Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 34, NWS Lake Charles, LA

February 21, 2008Rapides Parish, Vernon Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 21, 2008, 6:54 PM CST for Rapides Parish, Vernon Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 38 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: Feb 21, 2008, 6:54 PM CST (00:54 UTC)
Expired: Feb 21, 2008, 7:32 PM CST
In force: 38 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Rapides Parish, LA, Vernon Parish, LA

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
Feb 21, 1:41 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 145 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: 1139 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -10 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 643 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 119 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 137 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.8
Supercell composite: 3.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KLCH 220054
SVRLCH
LAC079-115-220145-
/O.NEW.KLCH.SV.W.0034.080222T0054Z-080222T0145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
654 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN RAPIDES PARISH IN CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BOYCE...
  NORTHEASTERN VERNON PARISH IN WEST CENTRAL LOUISIANA...

* UNTIL 745 PM CST

* AT 650 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 22
  MILES SOUTHWEST OF BOYCE...OR ABOUT 8 MILES EAST OF SLAGLE...AND
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  BOYCE BY 725 PM CST...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3146 9267 3141 9266 3141 9256 3122 9246
      3112 9300 3127 9311 3150 9270
TIME...MOT...LOC 0054Z 239DEG 33KT 3124 9296

$$

BRAZZELL

3 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS54 KLCH 220109
SVSLCH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
709 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

LAC115-220119-
/O.CAN.KLCH.SV.W.0034.000000T0000Z-080222T0145Z/
VERNON LA-
709 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN VERNON PARISH IS
CANCELLED...

THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED NORTHEASTWARD 
OUT OF THE PARISH.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3146 9267 3141 9266 3141 9256 3131 9251
      3122 9282 3126 9281 3133 9286 3135 9297
      3149 9271
TIME...MOT...LOC 0109Z 240DEG 38KT 3134 9273

$$

LAC079-220145-
/O.CON.KLCH.SV.W.0034.000000T0000Z-080222T0145Z/
RAPIDES LA-
709 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CST
FOR NORTHWESTERN RAPIDES PARISH...

AT 706 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE
HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS
LOCATED 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF GARDNER...OR ABOUT 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
BOYCE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  BOYCE BY 715 PM CST...

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS.
REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3146 9267 3141 9266 3141 9256 3131 9251
      3122 9282 3126 9281 3133 9286 3135 9297
      3149 9271
TIME...MOT...LOC 0109Z 240DEG 38KT 3134 9273

$$

SHAMBURGER

000 
WWUS54 KLCH 220119
SVSLCH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
719 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

LAC079-220145-
/O.CON.KLCH.SV.W.0034.000000T0000Z-080222T0145Z/
RAPIDES LA-
719 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CST
FOR NORTHWESTERN RAPIDES PARISH...

AT 719 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE
HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS
LOCATED NEAR BOYCE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

IN ADDITION TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS
IMMEDIATELY LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES NUMBER ONE KILLERS.
REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3146 9267 3141 9266 3141 9256 3134 9253
      3127 9272 3142 9284 3149 9271
TIME...MOT...LOC 0119Z 241DEG 40KT 3140 9261

$$

SHAMBURGER

000 
WWUS54 KLCH 220132
SVSLCH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
732 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

LAC079-220142-
/O.CAN.KLCH.SV.W.0034.000000T0000Z-080222T0145Z/
RAPIDES LA-
732 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN RAPIDES PARISH IS
CANCELLED...

THE STORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED AREA.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...PLEASE CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
OFFICE IN LAKE CHARLES AT 337-477-5285

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST THURSDAY EVENING
FOR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

LAT...LON 3146 9267 3141 9266 3141 9256 3134 9253
      3127 9272 3142 9284 3149 9271
TIME...MOT...LOC 0132Z 241DEG 40KT 3148 9240

$$

SHAMBURGER

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 Lake Charles, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Feb 21, 2:51 PM CST, 4 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 2:51 PM CST, 4 hours 3 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
251 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

.SYNOPSIS...A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH ROTATION HAS HAD A FEW
REPORTS OF TORNADOES IN CAMERON AND CALCASIEU PARISHES. FURTHER
WEST THUNDERSTORMS ARE REACHING SEVERE LIMITS. AS THIS BAND PASSES
NORTH, THE IMMINENT THREAT WILL BE OVER, HOWEVER A TORNADO WATCH
REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING.

A COLD FRONT WITH ARCTIC ORIGINS CURRENTLY WEDGING INTO CENTRAL
TEXAS HAS A FRONTAL WAVE NEAR TYLER. FURTHER EAST, THE FRONT IS
CREEPING SOUTHWARD. A STRONG AND DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH TO THE
WEST IS PROVIDING INSTABILITY. SOUTHERLY WINDS BEHIND A WARM FRONT
FROM LUFKIN SOUTHEAST TO LAFAYETTE IS PROVIDING SUFFICIENT LOW
LEVEL SHEAR TO PRODUCE ROTATION.

&&

.SHORT TERM...GFS LOOKS TO BE HITTING THE RAIN TOO HARD TNITE.
BACKED OFF ON POPS AND WILL NOT ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH. WENT LOWER ON
TEMPS CONSIDERING DEW POINTS REAR OF THE FRONT NEAR 30 UPSTREAM
FROM THE NORTHERN ZONES, NEAR 36 WEST OF OUR SOUTHERN ZONES. ALL EXCEPT
SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA CAN EXPECT THIS FRONT LATER TONIGHT. MUCH
DRIER AIR IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT SHOULD CLEAR US OUT BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

.LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THRU THE WEEKEND STILL LOOKING DRY. A
POLAR OUTBREAK ON TUESDAY WITH ARCTIC AIR PLUNDERING THE UPPER
PLAINS IS TICKETED FOR THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BY EARLY WEDNESDAY.
OUR NEXT FREEZE COULD RESULT FROM THIS BUT KEPT OVERNIGHT TEMPS
ABOVE THE FREEZING MARK FOR NOW.

&&

.AVIATION...SEA FOG AND LOW CIGS PRODUCING LIFR CONDITIONS THIS
EVENING FOR LCH, BPT, LFT, AND ARA.

&&

.MARINE...WILL ALLOW THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY TO EXPIRE DUE
CONVECTIVE MIXING. WINDS STILL LOOK TO HOLD BELOW ADVISORY
CRITERIA IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
KLCH  60  67  50  67 /  40   5   0   0
KBPT  55  66  51  68 /  40  20   0   0
KAEX  51  62  48  63 /  50  20   0   0
KLFT  64  73  51  67 /  50  10   0   0

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 9 PM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     ACADIA...ALLEN...AVOYELLES...BEAUREGARD...CALCASIEU...
     CAMERON...EVANGELINE...JEFFERSON DAVIS...LAFAYETTE...LOWER
     ST. MARTIN...RAPIDES...ST. LANDRY...UPPER ST. MARTIN...AND
     VERNON.

TX...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 9 PM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     HARDIN...JASPER...JEFFERSON...NEWTON...ORANGE...AND TYLER.

GM...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
     COASTAL WATERS FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX OUT 20
     NM...COASTAL WATERS FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY TO CAMERON, LA
     OUT 20 NM...AND COASTAL WATERS FROM LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER
     TO INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA OUT 20 NM.

     TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 9 PM THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: AND
     COASTAL WATERS FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX OUT 20
     NM.

&&

11

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 21, 3:54 AM CST, 15 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
354 AM CST THU FEB 21 2008

GMZ450-452-455-470-472-475-LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-
201-215-216-221200-
COASTAL WATERS FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY TO CAMERON, LA OUT 20 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER TO INTRACOASTAL CITY,
LA OUT 20 NM-
WATERS FROM CAMERON, LA TO HIGH ISLAND, TX EXTENDING FROM 20 NM
TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA TO CAMERON, LA EXTENDING FROM
20 NM TO 60 NM-
WATERS FROM LOWER ATCHAFALAYA RIVER TO INTRACOASTAL CITY, LA
EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 60 NM-VERNON-RAPIDES-AVOYELLES-BEAUREGARD-
ALLEN-EVANGELINE-ST. LANDRY-CALCASIEU-JEFFERSON DAVIS-ACADIA-
LAFAYETTE-UPPER ST. MARTIN-CAMERON-VERMILION-IBERIA-ST. MARY-
LOWER ST. MARTIN-TYLER-JASPER-NEWTON-HARDIN-JEFFERSON-ORANGE-
354 AM CST THU FEB 21 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST
GULF OF MEXICO...CENTRAL LOUISIANA...SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...WEST CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL MARSHES AND I-10
CORRIDOR...AND FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL 11 AM.

SEVERE WEATHER IS ALSO POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL LOUISIANA AND THE
LAKES REGION OF TEXAS LATER TODAY.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING
HOURS...TAPERING OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL ADVANCE THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY EVENING.

ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON
TUESDAY...WITH THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER STRONG COLD FRONT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 21, 4:13 PM CST, 2 hours 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
413 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

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

0405 PM     HAIL             WOODWORTH               31.15N 92.50W
02/21/2008  E0.50 INCH       RAPIDES            LA   PUBLIC

&&

MOGGED

Local storm report, Feb 21, 4:16 PM CST, 2 hours 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
416 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

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

0407 PM     HAIL             WOODWORTH               31.15N 92.50W
02/21/2008  E0.88 INCH       RAPIDES            LA   PUBLIC

&&

MOGGED

Local storm report, Feb 21, 4:19 PM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
419 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

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

0407 PM     HAIL             WOODWORTH               31.15N 92.50W
02/21/2008  E0.75 INCH       RAPIDES            LA   PUBLIC

&&

MOGGED

Local storm report, Feb 21, 5:45 PM CST, 1 hour 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
545 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

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

0525 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BIG CANE                30.82N 92.01W
02/21/2008                   ST. LANDRY         LA   PUBLIC

            ONE TO TWO INCH DIAMETER TREE BRANCHES BLOWN DOWN

&&

SHAMBURGER

Local storm report, Feb 21, 5:59 PM CST, 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
559 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

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

0530 PM     TORNADO          DUPONT                  30.93N 91.95W
02/21/2008                   AVOYELLES          LA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            POSSIBLE TORNADO. TREE DOWN ON HOUSE AND TREES DOWN
            ACROSS ROADS. FIRE DEPARTMENT AND RESCUE ON SCENE.

&&

MOGGED

Local storm report, Feb 21, 6:52 PM CST, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
652 PM CST THU FEB 21 2008

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

0620 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 N PICKERING           31.05N 93.27W
02/21/2008                   VERNON             LA   PUBLIC

            TREES DOWN ACROSS ROAD JUST OFF LAKE CHARLES HWY.

&&

MOGGED

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 21, 6:04 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vernon	26 min
Feb 21, 8:21 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Vernon	24 min
Feb 22, 9:44 AM CST	River Flood Warning	LCH	Vernon	3 days

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 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.