Alert archive / Louisiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 9, NWS Lake Charles, LA

March 5, 20115 parishes in Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 5, 2011, 8:14 AM CST for 5 parishes in Louisiana. It was in force for 61 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Mar 5, 2011, 8:14 AM CST (14:14 UTC)
Expired: Mar 5, 2011, 9:15 AM CST
In force: 61 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Acadia Parish, LA, Calcasieu Parish, LA, Cameron Parish, LA, Jefferson Davis Parish, LA, Vermilion Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 68 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:16 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Mar 5, 8:40 AM CST	TORNADO	6 E Hayes, LA	EF0 TORNADO BEGAN NORTHEAST OF HWY 99 AND MARCEAUX RD INTERSECTION AND ENDED EAST OF HWY 382. SEVERAL FARM BUILDINGS WERE DAMAGED ALONG HWY 382 WITH SHEET METAL BLOWN ACROSS THE ROADWAY. PATH LENGTH 2 MILES AND PATH WIDTH 25 YARDS.
Mar 5, 8:51 AM CST	TORNADO 0	6 Nw Lake Arthur, LA	EF0 TORNADO BEGAN SOUTHWEST OF LYONS RD AND MOUTON RD INTERSECTION AND ENDED NORTHWEST OF HWY 26 AND BOBBY RD. SEVERAL POWER POLES WERE KNOCKED DOWN ALONG MOUTON RD AND LYONS RD. A MOBILE HOME LOST PART OF ITS ROOF ON BOBBY RD. PATH LENGTH 3 MILES AND PATH WID

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

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 nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 2.2 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: 635 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -138 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 891 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 111 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 134 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 3.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

500 
WUUS54 KLCH 051414
SVRLCH
LAC001-019-023-053-113-051515-
/O.NEW.KLCH.SV.W.0009.110305T1414Z-110305T1515Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
814 AM CST SAT MAR 5 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  ACADIA PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES...RAYNE...MERMENTAU...IOTA...CROWLEY...
  SOUTHEASTERN CALCASIEU PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES HAYES...
  NORTHEASTERN CAMERON PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES...LACASSINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE...KLONDIKE...
  SOUTHERN JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES...WELSH...LAKE ARTHUR...JENNINGS...
  NORTHWESTERN VERMILION PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
  THIS INCLUDES...KAPLAN...GUEYDAN...

* UNTIL 915 AM CST

* AT 814 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...OVER HAYES...MOVING EAST AT 20
  MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  THORNWELL...LOWRY...EVANGELINE...WRIGHT...RICEVILLE...MAXIE...LYONS
  POINT...INDIAN BAYOU...MORSE...EGAN AND BRANCH

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN. STAY INDOORS...
AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT
337-477-5285 EXTENSION 1.

LAT...LON 2999 9304 3022 9305 3043 9224 3022 9223
      3018 9224 3015 9228 3015 9223 2988 9222
TIME...MOT...LOC 1414Z 267DEG 17KT 3014 9289

$$

MM

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 Mar 5, 4:25 AM CST, 3 hours 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 5, 4:25 AM CST, 3 hours 49 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
425 AM CST SAT MAR 5 2011

.SYNOPSIS...
LATEST WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATES A POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL LOW
ACROSS WEST TEXAS MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD TOWARDS THE FORECAST
AREA...WITH INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS CLOUDS BLANKETING THE
ENTIRE CWA. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE A COLD FRONT EXTENDS
FROM NEAR AUS TO SHV MOVING RAPIDLY SOUTHEASTWARD. OBS ALSO SHOW
DENSE SEA FOG WHICH DEVELOPED AROUND MIDNIGHT THROUGHOUT THE
COASTAL WATERS CONTINUES...WITH MOST AWOS SITES NOW REPORTING
VISIBILITIES NEAR ZERO. SOME OF THIS SEA FOG HAS SPREAD INLAND
WITH SCATTERED SITES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
OCCASIONALLY FALLING TO 1/4SM VISIBILITY. RADAR IMAGERY INDICATES
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AROUND THE HOU/GLS AREA MOVING QUICKLY
NORTHEASTWARD.

&&

.SHORT TERM...

MAIN ISSUES TODAY ARE POPS AND SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL. USING
00Z NAM FOR COLD FRONTAL PLACEMENT...BOUNDARY SHOULD ENTER THE
CWA AROUND 14Z...REACH BPT/AEX AROUND 16-17Z...LCH AROUND
18Z...LFT AT 21Z...AND EXIT THE CWA AROUND 00Z. BASED ON LATEST
HIGH RESOLUTION AND SHORT TERM MODEL GUIDANCE...HAVE INCREASED
POPS TO CATEGORICAL ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN TWO THIRDS OF THE
FORECAST AREA. HIGHEST PRECIP CHANCES ARE IN ACADIANA WHERE
SURFACE LOW BEGINS TO DEVELOP AND CREATES BEST COMBINATION OF
LIFT/MOISTURE/SHEAR. SPC ALSO INDICATES A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS ACADIANA TODAY...AND SOME STRONG TO ISOLATED
SEVERE STORMS APPEAR POSSIBLE AS 00Z 4.0KM WRF DEPICTS SEVERAL
INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON.
MAIN THREATS IN OUR CWA SHOULD BE GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SOME
HAIL ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. WITH PRECIPITATION
EXPECTED MAINLY DURING THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON
HOURS...MOST MARDI GRAS FESTIVITIES THIS EVENING IN OUR CWA
SHOULD BE RAIN-FREE.

RAPID DRYING EXPECTED BEHIND FRONT WITH DEWPOINTS FALLING INTO
THE 30S AND 40S...AND HAVE REMOVED POPS FOR THE TONIGHT PERIOD.
LOWS TONIGHT FORECAST TO BE 20 TO 30 DEGREES BELOW THIS MORNING
LOWS...WITH UPPER 30S POSSIBLE IN NORTHERN ZONES. SPECTACULAR
WEATHER EXPECTED FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S AND
LOWS ON MONDAY MORNING IN THE UPPER 30S AND 40S.

&&

.LONG TERM...

FEW CHANGES MADE TO THE LONG TERM PORTION OF THE FORECAST WITH
FOCUS ON TODAY. WAA TO BEGIN ANEW MONDAY NIGHT WITH TEMPS TUESDAY
MORNING 15 TO 20 DEGREES WARMER THAN THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND HIGHS
WELL INTO THE 70S. ANOTHER STRONG DEEP H5 TROUGH PROGGED TO SWEEP
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CONUS FROM TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...BRINGING
ANOTHER COLD FRONT WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. DUE
TO SIGNIFICANT TIMING ISSUES BETWEEN GFS AND ECMWF ON FROPA WILL
LEAVE POPS IN HIGH CHANCE CATEGORY. COOLER AND DRIER WEATHER
ANTICIPATED FOR THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.

&&

.MARINE...

DENSE SEA FOG HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS MAINLY THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS
OF THE COASTAL WATERS BUT WILL CONTINUE DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR ALL
WATERS THROUGH 15Z THIS MORNING. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED ACROSS THE NORTHWEST GULF AND A FEW COULD
BE STRONG. WINDS TO INCREASE QUICKLY OUT OF THE NORTHWEST WITH
FROPA AND HAVE ADDED SCA TO ALL WATERS FROM 18Z TODAY THROUGH 12Z
SUNDAY. WINDS AND SEAS TO DECREASE ON SUNDAY BEFORE ONSHORE FLOW
RETURNS AND INCREASING FROM MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF
SHOWERS AND STORMS AS WELL AS GUSTY OFFSHORE WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS
ANTICIPATED WITH NEXT FRONT ON WEDNESDAY.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
KLCH  71  42  63  41  66 /  90  10   0   0   0
KBPT  69  42  62  43  66 /  80  10   0   0   0
KAEX  69  39  61  37  66 /  80  10   0   0   0
KLFT  73  44  62  43  66 / 100  10   0   0   0

&&

.LCH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
LA...NONE.
TX...NONE.
GM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 AM CST SUNDAY 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...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.

     SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION FROM NOON CST TODAY THROUGH THIS
     EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES: CALCASIEU LAKE...SABINE
     LAKE...VERMILION BAY.

&&

05

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 5, 4:36 AM CST, 3 hours 38 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
436 AM CST SAT MAR 5 2011

LAZ027>033-041>045-051>055-TXZ180>182-201-215-216-061045-
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-
436 AM CST SAT MAR 5 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AHEAD OF A
COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE REGION. SOME STORMS MAY BE STRONG TO
SEVERE ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...GENERALLY
ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM SABINE PASS TO OPELOUSAS. THE MAIN
SEVERE WEATHER THREATS ARE GUSTY WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. ALL
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO END BY LATE AFTERNOON AS THE COLD
FRONT MOVES EAST OF THE AREA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

TRANQUIL WEATHER IS EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. ANOTHER COLD
FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE REGION WILL BRING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL LOUISIANA TODAY.

GMZ430-432-435-450-452-455-470-472-475-061045-
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-
436 AM CST SAT MAR 5 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST
GULF OF MEXICO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

DENSE SEA FOG WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE GULF WATERS UNTIL MID
MORNING TODAY. A COLD FRONT WILL BRING GUSTY NORTH WINDS AND ROUGH
SEAS FROM THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT...AND A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
IS IN EFFECT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

TRANQUIL MARINE WEATHER IS EXPECTED SUNDAY AND MONDAY. INCREASING
ONSHORE WINDS AND RISING SEAS ARE EXPECTED ON TUESDAY...WITH
ANOTHER COLD FRONT BRINGING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ON WEDNESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

05

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 5, 7:21 AM CST, 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
721 AM CST SAT MAR 05 2011

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

0718 AM     HAIL             6 S LAKE CHARLES        30.12N 93.20W
03/05/2011  M0.25 INCH       CALCASIEU          LA   NWS EMPLOYEE

            PEA SIZE HAIL AT NWS LAKE CHARLES OFFICE

&&

SHAMBURGER

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 5, 12:27 AM CST	Marine Dense Fog Advisory	LCH		9 hr
Mar 5, 3:46 AM CST	Small Craft Advisory	LCH		26 hr
Mar 5, 7:39 AM CST	Special Marine Warning	LCH		66 min
Mar 5, 8:40 AM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Vermilion	50 min
Mar 5, 9:11 AM CST	Special Marine Warning	LCH		64 min
Mar 5, 9:32 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Acadia, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin	58 min
Mar 5, 9:52 AM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Acadia, Lafayette, Saint Landry, Saint Martin	38 min
Mar 5, 10:17 AM CST	Special Marine Warning	LCH		58 min
Mar 5, 10:28 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Saint Martin, Vermilion	62 min
Mar 5, 11:04 AM CST	Special Marine Warning	LCH		86 min
Mar 5, 11:42 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Saint Martin, St. Mary	63 min
Mar 5, 11:53 AM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Saint Martin, St. Mary	52 min
Mar 5, 12:33 PM CST	Special Marine Warning	LCH		27 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Louisiana, 2011 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2011

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.