Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 158, NWS Paducah, KY

May 25, 2011White County, Illinois

NWS Paducah, KY issued this tornado warning at May 25, 2011, 6:57 PM CDT for White County, Illinois. It was in force for 33 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 25, 2011, 6:57 PM CDT (23:57 UTC)
Expired: May 25, 2011, 7:30 PM CDT
In force: 33 min
Issued by: NWS Paducah, KY
Area: Storm-based polygon

County White County, IL

The radar

The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 45 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:59 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 25, 11:09 AM CDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	10 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 229 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: 1832 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -18 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 561 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 253 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 222 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.6
Supercell composite: 10.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

394 
WFUS53 KPAH 252357
TORPAH
ILC193-260030-
/O.NEW.KPAH.TO.W.0158.110525T2357Z-110526T0030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
657 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WHITE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS...

* UNTIL 730 PM CDT.

* AT 655 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR NORRIS
  CITY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  NORRIS CITY...
  ENFIELD...
  CARMI...
  CROSSVILLE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 A HOME OR BUILDING.

&&

LAT...LON 3823 8800 3792 8826 3792 8837 3825 8836
TIME...MOT...LOC 2357Z 221DEG 41KT 3801 8829

$$

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 25, 1:36 PM CDT, 5 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 25, 1:36 PM CDT, 5 hours 21 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
136 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

.DISCUSSION...
BIGGEST CHALLENGE WILL BE THE DETAILS ASSOCIATED WITH A
POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK OVER THE NEXT 10-12
HOURS OR SO.

WILL KEEP THIS BRIEF WITH ONSET OF SEVERE WEATHER IMMINENT. STRONG
SFC AND UPPER LOW MOVING EASTWARD OUT OF THE PLAINS WILL PUSH A
COLD FRONT ACROSS OUR CWA THIS EVENING. IN THE MEANTIME...WITH
SFC TEMPS IN THE LOW 80S AND SFC DEWPOINTS NEAR 70...THE ATMOSPHERE
HAS BECOME VERY UNSTABLE ACROSS THE AREA. THIS COMBINED WITH
FAVORABLE DEEP LAYER SHEAR...JET DYNAMICS...AND HUGE AMOUNTS OF
CAPE AND HELICITY HAS SET THE STAGE FOR A WIDESPREAD OUTBREAK OF
SEVERE WEATHER INCLUDING LARGE LONG-TRACK TORNADOES...VERY LARGE
HAIL...AND INTENSE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS (DOWNBURSTS).

LATEST RADAR IMAGES ARE SHOWING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER
THE NORTHEAST SECTIONS OF OUR CWA...BUT THESE STORMS HAVE
REMAINED BELOW SEVERE LEVELS SO FAR. THE LACK OF CONVECTION
ELSEWHERE ACROSS OUR CWA CORRESPONDS WELL TO A POCKET OF 9-10C
WARM AIR IN THE MID LEVELS. THE THINKING IS THAT AS THE SEVERE
CONVECTION TO OUR WEST BEGINS TO MOVE INTO THE WESTERN SECTIONS
WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS...THE CAP WILL BE BROKEN AND
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE VERY RAPID AND INTENSE.

MOST LIKELY SCENARIO WILL BE DISCREET SUPERCELLS THIS AFTERNOON
INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS...THEN A LINE (QLCS) OF THUNDERSTORMS
WITH EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS THROUGH THE REST OF THE EVENING. EACH
NEW MODEL RUN CONTINUES TO SPEED UP THE EASTWARD PROGRESS OF THIS
SYSTEM...SO THE LATEST THINKING IS THAT THE THREAT FOR SEVERE
WEATHER WILL CLEAR THE EASTERN SECTIONS OF OUR CWA SHORTLY AFTER
MIDNIGHT.

PRECIP CHANCES WILL LINGER INTO THURSDAY NIGHT ON THE BACK SIDE OF
THIS SYSTEM. AFTER A BRIEF RESPITE ON FRIDAY...THE COMBINATION OF
UPPER LEVEL ENERGY AND THE APPROACH OF A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING
PRECIP CHANCES TO THE HEARTLAND FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY.

BEYOND SATURDAY AN UPPER RIDGE ESTABLISHES ITSELF OVER OUR AREA
THROUGH THE REST OF THE PERIOD...ESPECIALLY PER THE ECMWF. THE GFS
CRANKS OUT A BIT OF PRECIP NEXT WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS
IT DROPS A FRONT INTO OUR AREA. THE ECMWF CONTINUES TO KEEP THE
RIDGE OVER OUR AREA WITH NO PRECIP SO FOR NOW WILL KEEP IT DRY.

&&
.AVIATION...
SEVERE STORMS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE IN COVERAGE DURING THE
AFTERNOON...PEAKING WITH THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT THIS EVENING.
HIGHEST CHANCES FOR CONVECTION AT EACH TAF SITE APPEAR TO BE LATE IN
THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY IN THE EVENING. HOWEVER...ISOLATED
SUPERCELLS COULD OCCUR AT ANY TIME. IN ADDITION TO LOCALLY DAMAGING
WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. THE CONVECTION WILL
END WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT LATE THIS EVENING. SOME LOW CLOUDS
WILL ARRIVE BY 12Z THURSDAY...WITH MVFR CIGS LIKELY DURING THE
MORNING.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR BALLARD-
     CALDWELL-CALLOWAY-CARLISLE-CHRISTIAN-CRITTENDEN-DAVIESS-
     FULTON-GRAVES-HENDERSON-HICKMAN-HOPKINS-LIVINGSTON-LYON-
     MARSHALL-MCCRACKEN-MCLEAN-MUHLENBERG-TODD-TRIGG-UNION KY-
     WEBSTER.

MO...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR BOLLINGER-
     BUTLER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-CARTER-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-PERRY
     MO-RIPLEY-SCOTT-STODDARD-WAYNE MO.

IL...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ALEXANDER-
     EDWARDS-FRANKLIN-GALLATIN-HAMILTON-HARDIN-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-
     JOHNSON-MASSAC-PERRY IL-POPE-PULASKI-SALINE-UNION IL-WABASH-
     WAYNE IL-WHITE-WILLIAMSON.

IN...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR GIBSON-PIKE-
     POSEY-SPENCER-VANDERBURGH-WARRICK.

&&

MY/JAP

Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 8:13 AM CDT, 10 hours 44 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
813 AM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-261315-
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-
813 AM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

...AREA UPGRADED TO HIGH RISK...
...WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THE ENTIRE QUAD STATE AREA IS IN A HIGH RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER
TODAY AND TONIGHT. THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...AS
THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A SIGNIFICANT AND WIDESPREAD SEVERE
WEATHER EVENT ACROSS THE REGION. SOME LOCATIONS MAY EXPERIENCE 2
OR 3 SEPARATE ROUNDS OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THIS EVENING.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS THE LATE MORNING HOURS.
VERY STRONG WIND FIELDS AND PLENTIFUL INSTABILITY WILL ALLOW THE
STORMS TO QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE...WITH LARGE HAIL...STRONG
TORNADOES...AND DAMAGING WINDS. THE STORMS WILL MOVE RAPIDLY
NORTHEAST ACROSS THE QUAD STATE REGION THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.
OTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP FARTHER EAST ACROSS THE
AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON.

FINALLY...A LINE OF SEVERE STORMS WITH AN INCREASING DAMAGING WIND
THREAT WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA AROUND 5
PM...AND THEN SWEEP THROUGH THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH THE EVENING.
TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE
WITH THIS LINE. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT SHOULD BE EAST OF THE
ENTIRE AREA BY MIDNIGHT.

OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS...STRONG SOUTH WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO GUST
25 TO 35 MPH THROUGH THE DAY AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING. CONSULT
THE LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES EAST THROUGH THE REGION THURSDAY. ANY
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LIMITS.

ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA WITH
A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY NIGHT. AT THIS TIME...SEVERE
WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL MOST LIKELY BE NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE AREA
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

DRS/PS

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 25, 6:39 PM CDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
639 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

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

0638 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     DE SOTO                 37.82N 89.23W
05/25/2011                   JACKSON            IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            FUNNEL CLOUD OVER THE TOWN.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, May 25, 6:46 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
646 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

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

0645 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     1 N CAIRO               37.01N 89.18W
05/25/2011                   ALEXANDER          IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            REPORTED NORTH OF TOWN ALONG INTERSTATE 57 MOVING EAST.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, May 25, 6:48 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
648 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

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

0640 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     BENTON                  37.10N 89.56W
05/25/2011                   SCOTT              MO   EMERGENCY MNGR

            REPORTED ALONG INTERSTATE 55 AT MILE MARKER 80. A TREE
            WENT THROUGH A LAW ENFORCEMENTS HOME IN BENTON.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, May 25, 6:49 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
649 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

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

0646 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ANNA                    37.46N 89.24W
05/25/2011                   UNION              IL   PUBLIC

            LIMBS DOWN AND PROPERTY DAMAGE REPORTED. PORTABLE GARAGE
            BUILDINGS ROLLED OVER.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, May 25, 6:50 PM CDT, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
650 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

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

0625 PM     TSTM WND DMG     GORDONVILLE             37.31N 89.67W
05/25/2011                   CAPE GIRARDEAU     MO   EMERGENCY MNGR

            ROOF BLOWN OFF OF BARN. WALL CLOUD ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
            STORM.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, May 25, 6:56 PM CDT, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
656 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

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

0656 PM     HAIL             14 S MCLEANSBORO        37.89N 88.53W
05/25/2011  M0.88 INCH       SALINE             IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SMITTY

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 25, 4:11 AM CDT	Lake Wind Advisory	PAH	Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin and 13 more	16 hr
May 25, 11:51 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Edwards, Wabash, White	39 min
May 25, 5:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Perry	25 min
May 25, 5:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Jefferson	48 min
May 25, 5:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Johnson, Pope	36 min
May 25, 6:04 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Jackson, Perry	41 min
May 25, 6:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Gallatin, Pope, Saline, Williamson	25 min
May 25, 6:08 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Alexander	37 min
May 25, 6:18 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Union	27 min
May 25, 6:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Gallatin, Hamilton, Saline, White	50 min
May 25, 6:35 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Franklin, Jefferson, Williamson	40 min
May 25, 6:41 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Jackson, Perry	22 min
May 25, 6:43 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pulaski, Union	32 min
May 25, 6:59 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Hamilton, Saline, Wayne	46 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2011 Every tornado warning in 2011 Tornadoes 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.