Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 13, NWS St. Louis, MO

March 23, 2012Marion County, Illinois

NWS St. Louis, MO issued this tornado warning at Mar 23, 2012, 1:47 PM CDT for Marion County, Illinois. It was in force for 43 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 23, 2012, 1:47 PM CDT (18:47 UTC)
Expired
Mar 23, 2012, 2:30 PM CDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS St. Louis, MO
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Marion County, IL

The radar

The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:49 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 23, 1:57 PM CDTTORNADO3 S Iuka, ILTORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN 3 MILES SOUTH OF IUKA.
Mar 23, 2:00 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD3 E Kell, ILFUNNEL CLOUD HALF WAY TO THE GROUND 3 MILES EAST OF KELL

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

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 23, 11:44 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 6.8 hours before the alert went out and 179 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2012-03-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Lincoln, IL at 12:00Z on 2012-03-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 29 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
808 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
29 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
57 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

972 
WFUS53 KLSX 231847
TORLSX
ILC121-231930-
/O.NEW.KLSX.TO.W.0013.120323T1847Z-120323T1930Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
147 PM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ST LOUIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN MARION COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

* UNTIL 230 PM CDT

* AT 141 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT HAS HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING A 
  TORNADO...MOST RECENTLY NEAR OPDYKE ILLINOIS. THIS DANGEROUS STORM 
  WAS LOCATED 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF BLUFORD...OR 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF 
  MOUNT VERNON...AND MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM WILL ALSO BE 
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL TO GOLF BALL SIZE.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  HELM...OMEGA AND IUKA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3847 8870 3847 8885 3848 8886 3855 8885
      3872 8881 3871 8869 3848 8869
TIME...MOT...LOC 1845Z 192DEG 22KT 3842 8879

$$

TES
3 follow-up statements
706 
WWUS53 KLSX 231858
SVSLSX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
158 PM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

ILC121-231930-
/O.CON.KLSX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-120323T1930Z/
MARION IL-
158 PM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN MARION COUNTY
UNTIL 230 PM CDT...

AT 154 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR HELM...OR 16 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SALEM...MOVING
NORTH AT 30 MPH.

THIS STORM HAS HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORNADOES AND WILL ALSO BE 
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  OMEGA AND IUKA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3847 8870 3847 8885 3848 8886 3855 8885
      3872 8881 3871 8869 3848 8869
TIME...MOT...LOC 1858Z 200DEG 28KT 3853 8870

$$

TES
302 
WWUS53 KLSX 231911
SVSLSX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
211 PM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

ILC121-231930-
/O.CON.KLSX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-120323T1930Z/
MARION IL-
211 PM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEASTERN MARION COUNTY
UNTIL 230 PM CDT...

AT 207 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO.  THIS
TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR OMEGA...OR 10 MILES EAST OF SALEM...MOVING
NORTH AT 35 MPH.

AT 157 PM...A BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN WAS REPORTED 2 MILES SOUTHEAST 
OF CARTTER.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  OMEGA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT...A TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID
WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE
CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN ST LOUIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3847 8870 3847 8885 3848 8886 3855 8885
      3872 8881 3871 8869 3848 8869
TIME...MOT...LOC 1910Z 200DEG 30KT 3867 8876

$$

TES
935 
WWUS53 KLSX 231922
SVSLSX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
222 PM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

ILC121-231932-
/O.EXP.KLSX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-120323T1930Z/
MARION IL-
222 PM CDT FRI MAR 23 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN MARION COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
230 PM CDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED
AREA.

ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE...AND A SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN ST LOUIS.

LAT...LON 3847 8870 3847 8885 3848 8886 3855 8885
      3872 8881 3871 8869 3848 8869
TIME...MOT...LOC 1922Z 200DEG 30KT 3876 8872

$$

TES

The office that day

Everything else NWS St. Louis, MO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 23, 12:59 PM CDTTornado WarningLSXWashington46 min
Mar 23, 2:15 PM CDTTornado WarningLSXMarion30 min
Mar 23, 4:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLSXCalhoun, Greene14 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes in 2012

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.