Severe Thunderstorm Warning 104, NWS Louisville, KY

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
1042 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2011

...MESOSCALE UPDATE...

...SEVERE WEATHER THREAT RAPIDLY APPROACHING SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND
NORTHWEST KENTUCKY...

ACTIVE WEATHER NIGHT IN STORE FOR MUCH OF THE REGION WITH A
WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WIND EVENT LIKELY.  LATEST RADAR SCANS SHOW A
VERY MATURE QUASI-LINEAR CONVECTIVE SYSTEM PLOWING EASTWARD INTO THE
OHIO VALLEY.  TWO DISTINCT BOWS WERE NOTED WITH ONE GOING THROUGH
THE INDIANAPOLIS METRO AREA AND THE SECOND ONE HEADING BASICALLY
RIGHT AT NORTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY.  THE SOUTHERN BOW MEANS BUSINESS AS
WE'RE ALREADY SEEING DOPPLER VELOCITIES IN EXCESS OF 80KTS.
NUMEROUS REPORTS ARE FLOODING IN FROM SOUTHERN ILLINOIS OF
WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS AND POWER OUTAGES.  SFC WIND SPEEDS IN
EXCESS OF 70 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED.

ATMOSPHERE AHEAD OF THIS LINE IS STRONGLY UNSTABLE WITH LIFTED
INDICES LESS THAN -6 DEG CELSIUS AND CAPES IN THE 2000-2500 J/KG
AND AN UNCAPPED ATMOSPHERE.  THUS...ENVIRONMENT AHEAD OF THIS LINE
IS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND SHOULD MAINTAIN THIS LINE THROUGH OUR AREA.

BY AND LARGE...WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE IS LIKELY WITH THIS LINE.
HOWEVER...EMBEDDED MESOVORTICES WILL LIKELY RESULT IN TORNADIC
SPINUPS ALONG THE LINE.  BASED ON CURRENT SPEEDS...THIS LINE WILL
ENTER OUR NORTHWEST CWA WITHIN THE NEXT 60 MINUTES.  THE LINE WILL
LIKELY IMPACT THE LOUISVILLE METRO AREA BETWEEN MIDNIGHT - 100 AM
EDT.  RESIDENTS OF SOUTHERN INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY...MAINLY
WEST OF I-65 SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR HIGH WINDS AND POWER OUTAGES IN
THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY)...

...SEVERE WEATHER EPISODE LIKELY LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE
OVERNIGHT PERIOD. WIND DAMAGE...SOME OF IT POTENTIALLY
SIGNIFICANT...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES EXPECTED...

PARAMETERS STILL IN PLACE FOR A SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK OVER
S-CENTRAL IND AND CENTRAL KY TONIGHT. LOW CLOUDS TRAPPED UNDERNEATH
CAPPING INVERSION HAVE BEEN SLOW TO CLEAR THIS AFTERNOON...BUT ARE
STARTING TO ERODE. TEMPS NOW WARMING NICELY WITH READINGS NOW IN MID
70S TO MID 80S. WARM FRONT...RESPONSIBLE FOR TSTMS THIS MORNING OVER
PARTS OF SRN IND...HAS LIFTED JUST N OF AREA. AT THIS TIME...ANOTHER
AXIS OF ENHANCED CLOUDS WAS LOCATED OVER SRN IL INTO SW IND WHERE
SCT SHOWERS AND TSTMS COULD DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON WITHIN AREA OF
SLOWLY ERODING CAPPING INVERSION ALOFT. 12Z NAM ACTUALLY RESOLVED
THIS FEATURE AND DEVELOPS SOME WARM-SECTOR CONVECTION LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. WILL CONTINUE TO INCLUDE A CHANCE OF
TSTMS OVER S-CENTRAL IND AND N-CENTRAL KY THROUGH EARLY EVENING TO
ACCOUNT FOR THIS FEATURE.

SPC HAS JUST ISSUED THE FIRST TORNADO WATCH FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL IL
TO SRN/SW MO...THE AREA WHERE THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK WILL
BEGIN. IN THIS AREA...INSTABILITY...INCREASING LOW-LEVEL SHEAR...AND
INCREASING FORCING ALONG THE COLD FRONT WILL ALLOW TSTMS TO EXPAND
RAPIDLY AS THE CAP IS BROKEN. CELLULAR-BASED CONVECTION (I.E.
SUPERCELLS) IS LIKELY IN THIS AREA. THIS AREA WILL CONGEAL INTO A
LINEAR MODE OF CONVECTION (I.E., SQUALL LINE) WITH BOWING SEGMENTS
INCREASING IN NUMBER WITH TIME AS THE LINE MOVES E INTO THE LOWER OH
VALLEY THIS EVENING. THE MODELS ARE USUALLY SLOW IN THE TIMING OF
THE LINE AS THE COLD POOL ASSOCIATED WITH RAIN WITH THE STORMS HELPS
TO ACCELERATE THE LINE FASTER THAN WOULD BE EXPECTED GIVEN AMBIENT
WIND FIELDS. AS A RESULT...EXPECT LINE TO REACH OUR FAR NW COUNTY
(DUBOIS) IN IND BY ABOUT 10 PM EDT...LOUISVILLE TO BOWLING GREEN
AXIS ABOUT 11 PM OR MIDNIGHT...FRANKFORT ABOUT 12-2 AM AND LEXINGTON
AROUND 2-3 AM EDT.

ALTHOUGH CONVECTION WILL FORM ALONG AND JUST E OF THE FRONT IN MO
THIS AFTERNOON...AFTER THE STORMS BECOME AN ORGANIZED LINE...THE
LINE WILL RACE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. MODELS HINT THAT A SECONDARY
LINE OF AT LEAST SCT TSTMS COULD FORM ALONG THE ACTUAL FRONT A
COUPLE/FEW HOURS AFTER THE INITIAL LINE. HOWEVER...THE INITIAL LINE
WILL BE THE MAIN ONE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT FOR SEVERE WEATHER...
DESPITE THE TIME OF DAY (I.E. LATE EVENING/OVERNIGHT).

AS FAR AS SEVERE POTENTIAL...TYPICALLY LINES OF STORMS DO NOT
PRODUCE WIND DAMAGE ALONG THEIR ENTIRE LENGTH...ALTHOUGH GUSTY WINDS
DO OCCUR ALONG MOST OF IT. THIS IS LIKELY TO BE THE CASE AGAIN
TONIGHT. NEVERTHELESS...ORGANIZED BOW ECHOES ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR
TONIGHT AND IN THIS CASE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT
WIND DAMAGE (70-80 MPH WINDS) ALONG WITH ISOLATED/WIDELY SCATTERED
TORNADOES. ANY TORNADOES WHICH FORM WILL LIKELY BE SHORT IN DURATION
BUT COULD FORM QUICKLY AND DO DAMAGE. SOME CELLS MAY ALSO PRODUCE
LARGE HAIL...BUT HAIL WILL BE A SECONDARY CONCERN TO THE WIND DAMAGE
AND TORNADO POTENTIAL. ALSO...RAINFALL RATES WILL BE HIGH...BUT
INTENSE RAINFALL WILL BE BRIEF SO NOT EXPECTING A WIDESPREAD FLOOD/
FLASH FLOOD EVENT AT THIS TIME...ALTHOUGH ISOLATED PROBLEMS MAY
OCCUR.

SINCE THE STORMS WILL BE OCCURRING LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE
OVERNIGHT PERIOD...A MORE ATYPICAL TIME OF OCCURRENCE FOR US...AND
SINCE PEOPLE MAY BE SLEEPING...PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO HAVE A
DEFINITE PLAN OF ACTION AND KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN WARNINGS ARE ISSUED
OR WEATHER CONDITIONS DETERIORATE RAPIDLY. THE SEVERE POTENTIAL WILL
NOT LAST LONG AT ANY ONE LOCATION SINCE STORMS WILL BE RACING EWD.

AFTER THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH WED MORNING...MODELS SHOW
LOW-LEVEL CLOUDS HANGING IN DURING THE MORNING BEFORE CLEARING
STARTS TO RETURN BY AFTERNOON AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN.
IN OTHER WORDS...IT WILL BE A MUCH CALMER DAY AFTER A POTENTIALLY
BUSY AND STORMY NIGHT.

.LONG TERM (WEDNESDAY NIGHT - TUESDAY)...

DIDN/T SPEND AS MUCH TIME ON THE LONG TERM TODAY DUE TO SIGNIFICANT
CONCERNS IN THE SHORT TERM...BUT WAS ABLE TO GIVE IT A QUICK LOOK.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY STILL LOOK PRIMARILY DRY. CAN/T
COMPLETELY RULE OUT A STRAY POP-UP THUNDERSTORM THURSDAY AFTERNOON
IN THE SOUTH SO WILL HOLD ON TO TINY POPS THEN.

THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE STILL EXPECTED TO INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT AS
LOW PRESSURE MOVES ALONG THE KANSAS/OKLAHOMA BORDER AND A WARM FRONT
SHARPENS FROM THE LOW TO THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS. THUNDERSTORMS
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY IN A MOIST UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WITH
THE WARM FRONT NEARBY. WE MAY GET A BRIEF BREAK FRIDAY EVENING AS
THE WARM FRONT LIFTS TO THE NORTH. THUNDERSTORMS WILL THEN RETURN
LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES BY TO
OUR NORTHWEST AND SWINGS A COLD FRONT INTO THE REGION. MODELS
CONTINUE TO GROW MORE SHEEPISH ABOUT THE CHANCES OF SEVERE WEATHER
WITH THIS SYSTEM.  A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO SEVERE WEATHER LOOKED LIKE A
GOOD BET...BUT NOW THERE IS MORE UNCERTAINTY.

THE FUTURE OF THIS SYSTEM IS IN QUESTION AS WELL. THE GFS STILL
WANTS TO STALL IT OUT ROUGHLY ALONG THE OHIO RIVER KEEPING US WET.
THE ECMWF STILL WANTS TO LIFT IT BACK NORTH OUT OF THE REGION
KEEPING US DRY. THE GFS SOLUTION DOES HAVE SOME WEAK SUPPORT FROM
THE GEM ENSEMBLE MEAN AND GFS ENSEMBLE MEAN. THE ECMWF HAS TRENDED
JUST A BIT CLOSER TO THE GFS AND WE ARE CURRENTLY IN A WET PATTERN.
THUS...WILL HOLD ON TO THE SMALL POPS WE ALREADY HAD GOING THROUGH
SUNDAY NIGHT.

MONDAY-MONDAY NIGHT STAND A DECENT CHANCE AT BEING RELATIVELY
DRY...THEN A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE IS ON TAP FOR TUESDAY.

&&

.AVIATION (00Z TAF ISSUANCE)...

A SQUALL LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE TSTMS EXPECTED TO MOVE THRU ALL
TAF SITES LATE THIS EVENING/EARLY WED MORNING...RESULTING IN ABOUT A
2-HR WINDOW OF LIFR TO IFR VSBY AND MVFR CIGS AS WELL AS WIND GUSTS
0F 40-50KTS. CDFNT WILL FOLLOW LINE AND MOVE THRU ALL TAF SITES BY
13Z.

AFTERWARD...MVFR CIGS AND WEST WINDS WILL PREVAIL WITH CLEARING BY
MIDDAY/EARLY AFTERNOON.

&&

.LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...NONE.
IN...NONE.
&&

MESOSCALE......MJ
SHORT TERM.....TWF
LONG TERM......13
AVIATION.......DK/11

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
535 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2011

INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067-
070>078-081-082-200830-
ORANGE IN-WASHINGTON IN-SCOTT IN-JEFFERSON IN-DUBOIS IN-
CRAWFORD IN-PERRY IN-HARRISON IN-FLOYD IN-CLARK IN-HANCOCK KY-
BRECKINRIDGE KY-MEADE KY-OHIO KY-GRAYSON KY-HARDIN KY-BULLITT KY-
JEFFERSON KY-OLDHAM KY-TRIMBLE KY-HENRY KY-SHELBY KY-FRANKLIN KY-
SCOTT KY-HARRISON KY-SPENCER KY-ANDERSON KY-WOODFORD KY-
FAYETTE KY-BOURBON KY-NICHOLAS KY-NELSON KY-WASHINGTON KY-
MERCER KY-JESSAMINE KY-CLARK KY-LARUE KY-MARION KY-BOYLE KY-
GARRARD KY-MADISON KY-BUTLER KY-EDMONSON KY-HART KY-GREEN KY-
TAYLOR KY-CASEY KY-LINCOLN KY-LOGAN KY-WARREN KY-SIMPSON KY-
ALLEN KY-BARREN KY-MONROE KY-METCALFE KY-ADAIR KY-RUSSELL KY-
CUMBERLAND KY-CLINTON KY-
535 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2011 /435 PM CDT TUE APR 19 2011/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK EXPECTED LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT
OVER SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY.

A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION LATE TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS
WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA AROUND 10 PM EDT
TONIGHT. THE STORMS WILL RACE EASTWARD BETWEEN 10 PM AND 4 AM
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
DAMAGING WINDS OVER 60 MPH...WITH ISOLATED DESTRUCTIVE WINDS OF 70
TO 80 MPH. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO EXPECTED...ALONG WITH SOME
HAIL. HEAVY RAINFALL WITH TOTALS OF 1 TO 1.5 INCHES WITH LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS...IS ALSO LIKELY.

SINCE THESE SEVERE AND POTENTIALLY FLASH FLOOD PRODUCING STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE OUTLOOK AREA AT NIGHT...WE HIGHLY ENCOURAGE
YOU TO SET YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO TO ALERT MODE SO THAT YOU CAN BE
AWAKENED IN THE EVENT THAT A WARNING IS ISSUED WHILE YOU ARE ASLEEP.
MANY SEVERE WEATHER AS WELL AS FLASH FLOOD FATALITIES OCCUR LATE AT
NIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

A FEW LINGERING THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE BLUEGRASS
AND LAKE CUMBERLAND REGIONS EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING BUT WILL MOVE
QUICKLY OFF TO THE EAST.

SCATTERED STORMS WILL RETURN TO THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT AND
FRIDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM...WHICH MAY BRING A ROUND OF
STRONG STORMS MAINLY FROM FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THIS SYSTEM
HAS LOST SOME OF ITS POTENCY IN RECENT FORECASTS...STAY TUNED TO
SEE HOW THIS NEXT SYSTEM SHAPES UP.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE
REST OF THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.

HEAVY RAINS FROM THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE RISING WATER
LEVELS ON AREA RIVERS...INCLUDING THE OHIO...AND MAY RESULT IN
FLASH FLOODS AND AREAL FLOODING AS WELL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED FOR TONIGHT AND MAY BE NEEDED LATE
IN THE WEEK THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

KIRKPATRICK

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
1026 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2011

INZ076-083-084-089-KYZ023-024-026-200315-
BRECKINRIDGE-CRAWFORD-DUBOIS-HANCOCK-OHIO-ORANGE-PERRY-
1026 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2011

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DESTRUCTIVE WINDS...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...AND SMALL HAIL APPROACHING...

AT 1017 PM EDT/917 PM CDT/...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR
WAS TRACKING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS INTO WESTERN KENTUCKY...AND MOVING EAST AT 65 MPH.

FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...TORRENTIAL RAIN...SMALL
HAIL...AND DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THESE STORMS.

* BY 11PM CDT...THESE STORMS WILL ALSO IMPACT...
  HAWESVILLE...
  TELL CITY...
  PAOLI...
  JASPER...
  ENGLISH...
  MILLERSPORT...
  DUFF AND HOLLAND...

THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT INTERSTATE 64 IN INDIANA BETWEEN MILE
MARKERS 74 AND 86.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE WINDS WITH THESE STORMS CAN TOPPLE WEAKLY ROOTED TREES...AND
DOWN POWER LINES. TAKE PRECAUTIONS NOW TO SECURE TRASH CANS...LAWN
FURNITURE AND OTHER LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS. MOTORISTS IN HIGH PROFILE
VEHICLES SHOULD USE CAUTION. STAY INDOORS!

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS AND
STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO...
WEATHER.GOV/LOUISVILLE ON THE INTERNET...OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER
UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

&&

LAT...LON 3851 8708 3853 8670 3869 8669 3869 8648
      3833 8638 3811 8642 3813 8647 3807 8644
      3805 8650 3801 8645 3767 8652 3765 8687
      3779 8684 3783 8692 3788 8691 3789 8698
      3793 8699 3801 8678 3819 8680 3821 8708
TIME...MOT...LOC 0222Z 251DEG 64KT 3853 8850 3802 8816
          3765 8823

AL