Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 80, NWS Lake Charles, LA

April 12, 2009Avoyelles Parish, Evangeline Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 12, 2009, 2:01 PM CDT for Avoyelles Parish, Evangeline Parish, Saint Landry Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 44 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Apr 12, 2009, 2:01 PM CDT (19:01 UTC)
Expired: Apr 12, 2009, 2:45 PM CDT
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Avoyelles Parish, LA, Evangeline Parish, LA, Saint Landry Parish, LA

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 12, 7:58 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 7.0 hours before the alert went out and 127 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: 880 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -259 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 506 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 326 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 463 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 5.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Apr 12, 12:57 PM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 12, 12:57 PM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
1257 PM CDT SUN APR 12 2009

.AVIATION...
INITIAL BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS...LOCATED FROM LEESVILLE TO LAKE
CHARLES...IS MOVING EAST ACROSS THE AREA. A SECONDARY BAND IS
LOCATED BACK ACROSS HOUSTON. SOME OF THESE STORMS ARE STRONG TO
SEVERE WITH HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WINDS AND POSSIBLY HAIL. STRONG
GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE NOTED AT SOUTHERN TAF SITES AS THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS IN RESPONSE TO DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE
TO THE WEST. CIGS OUTSIDE OF THE STORMS HAVE BEEN GENERALLY
MVFR...WITH OCCASIONAL IFR/LIFR CIGS AND VISBYS WITHIN THE STORMS.
CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE BETWEEN 00Z- 03Z THIS EVENING AS DRIER
AIR MOVES IN ALOFT. WINDS WILL WEAKEN AND SHIFT MORE SOUTHWESTERLY
AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME LIGHT FOG
DEVELOPING OVERNIGHT.  24

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1106 AM CDT SUN APR 12 2009/

UPDATE...
TORNADO WATCH 143 CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA UNTIL 4 PM. LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM NEAR SHV TO WEST OF HOUSTON. EXPECT
THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE LINE TO BE MOVING INTO TYLER COUNTY
WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR...WHICH HAS SOME SEVERE CHARACTERISTICS
INCLUDING VILS ABOVE 60 AS WELL AS SOME CIRCULATION. WARM FRONT
HAS LIFTED NORTH OF I-10 WITH DEWPOINTS AT KBPT AND KLCH NOW UP TO
69 DEGREES. KLCH 12Z SOUNDING ALSO SUPPORTS THE POTENTIAL FOR
SEVERE WEATHER WITH A HELICITY OF AROUND 500 M2/S2...CAPE ABOVE
2000 J/KG AND AN LI AROUND -6. SHOULD BE A BUSY AFTERNOON ONCE CAP
JUST BELOW 850MB BREAKS. MADE A FEW MINOR TWEAKS TO TODAYS GRIDS
TO REFLECT RECENT TRENDS...BUT NOTHING SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO
REISSUE ZONES AT THIS TIME. 24

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 817 AM CDT SUN APR 12 2009/

.THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 143 IN
EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON...

DISCUSSION...
AT THIS TIME...STLT AND RADAR IMAGES INDICATE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
EXTEND FROM NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA TO DEL RIO TEXAS. THIS LINE OF STORMS
IS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

CURRENTLY FOR SE TX AND SRN LA...SKIES ARE CLOUDY WITH TEMPS
RANGING FROM THE UPPER 60S AT THE COAST TO THE LOWER 60S INLAND
LOCATIONS. DEW POINTS HAVE BEEN SLOWLY CLIMBING THROUGH THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS. A COOL FRONT IN THE COASTAL WATERS WILL LIFT BACK
TO THE NORTH TODAY WITH EAST WINDS BECOMING SOUTH.

ATMOSPHERIC INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT THE SPREAD OF STORMS INTO
SOUTHEAST TEXAS BEFORE THE NOON HOUR AND INTO SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
AROUND THE NOON HOUR. STORMS TODAY WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF
BECOMING SEVERE WITH THE THREAT FROM DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL
AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. IN ADDITION NUMEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES AND
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS. STORMS
WILL MOVE OFF TO THE NORTHEAST TODAY.

THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO END OVER SOUTHEAST
TEXAS AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA DURING THE EARLY EVENING
HOURS AND BEFORE MIDNIGHT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA.

DRIER AIR WILL SPILL INTO SE TX AND SRN LOUISIANA TOMORROW MORNING
WITH SKIES CLEARING BEHIND THE FRONTAL PASSAGE TOMORROW
AFTERNOON. NEXT CHANCE FOR RAINFALL LOOKS TO BE ON FRIDAY INTO
SATURDAY.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
KLCH  76  62  81  52  76 /  80  40  10  10  10
KBPT  76  60  79  52  79 /  90  30  10  10  10
KAEX  75  58  75  48  74 /  80  50  10  10  10
KLFT  78  62  81  51  76 /  80  60  10  10  10

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: ACADIA...CALCASIEU...CAMERON...IBERIA...JEFFERSON
     DAVIS...LAFAYETTE...LOWER ST. MARTIN...ST. MARY...UPPER ST.
     MARTIN...VERMILION.

TX...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
     ZONES: HARDIN...JEFFERSON...ORANGE.

GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE
     FOLLOWING ZONES: CALCASIEU LAKE...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...SABINE LAKE...VERMILION BAY...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.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 12, 5:19 AM CDT, 8 hours 42 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
519 AM CDT SUN APR 12 2009

GMZ430-432-435-450-452-455-470-472-475-LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-
TXZ180>182-201-215-216-131030-
SABINE LAKE-CALCASIEU LAKE-VERMILION BAY-
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-
519 AM CDT SUN APR 12 2009

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 WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NORTH OUT OF THE GULF TODAY AHEAD OF A COLD
FRONT THAT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION ON MONDAY.
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME LIKELY BY THE LATE MORNING
HOURS IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. STORMS
WILL SPREAD INTO SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA BY THE AFTERNOON HOURS.
SOME STORMS WILL BECOME SEVERE WITH THE MAIN THREAT FROM DAMAGING
WINDS...HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE SEVERE THREAT IS
EXPECTED TO END ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
DURING THE EVENING HOURS.

RESIDENTS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO KEEP TUNED TO
THE LATEST FORECASTS AND OUTLOOKS DURING THIS EASTER HOLIDAY
WEEKEND TO STAY INFORMED ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER
OUTBREAK.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS RETURN LATE IN THE WEEK AND INTO THE
WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 12, 1:05 PM CDT, 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
105 PM CDT SUN APR 12 2009

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

1255 PM     HAIL             2 S LAKE CHARLES        30.18N 93.20W
04/12/2009  E1.00 INCH       CALCASIEU          LA   PUBLIC

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL NEAR KIRKMAN STREET. LADY REPORTS
            WINDSHIELD CRACKED.

&&

MGRIFFIN

Local storm report, Apr 12, 1:06 PM CDT, 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
106 PM CDT SUN APR 12 2009

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

1259 PM     HAIL             6 NE GRAND LAKE         30.08N 93.19W
04/12/2009  M0.75 INCH       CALCASIEU          LA   NWS EMPLOYEE

&&

MOGGED

Local storm report, Apr 12, 1:07 PM CDT, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
107 PM CDT SUN APR 12 2009

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

1239 PM     HAIL             5 N SULPHUR             30.30N 93.36W
04/12/2009  E0.75 INCH       CALCASIEU          LA   NWS EMPLOYEE

            NWS EMPLOYEE REPORTED PENNY SIZE HAIL IN THE HOUSTON
            RIVER AREA.

&&

MGRIFFIN

Local storm report, Apr 12, 1:11 PM CDT, 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
111 PM CDT SUN APR 12 2009

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

1255 PM     HAIL             GRAND LAKE              30.03N 93.27W
04/12/2009  E0.75 INCH       CAMERON            LA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            PENNY SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY KPLC-TV.

&&

MGRIFFIN

Local storm report, Apr 12, 1:32 PM CDT, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
132 PM CDT SUN APR 12 2009

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

0131 PM     HAIL             WELSH                   30.24N 92.81W
04/12/2009  E0.75 INCH       JEFFERSON DAVIS    LA   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTS PENNY SIZE HAIL IN WELSH.

&&

MGRIFFIN

Local storm report, Apr 12, 1:48 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
148 PM CDT SUN APR 12 2009

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

0148 PM     HAIL             SILSBEE                 30.34N 94.18W
04/12/2009  E0.50 INCH       HARDIN             TX   PUBLIC

            MARBLE SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY PUBLIC AND POSSIBLE POWER
            OUTAGES.

&&

MGRIFFIN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 12, 5:02 AM CDT	Small Craft Advisory	LCH		14 hr
Apr 12, 5:08 AM CDT	Lake Wind Advisory	LCH	Lafayette, Saint Martin	14 hr
Apr 12, 7:16 AM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		59 min
Apr 12, 12:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Calcasieu, Cameron	30 min
Apr 12, 12:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Calcasieu	33 min
Apr 12, 12:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron	45 min
Apr 12, 12:32 PM CDT	Special Marine Warning	LCH		28 min
Apr 12, 1:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis	37 min
Apr 12, 1:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Allen, Evangeline, Saint Landry	41 min
Apr 12, 1:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Acadia, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin and 1 more	64 min
Apr 12, 2:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Beauregard, Calcasieu	37 min
Apr 12, 10:53 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Jasper, Tyler	52 min
Apr 12, 11:34 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Jasper, Newton	26 min
Apr 12, 12:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Hardin	52 min
Apr 12, 1:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Hardin, Jefferson	51 min
Apr 12, 1:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Newton, Orange	42 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 2009 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2009

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.