Alert archive / Kentucky / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 41, NWS Paducah, KY

May 2, 2008Fulton County, Hickman County, Kentucky

NWS Paducah, KY issued this tornado warning at May 2, 2008, 1:36 PM CDT for Fulton County, Hickman County, Kentucky. It was in force for 54 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 2, 2008, 1:36 PM CDT (18:36 UTC)
Expired: May 2, 2008, 2:30 PM CDT
In force: 54 min
Issued by: NWS Paducah, KY
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Fulton County, KY, Hickman County, KY

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 61 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:37 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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 2, 10:44 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 210 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: 1314 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -56 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 609 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 532 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 505 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 3.8
Supercell composite: 15.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KPAH 021836
TORPAH
KYC075-105-021930-
/O.NEW.KPAH.TO.W.0041.080502T1836Z-080502T1930Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
136 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH KENTUCKY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN FULTON COUNTY IN WESTERN KENTUCKY...
  SOUTHERN HICKMAN COUNTY IN WESTERN KENTUCKY...

* UNTIL 230 PM CDT.

* AT 130 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 13 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF HICKMAN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 38 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE...
  7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HICKMAN BY 145 PM CDT...
  3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CAYCE BY 200 PM CDT...
  NEAR FULTON BY 210 PM CDT...

NOW IS THE TIME TO IMPLEMENT YOUR TORNADO PLAN OF ACTION. SEEK
SHELTER INDOORS IN A BASEMENT...OR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUILDING. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL
MEDIA FOR THE LATEST SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION.

DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. CARS ARE EASILY
TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF A
TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING. IF NO SAFE
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER
YOUR HEAD.

LAT...LON 3660 8917 3667 8882 3650 8882 3650 8894
      3650 8922
TIME...MOT...LOC 1836Z 247DEG 33KT 3642 8925

$$

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS53 KPAH 021901
SVSPAH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
200 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

KYC075-105-021930-
/O.CON.KPAH.TO.W.0041.000000T0000Z-080502T1930Z/
HICKMAN KY-FULTON KY-
200 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 230 PM CDT FOR EASTERN
FULTON AND SOUTHEASTERN HICKMAN COUNTIES IN WESTERN KENTUCKY...

AT 158 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS
LOCATED 5 MILES SOUTH OF CAYCE...OR 4 MILES NORTH OF UNION CITY...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 38 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE FULTON.

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

LAT...LON 3661 8908 3667 8882 3650 8882 3650 8894
      3650 8913
TIME...MOT...LOC 1900Z 247DEG 33KT 3648 8900

$$

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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 2, 3:38 AM CDT, 9 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 3:38 AM CDT, 9 hours 58 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
338 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

.DISCUSSION...
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS...DOPPLER RADARS INDICATED THE RESULT
OF SUBTLE LIFT ACROSS THE PAH FCST AREA...SCT VERY LIGHT SHWRS. A
SQUALL LINE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT IN EXTREME WRN MO.

THE BIG EVENT WILL GET STARTED TODAY AS A VIGOROUS MID LEVEL
CLOSED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ROTATES TOWARD THE GREAT LAKES. A LOBE
OF ENERGY WITHIN THE LOW IS SHOWN BY THE MODELS TO SWING AROUND
ITS EAST SIDE TODAY. THIS WILL HELP TO SUSTAIN A FAST NNEWD MOVING
SFC LOW AND ITS ATTENDANT COLD FRONT. THE FRONT WILL STEADILY
APPROACH THE PAH FCST AREA DURING THE MORNING HOURS. BASED ON
CONVECTION OCCURRING TO OUR WEST...SOME TSTMS MAY MAKE IT INTO SERN MO
SHORTLY AFTER 12Z. IN ADDITION...60 PLUS DEWPOINTS WILL COMBINE
WITH A 60 PLUS KT LLJ TO PROVIDE MODERATE INSTABILITY OVER OUR
REGION FOR THE AFTN AND INTO THE EVE. BEST FORECAST LOW LEVEL
HELICITY APPEARS TO BE OVER SERN MO EARLY... THEN THE LOW LEVEL
BULK SHEAR WILL BECOME A BIT MORE LINEAR LATE. THIS MEANS
SCATTERED SUPERCELLS THAT MAY DEVELOP IN THIS ENVIRONMENT WOULD BE
SOMEWHAT MORE LIKELY TO PRODUCE TORNADOES IN THE AFTN IN THE
WEST...VS. THE EARLY EVENING WHERE DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL WILL BE
THE PRIMARY THREAT FARTHER EAST.

THE COLD FRONT...WHICH SHOULD BE ENTERING THE MO OZARKS AROUND 00Z...
WILL BE THE FORCING MECHANISM FOR A SQUALL LINE JUST AHEAD OF IT.
THE THREAT OF SVR WX WILL CONTINUE EWD WELL INTO THE EVE...AND
POSSIBLY PAST MIDNIGHT DESPITE A SLOWLY STABILIZING ATMOSPHERE.

EXCEPT FOR THE FAR ERN PART OF THE PAH FCST AREA...ALL SHWR ACTIVITY
SHOULD BE OUT OF THE REGION BY 12Z SAT. DURING THE AFTN...WE HELD
A SLIGHT CHC OF A SHWR FOR THE AFTN IN THE NERN CORNER...INDUCED
BY CYCLONIC MID LEVEL ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEPARTING LOW.

A BROAD SFC HIGH PRESSURE AREA WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT WARM
REGIME FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEK...WITH SOMEWHAT COOLER
TEMPS AND LIGHT WINDS. LATER IN THE WEEK...ECMWF/GFS DO NOT AGREE TOO
WELL ON THE LOCATION/TIMING OF A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...BUT IT
APPEARS SHWRS MAY OCCUR EARLIER...AND TSTMS MAY OCCUR LATER IN THE
LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK UNDER WARM MOIST ADVECTION. VIRTUALLY NO
CHANGES WERE MADE BEYOND DAY 4.

&&

.AVIATION...
LOW VFR CIGS WILL YIELD TO MVFR CIGS AMIDST THICKENING/LOWERING
CLOUD BASES THIS MORNING. THIS WILL LEAD TO SCATTERED SHOWER
ACTIVITY BY MID MORNING WITH CONVECTION POSSIBLE BY LATE MORNING
INTO THE AFTERNOON. LATER IN THE DAY AND ESP INTO THE EVENING...A
COLD FRONT APPROACHES...AND WITH IT THE CHANCE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE
STORMS. TEMPORARY IFR CIGS AND/OR VSBYS COULD BE PRODUCED IN A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM UNTIL THE FRONT PASSES LATE IN THE EVENING...
AFTER WHICH SKIES WILL CLEAR AND OVERALL CIGS/VSBYS IMPROVE TO
VFR. PREVAILING WINDS WILL BE SLY WITH GUSTS WELL THRU THE 20S...
THOUGH A STORM COULD YIELD HIGHER GUSTS...UNTIL THE FRONT PASSES
AND WINDS GO SWLY-WLY AND DIMINISH.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...NONE.
MO...NONE.
IL...NONE.
IN...NONE.
&&

LONG TERM....DB
AVIATION...DH

Hazardous weather outlook, May 2, 9:43 AM CDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
943 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-031045-
JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-
WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE-
HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH-
WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES-
LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL-
UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN-
MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER-
RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-
943 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE QUAD
STATE REGION. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS...WITH TORNADOES POSSIBLE AS WELL.

AN INITIAL LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL PASS THROUGH THE REGION THIS
MORNING. THE THUNDERSTORMS ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS LINE WILL
BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS...TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS AND
HAIL. IN ADDITION...THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORMING OUT AHEAD OF THIS
SQUALL LINE. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...WITH
DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. A TORNADO OR TWO
CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

AFTER THIS LINE OF STORMS PASSES ON THROUGH THE AREA...THERE IS
SOME QUESTION ON HOW MUCH OF A SEVERE THREAT THERE WILL BE THIS
AFTERNOON. IF CLOUDS CLEAR OUT BEHIND THIS LINE OF STORMS AND
ENOUGH INSTABILITY DEVELOPS...WE COULD HAVE ANOTHER ROUND OF
SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY TODAY.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 2, 11:36 AM CDT, 2 hours before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
1136 AM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

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

1020 AM     FLASH FLOOD      DONIPHAN                36.62N 90.82W
05/02/2008                   RIPLEY             MO   EMERGENCY MNGR

            STREET FLOODING REPORTED IN DONIPHAN. SOME COUNTY CREEKS
            ARE REPORTED AT BANK FULL OR OUT OF BANKS.

&&

DP

Local storm report, May 2, 11:38 AM CDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
1138 AM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

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

1025 AM     FLASH FLOOD      SCOTT CITY              37.22N 89.53W
05/02/2008                   SCOTT              MO   EMERGENCY MNGR

            STREET FLOODING REPORTED IN SCOTT CITY AND ALSO ALONG HWY
            61.

&&

DP

Local storm report, May 2, 12:43 PM CDT, 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
1243 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

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

1235 PM     FLASH FLOOD      CAPE GIRARDEAU          37.31N 89.55W
05/02/2008                   CAPE GIRARDEAU     MO   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WATER REPORTED OVER HWY P NEAR CAPE GIRARDEAU MO.

&&

DP

Local storm report, May 2, 12:44 PM CDT, 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1244 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

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

0910 AM     TSTM WND DMG     GLENALLEN               37.32N 90.03W
05/02/2008                   BOLLINGER          MO   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            LATE REPORT. DOWNED TREES NEAR THE COMMUNITY. ALSO
            REPORTED NEAR PATTON AROUND THE SAME TIME.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, May 2, 12:54 PM CDT, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1254 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

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

1245 PM     FLASH FLOOD      CAIRO                   37.00N 89.18W
05/02/2008                   ALEXANDER          IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            OLIVE BRANCH TOWN ROAD CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, May 2, 12:55 PM CDT, 41 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1255 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

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

1255 PM     FLASH FLOOD      MOUND CITY              37.09N 89.16W
05/02/2008                   PULASKI            IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            STANDING WATER OF SEVERAL LOW-LYING ROADS WITH HIGHWAY
            DEPARTMENT RESPONDING TO LOCATIONS NOW.

&&

SMITTY

The office that day

Everything else NWS Paducah, KY issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 2, 10:14 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Christian	31 min
May 2, 10:40 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Muhlenberg, Todd	35 min
May 2, 10:45 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Hopkins, Muhlenberg	30 min
May 2, 10:50 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Daviess	40 min
May 2, 11:37 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	PAH	Crittenden, Livingston, Union	3 hr
May 2, 2:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Graves	26 min
May 2, 2:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Calloway, Marshall	33 min
May 2, 2:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Lyon, Trigg	30 min
May 2, 3:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Caldwell, Trigg	24 min
May 2, 3:11 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	PAH	Daviess, Hopkins, McLean, Webster	3 hr
May 2, 3:37 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PAH	Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, McCracken	140 days
May 2, 5:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Graves	20 min
May 2, 5:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Marshall	23 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kentucky, 2008 Every tornado warning in 2008 Tornadoes 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.