Alert archive / Kentucky / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 71, NWS Paducah, KY

April 23, 2011Crittenden County, Livingston County, Lyon County, Kentucky

NWS Paducah, KY issued this tornado warning at Apr 23, 2011, 3:20 PM CDT for Crittenden County, Livingston County, Lyon County, Kentucky. It was in force for 25 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: Apr 23, 2011, 3:20 PM CDT (20:20 UTC)
Expired: Apr 23, 2011, 3:45 PM CDT
In force: 25 min
Issued by: NWS Paducah, KY
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Crittenden County, KY, Livingston County, KY, Lyon County, KY

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 49 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:19 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
Apr 23, 2:30 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 186 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: 630 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -111 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 671 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 294 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 313 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.6
Supercell composite: 1.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

735 
WFUS53 KPAH 232020
TORPAH
KYC055-139-143-232045-
/O.NEW.KPAH.TO.W.0071.110423T2020Z-110423T2045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
320 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL CRITTENDEN COUNTY IN WESTERN KENTUCKY...
  EAST CENTRAL LIVINGSTON COUNTY IN WESTERN KENTUCKY...
  NORTHWESTERN LYON COUNTY IN WESTERN KENTUCKY...

* UNTIL 345 PM CDT.

* AT 315 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 7 MILES WEST OF
  DYCUSBURG...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  DYCUSBURG...

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.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
PENNY SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 
MPH.

&&

LAT...LON 3712 8832 3720 8834 3731 8809 3712 8809
TIME...MOT...LOC 2020Z 246DEG 44KT 3719 8824

$$

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 Apr 23, 4:14 AM CDT, 11 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 23, 4:14 AM CDT, 11 hours 6 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
414 AM CDT SAT APR 23 2011

.DISCUSSION...
WILL NEED TO BR BRIEF TO DUE TO ONGOING CONDITIONS. IN A
NUTSHELL...LOOKS LIKE A VERY WET PATTERN TO CONTINUE RIGHT
THROUGH WED ALONG MUCH OF THE OHIO AND MID MS RIVER VALLEY AS A
SFC FRONTAL SYSTEM WAFFLES BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE REGION.
STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE NIGHT HAVE LEFT A COUPLE
INCHES OF RAINFALL OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND
SOUTHWEST INDIANA...NOT TO MENTION POSSIBLE TORNADOES...ESP FROM
WEBSTER AND DAVIESS COUNTIES KENTUCKY.

QUASI STATIONARY BOUNDARY SET UP WILL BE THE KEY TO WHERE THE
HEAVIEST RAINFALL AND SEVERE STORM POTENTIAL SETS UP. AREAS ALONG
AND NORTH OF THE SFC FRONT WILL STAND THE BEST CHC OF WIDE SPREAD
HEAVY RAINFALL THROUGH TONIGHT...WHICH NOW LOOKS TO BE NORTH OF A
MURRAY KY TO GREENVILLE KY LINE. THUS WILL EXTEND THE CURRENT
FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THOSE LOCATIONS...THO
FLOODING CHANCES INCREASE RAPIDLY AS ONE MOVES NORTHWEST OF THE
OHIO RIVER.

ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT....ACTIVITY MAY BE MORE
SCATTERED IN NATURE...BUT THIS IS WHERE THE GREATEST INSTABILITY
WILL BE LOCATED...ALONG WITH VERY RICH MOISTURE LEVELS.
THUS...ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE FORECAST AREA...ESP SOUTH OF THE I
64 CORRIDOR HAVE BEEN TAGGED WITH A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS
TODAY. ANY OF THOSE STORMS WOULD MAINLY CONTAIN LARGE HAIL AS THE
THREAT...BUT DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE STILL
POSSIBLE.

THIS SEVERE STORM AND HEAVY RAINFALL RISK WILL REMAIN OVER THE
REGION RIGHT THROUGH MID WEEK...AS ANOTHER NEGATIVELY TILTED H50
SHORT WAVE INTERACTS WITH THE SURFACE FRONT MONDAY OR MONDAY
NIGHT...THEN ANOTHER STRONGER MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE AND ASSOCIATED
COLD FRONT TRY TO FINALLY CLEAN THINGS OUT BY WED OR THU. THIS
LAST FRONT FRONT MAY PRODUCE MORE HEAVY RAINS AND SEVERE
WEATHER...ESP TUE NIGHT. NEEDLESS TO SAY...BY THE TIME ALL IS SAID
AND DONE WED NIGHT OR THU...SOME LOCATIONS OVER THE REGION MAY GET
YET ANOTHER 4 TO 8 INCHES OF RAINFALL...ESP ALONG AND N OF THE
OHIO RIVER.

RIVER ALREADY IN FLOOD...NEEDLESS TO SAY...COULD REACH SOME
HISTORICAL LEVELS IF CURRENT FORECASTS REMAIN CONSISTENT.

&&

.AVIATION...
NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS CROSSING THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY THIS
MORNING MAY TAPER OFF SOME BY AFTERNOON...BUT SCT STORM
ACTIVITY...SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE WITH LARGE HAILS AND DAMAGING WINDS
WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE ENTIRE PERIOD AS A SURFACE FRONT
MEANDERS JUST NORTH OF THE REGION. THERE MAY BE BREAKS OF VFR IN
BETWEEN CONVECTION TODAY...BUT EVEN RAINFREE AREAS COULD SEE 3K
FT TYPE CIG LEVELS.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR BALLARD-CALDWELL-
     CARLISLE-CRITTENDEN-DAVIESS-FULTON-GRAVES-HENDERSON-HICKMAN-
     HOPKINS-LIVINGSTON-LYON-MARSHALL-MCCRACKEN-MCLEAN-UNION KY-
     WEBSTER.

MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR BOLLINGER-BUTLER-
     CAPE GIRARDEAU-CARTER-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-PERRY MO-
     RIPLEY-SCOTT-STODDARD-WAYNE MO.

IL...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR ALEXANDER-EDWARDS-
     FRANKLIN-GALLATIN-HAMILTON-HARDIN-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-
     MASSAC-PERRY IL-POPE-PULASKI-SALINE-UNION IL-WABASH-WAYNE
     IL-WHITE-WILLIAMSON.

IN...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING FOR GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-
     SPENCER-VANDERBURGH-WARRICK.

&&

MEFFERT

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 23, 10:52 AM CDT, 4 hours 28 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1052 AM CDT SAT APR 23 2011

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-241000-
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-
1052 AM CDT SAT APR 23 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT...ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM NEAR MARBLE HILL
MISSOURI TO NEAR EVANSVILLE INDIANA. THE PRIMARY CONCERNS WILL BE
LARGE AND DAMAGING WINDS.

HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING WILL BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN
THROUGH TONIGHT...AS ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PROGRESS
ALONG STATIONARY FRONTAL ZONE DRAPED ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF
THE AREA.

MOST AREA RIVERS ARE ALREADY EXPERIENCING FLOODING...AND LEVELS
WILL ONLY BE GOING UP WITH THE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL. PLEASE REFER
OUR RIVER FLOOD PRODUCTS AT

HTTP://WATER.WEATHER.GOV/AHPS2/INDEX.PHP?WFO=PAH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST INTO THROUGH
THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK...AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS
STATIONARY ACROSS THE REGION. THE MAIN SEVERE THREAT SUNDAY
WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. ALTHOUGH AN ISOLATED
TORNADO CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE MOST LIKELY
DURING THE HEAT OF THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING.

SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE MORE LIKELY LATE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT
AND AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT...AS A PAIR OF SIGNIFICANT UPPER LEVEL
STORM SYSTEMS MOVE THROUGH THE REGION. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE.

HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING WILL CONTINUE SUNDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. FLOODING PROBLEMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOUNT WITH EACH
ROUND OF SHOWERS AND STORMS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TOTALS FROM
TODAY THROUGH MID WEEK ARE PROJECTED TO FOUR TO EIGHT INCHES.

MOST AREA RIVERS ARE ALREADY EXPERIENCING FLOODING...AND LEVELS
WILL ONLY BE GOING UP WITH THE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL. PLEASE REFER
OUR RIVER FLOOD PRODUCTS AT

HTTP://WATER.WEATHER.GOV/AHPS2/INDEX.PHP?WFO=PAH.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED THIS WEEKEND...AND WILL BE
MOST LIKELY LATE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN TUESDAY.

DRS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 23, 2:51 PM CDT, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
251 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2011

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

0250 PM     TSTM WND GST     WEST PADUCAH            37.08N 88.74W
04/23/2011  M79 MPH          MCCRACKEN          KY   ASOS

            MEASURED GUST AT BARKLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, Apr 23, 2:57 PM CDT, 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
257 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2011

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

0256 PM     TSTM WND DMG     METROPOLIS              37.15N 88.71W
04/23/2011                   MASSAC             IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES IN TOWN.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, Apr 23, 2:58 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
258 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2011

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

0257 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     3 N METROPOLIS          37.20N 88.71W
04/23/2011                   MASSAC             IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            FUNNEL CLOUD HAS ROTATION AND HEADING EAST.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, Apr 23, 3:00 PM CDT, 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
300 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2011

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

0257 PM     TSTM WND DMG     METROPOLIS              37.15N 88.71W
04/23/2011                   MASSAC             IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WIDESPREAD TREES AND POWER POLE DAMAGE ON THE NORTH SIDE
            OF TOWN NEAR THE HONEYWELL PLANT.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, Apr 23, 3:08 PM CDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
308 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2011

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

0255 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     REIDLAND                37.01N 88.53W
04/23/2011                   MCCRACKEN          KY   TRAINED SPOTTER

            LATE REPORT.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, Apr 23, 3:16 PM CDT, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
316 PM CDT SAT APR 23 2011

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

0250 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WEST PADUCAH            37.08N 88.74W
04/23/2011                   MCCRACKEN          KY   PUBLIC

            LATE REPORT. TREE DAMAGE REPORTED THROUGHOUT THE AREA.
            UNDERPINNING ON SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED.

&&

SMITTY

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 22, 9:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Ballard, Carlisle	43 min
Apr 22, 9:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Ballard, McCracken	35 min
Apr 22, 10:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Caldwell, Crittenden, Livingston, Lyon, Union, Webster	22 min
Apr 22, 10:31 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PAH	Ballard, Crittenden, Daviess, Henderson, Livingston, McCracken and 2 more	6 hr
Apr 22, 10:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Caldwell, Crittenden, Daviess, Henderson, Hopkins, McLean and 3 more	43 min
Apr 22, 11:00 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Daviess, Henderson, McLean, Webster	30 min
Apr 22, 11:24 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Daviess	25 min
Apr 22, 11:58 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PAH	Caldwell, Hopkins, Lyon, Marshall, Muhlenberg	2 hr
Apr 23, 1:12 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Muhlenberg	33 min
Apr 23, 4:27 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PAH	Crittenden, Daviess, Henderson, Hopkins, Livingston, McLean and 2 more	3 hr
Apr 23, 6:27 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	PAH	Daviess, Henderson, Union	4 hr
Apr 23, 2:20 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Ballard, McCracken	25 min
Apr 23, 2:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Ballard, McCracken	6 min
Apr 23, 2:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Ballard, McCracken	29 min
Apr 23, 2:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Ballard, Carlisle, Graves, Livingston, McCracken, Marshall	29 min
Apr 23, 2:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	McCracken	25 min
Apr 23, 2:51 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Graves, McCracken, Marshall	24 min
Apr 23, 3:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Crittenden, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall	33 min
Apr 23, 3:17 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Livingston, Lyon, Marshall	28 min
Apr 23, 3:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, Hopkins, Lyon, Union and 1 more	41 min
Apr 23, 3:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Caldwell, Christian, Hopkins, Lyon	24 min
Apr 23, 3:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Calloway, Lyon, Marshall, Trigg	32 min
Apr 23, 3:53 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Daviess, Hopkins, McLean, Webster	22 min
Apr 23, 4:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Hopkins, McLean, Muhlenberg	30 min
Apr 23, 4:35 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	PAH	Muhlenberg	25 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kentucky, 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.