois

NWS Lincoln, IL issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 30, 2008, 8:06 PM CDT for Douglas County, Edgar County, Illinois. It was in force for 39 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 30, 2008, 8:06 PM CDT (01:06 UTC)
Expired: May 30, 2008, 8:45 PM CDT
In force: 39 min
Issued by: NWS Lincoln, IL
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Douglas County, IL, Edgar County, IL

The radar

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 125 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:08 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 severe thunderstorm 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jan 7, 1:52 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	146 days
May 30, 1:56 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 00:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 67 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: 1830 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -43 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 984 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 0 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 0 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 0 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 
WUUS53 KILX 310106
SVRILX
ILC041-045-310145-
/O.NEW.KILX.SV.W.0073.080531T0106Z-080531T0145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
806 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LINCOLN HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...
  NORTHWESTERN EDGAR COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

* UNTIL 845 PM CDT.

* AT 806 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 2 MILES
  WEST OF CAMARGO...OR ABOUT 4 MILES EAST OF TUSCOLA...AND WAS MOVING
  EAST AT 52 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  NEWMAN...
  BROCTON...
  HUME...
  CHRISMAN...

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THIS WARNING INCLUDE...ARCOLA...HINDSBORO AND
VILLA GROVE.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR
DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG
BUILDING...BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER OR DAMAGE TO YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY
MANAGER...OR THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY...FOR RELAY TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3970 8767 3968 8833 3988 8831 3988 8811
      3989 8810 3989 8790 3988 8770 3989 8767
TIME...MOT...LOC 0106Z 266DEG 45KT 3980 8816

$$

BARNES

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS53 KILX 310126 RRA
SVSILX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
827 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

ILC041-045-310145-
/O.CON.KILX.SV.W.0073.000000T0000Z-080531T0145Z/
DOUGLAS-EDGAR-
827 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM CDT
FOR NORTHWESTERN EDGAR AND EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTIES...

AT 822 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS CONTINUED TO
DETECT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL...
AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
NEWMAN...OR ABOUT 16 MILES EAST OF TUSCOLA...MOVING EAST AT 52 MPH.

PEOPLE NEAR THESE LOCATIONS ARE STILL THREATENED...
  METCALF...
  CHRISMAN...
  EDGAR...
  EDGAR COUNTY AIRPORT...

LAT...LON 3970 8767 3968 8833 3988 8831 3988 8811
      3989 8810 3989 8790 3988 8770 3989 8767
TIME...MOT...LOC 0127Z 266DEG 45KT 3979 8790

$$

000 
WWUS53 KILX 310144
SVSILX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
844 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

ILC041-045-310154-
/O.EXP.KILX.SV.W.0073.000000T0000Z-080531T0145Z/
DOUGLAS-EDGAR-
844 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN EDGAR AND EASTERN
DOUGLAS COUNTIES EXPIRES AT 845 PM CDT...

AT 841 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT
THE THUNDERSTORM THAT HAD PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD MOVED OUT OF THE
AREA...THUS THE WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 3970 8767 3968 8833 3988 8831 3988 8811
      3989 8810 3989 8790 3988 8770 3989 8767
TIME...MOT...LOC 0144Z 266DEG 45KT 3980 8762

$$

BARNES

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Lincoln, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 30, 6:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 30, 6:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
645 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

.DISCUSSION...
ISSUED 157 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008
SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON
ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARY LEFT OVER FROM OVERNIGHTS CONVECTION. HOW
LONG THIS LASTS IS THE FIRST ISSUE FOR THE FORECAST...NEXT WILL BE
A SHORTWAVE MOVING OUT OF THE WEST MONDAY NIGHT ALONG QUASI ZONAL
FLOW THAT SETS UP ACROSS THE MIDSECTION OF THE CONUS THROUGH THE
FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK. WENT WITH THE MORE CONSERVATIVE ECMWF
FOR MUCH OF THE FORECAST...THOUGH THE MODELS ARE IN DECENT
AGREEMENT THROUGH DAY 5. BEYOND THAT...WAS VERY CONSERVATIVE IN
PUTTING TOO MUCH WEATHER IN...WHICH CORRESPONDED TO THE
ECMWF...WHEN THERE IS A MASSIVE PARTING OF SOLUTIONS IN THE
EXTENDED.

SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING AS THE STORMS FIRE
ALONG THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY MAKING ITS WAY SWD THROUGH THE CWA.
WINDS AND HAIL ARE THE MAIN THREAT...BUT THE STORMS WILL BE FIRING
OFF OF DESTABILIZED AIR FROM DIURNAL HEATING. BTWN THE FORWARD
MOTION AND THE WARM AIR... STORMS SHOULD BE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 72
BY MIDNIGHT. INCREASED THE WIND GUSTS A BIT BEHIND THE SYSTEM AS
TODAYS CONVECTION HAS BEEN LEAVING SOME TIGHT GRADIENT WINDS WITH
THE RESULTING WAKE LOW. FRONT MOVES THROUGH IN THE OVERNIGHT AND EARLY
MORNING HOURS...THOUGH THE TEMPERATURES FOR SATURDAY WILL NOT BE
COLD. HIGHS INTO THE LOWER 80S. TIME HEIGHTS HAVE VERY NARROW
RIBBON OF RH IN THE LOW LEVELS. OTHERWISE...A RATHER DRY COLUMN
SHOULD WARM QUICKLY AND HELP MIX OUT. AS A RESULT...WENT A LITTLE
LIGHT ON THE CLOUDS FOR THE FORECAST. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY DRY AND
RATHER WARM.

LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...
A BIT OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MODELS IN THE ONSET OF MONDAY.
THE ECMWF ACTUALLY MAINTAINS TWO DIFFERENT SYSTEMS
COLLIDING...WAA SHOWERS OUT OF THE SOUTH...AND A WAVE MOVING IN
FROM THE WEST...AND IS SOMEWHAT SLOWER TO MERGE THEM...WITH THE
NORTHERN WAVE HITTING FIRST. FOR PERSISTENCE SAKE...AM GOING WITH
THE ECMWF. CHANCES INCREASING MONDAY NIGHT...AND CONTINUING FOR
TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT AS WAA CONTINUES OVER THE AREA. DRYING
OUT WEDNESDAY. AT THIS POINT KEEPING THURSDAY AND FRIDAY DRY AS
GFS IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PATTERN THIS FAR OUT...AND THE ECMWF
IS HINTING AT AN ATTEMPT AT A PATTERN CHANGE...GOING INTO A FAR
MORE AMPLIFIED FLOW.

&&

.AVIATION...
ISSUED 637 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008
SEVERE WEATHER IN CWA AT THE MOMENT. WILL BE BRIEF. SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORMS FIRING ALONG OLD BOUNDARY FROM LAST NIGHTS
CONVECTION. ROTATING THUNDERSTORMS ARE PRODUCING WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 50 KTS... AND LARGE HAIL. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE
THROUGH THE EVENING...BUT SHOULD EVENTUALLY TRANSITION TO THE
SOUTH. LIFR CONDITIONS WITH... SCATTERING OUT BEHIND THE FRONT
AFTER MIDNIGHT. EVENTUALLY GOING TO VFR CONDITIONS BTWN 08Z AND 12Z.

HJS
&&

.ILX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 30, 3:01 PM CDT, 5 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
301 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

ILZ037-038-041>057-061>063-066-311100-
CASS-CHAMPAIGN-CHRISTIAN-CLARK-COLES-CUMBERLAND-DE WITT-DOUGLAS-
EDGAR-EFFINGHAM-LOGAN-MACON-MASON-MCLEAN-MENARD-MORGAN-MOULTRIE-
PIATT-SANGAMON-SCOTT-SHELBY-TAZEWELL-VERMILION-
301 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THIS
EVENING.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FROM NORTHERN MISSOURI THROUGH CENTRAL
ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON. THE PRIMARY TORNADO THREAT WILL BE IN THE
AREA FROM WINCHESTER THROUGH SPRINGFIELD AND LINCOLN TO THE
BLOOMINGTON AND CHAMPAIGN AREAS FROM 4 PM TO 8 PM. OTHER AREAS
WILL LIKELY SEE STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND
PERHAPS AN ISOLATED TORNADO. ALL OF THE SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD MOVE
EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA AFTER 9 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY NIGHT. THE POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR SEVERE WEATHER ON
TUESDAY...SO KEEP ABREAST OF LATER FORECASTS AS THE THREAT BECOMES
BETTER DEFINED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THROUGH THIS EVENING.

ILZ067-068-071>073-311100-
CLAY-CRAWFORD-JASPER-LAWRENCE-RICHLAND-
301 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
ILLINOIS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING.

THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL ILLINOIS WILL BECOME SEVERE AND MOVE
INTO SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS EARLY THIS EVENING. THE PRIMARY SEVERE
WEATHER THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. AN ISOLATED
TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE BEFORE SUNSET. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT
SHOULD MOVE PAST THE AREA BY MIDNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY NIGHT. THE POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR SEVERE WEATHER ON
TUESDAY...SO KEEP ABREAST OF LATER FORECASTS AS THE THREAT BECOMES
BETTER DEFINED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS
EVENING.

ILZ027>031-036-040-311100-
FULTON-KNOX-MARSHALL-PEORIA-SCHUYLER-STARK-WOODFORD-
301 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
ILLINOIS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND EARLY THIS EVENING.

AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL THROUGH EARLY
EVENING...WITH THE HIGHER SEVERE WEATHER THREAT BEING JUST TO THE
SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA. THE OVERALL CHANCES FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL END TOWARD SUNSET.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
TUESDAY NIGHT. THE POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR SEVERE WEATHER ON
TUESDAY...SO KEEP ABREAST OF LATER FORECASTS AS THE THREAT BECOMES
BETTER DEFINED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 30, 7:41 PM CDT, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
741 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0738 PM     HAIL             CHATHAM                 39.67N 89.70W
05/30/2008  E1.75 INCH       SANGAMON           IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, May 30, 7:47 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
747 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0740 PM     HAIL             1 NW DIVERNON           39.58N 89.67W
05/30/2008  E2.50 INCH       SANGAMON           IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            REPORT RECEIVED FROM NWS DAVENPORT

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, May 30, 7:50 PM CDT, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
750 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0745 PM     HAIL             2 NE CHATHAM            39.69N 89.67W
05/30/2008  M1.50 INCH       SANGAMON           IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, May 30, 7:53 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
753 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0734 PM     HAIL             PAWNEE                  39.59N 89.58W
05/30/2008  E1.75 INCH       SANGAMON           IL   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, May 30, 8:00 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
800 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0719 PM     HAIL             BOODY                   39.77N 89.06W
05/30/2008  E0.75 INCH       MACON              IL   MESONET

            TREE UPROOTED AND SOME LARGE LIMBS DOWN.

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, May 30, 8:04 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
804 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0755 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     TAYLORVILLE             39.52N 89.26W
05/30/2008                   CHRISTIAN          IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NEAR ROUTE 29 AND ROUTE 104

&&

SMITH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lincoln, IL issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 30, 7:01 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Morgan, Scott	3 hr
May 30, 7:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Champaign, Vermilion	38 min
May 30, 7:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Edgar, Vermilion	33 min
May 30, 7:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Macon, Moultrie, Piatt	34 min
May 30, 7:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Scott	30 min
May 30, 7:16 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Sangamon	3 hr
May 30, 7:16 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Sangamon	3 hr
May 30, 7:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Christian, Sangamon	45 min
May 30, 7:37 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Champaign, Vermilion	3 hr
May 30, 7:40 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Douglas, Moultrie, Piatt	35 min
May 30, 7:52 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Christian	38 min
May 30, 8:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Vermilion	39 min
May 30, 8:13 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Christian, Shelby	47 min
May 30, 8:19 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	ILX	Christian	116 min
May 30, 8:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Sangamon	28 min
May 30, 8:37 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ILX	Moultrie, Shelby	23 min
May 30, 8:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Edgar	33 min
May 30, 8:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Christian, Macon	42 min
May 30, 8:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Coles, Douglas, Moultrie	46 min
May 30, 9:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Clark, Edgar	42 min
May 31, 6:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILX	Clay	52 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Illinois, 2008 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2008

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.