Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 81, NWS Paducah, KY

March 15, 2012Gibson County, Pike County, Indiana

NWS Paducah, KY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 15, 2012, 1:41 PM CDT for Gibson County, Pike County, Indiana. It was in force for 34 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 15, 2012, 1:41 PM CDT (18:41 UTC)
Expired: Mar 15, 2012, 2:15 PM CDT
In force: 34 min
Issued by: NWS Paducah, KY
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 50.0 mph

Counties Gibson County, IN, Pike County, IN

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Mar 15, 1:47 PM CDT	HAIL 1	Petersburg, IN	QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED.
Mar 15, 1:55 PM CDT	HAIL 1	Petersburg, IN	ADDITIONAL REPORT. HAIL LASTING FOR NEARLY 5 MINUTES. WIND GUSTS 40 MPH ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM.

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 2 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 6 minutes after it went out.

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

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 217 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: 1579 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -52 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 821 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 142 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 117 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.

869 
WUUS53 KPAH 151841
SVRPAH
INC051-125-151915-
/O.NEW.KPAH.SV.W.0081.120315T1841Z-120315T1915Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
141 PM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN GIBSON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA...
  NORTHERN PIKE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA...

* UNTIL 215 PM CDT.

* AT 136 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL.  THIS
  STORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF OAKLAND CITY...AND MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNED AREA INCLUDE...
  PETERSBURG AND WINSLOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEEK SHELTER INDOORS. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR
THE LATEST SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3853 8715 3854 8712 3849 8706 3847 8707
      3828 8742 3842 8755 3855 8737 3852 8730
      3855 8724 3855 8723 3856 8721 3856 8719
TIME...MOT...LOC 1840Z 234DEG 28KT 3839 8740
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.00IN

$$

1 follow-up statement

648 
WWUS53 KPAH 151858
SVSPAH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
158 PM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

INC051-151908-
/O.CAN.KPAH.SV.W.0081.000000T0000Z-120315T1915Z/
GIBSON IN-
158 PM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN GIBSON COUNTY IN
SOUTHWEST INDIANA IS CANCELLED...

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

LAT...LON 3853 8715 3854 8712 3849 8706 3847 8707
      3836 8731 3838 8732 3838 8736 3847 8746
      3855 8737 3852 8729 3856 8721 3856 8719
TIME...MOT...LOC 1858Z 234DEG 28KT 3847 8725

$$

INC125-151915-
/O.CON.KPAH.SV.W.0081.000000T0000Z-120315T1915Z/
PIKE IN-
158 PM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN PIKE
COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA UNTIL 215 PM CDT...

AT 153 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS IN PETERSBURG REPORTED A 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL.  THIS STORM WAS 
LOCATED NEAR PETERSBURG...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

LAT...LON 3853 8715 3854 8712 3849 8706 3847 8707
      3836 8731 3838 8732 3838 8736 3847 8746
      3855 8737 3852 8729 3856 8721 3856 8719
TIME...MOT...LOC 1858Z 234DEG 28KT 3847 8725
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.00IN

$$

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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Mar 15, 12:43 PM CDT, 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 15, 12:43 PM CDT, 58 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1243 PM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

.UPDATE...
ISSUED AT 1243 PM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

MCV VERY NOTICEABLE IN RADAR IMAGERY MOVING EAST ALONG HIGHWAY 13
JUST EAST OF MARION AS OF 1730Z. TEMPERATURES HAVE WARMED TO NEAR
80 OVER THE PENNYRILE AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA...AND SCATTERED STORMS
HAVE RECENTLY DEVELOPED IN THAT AREA. THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE
GREATEST CHANCE TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND POSSIBLY SOME LOCALIZED
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AS THEY MOVE SLOWLY NORTHEAST AHEAD OF THE
MCV. THE STORMS WILL ALSO PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WHICH MAY
TAX SOME DRAINAGE SYSTEMS. AM SOMEWHAT SURPRISED TO SEE SO MUCH
DEVELOPMENT ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE MCV...BUT IT SHOULD ALL
BE EAST OF THE AREA AROUND 00Z.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 331 AM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

THE SHORT TERM WILL BE DICTATED BY A SERIES OF SHORT WAVES ALOFT
MOVING ACROSS THE REGION FROM TIME TO TIME WITHIN NEARLY ZONAL
FLOW.

ONE SUCH PIECE OF ENERGY WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION TODAY. SURFACE
BASED INSTABILITIES ARE CURRENTLY IN THE -2 TO -4 RANGE OVER MUCH
OF THE REGION. IT WILL LIKELY BECOME EVEN MORE UNSTABLE OVER MOST
AREAS THIS MORNING BEFORE THE SHORT WAVE COMES THROUGH. 0 TO 6 KM
BULK SHEAR EXPECTED TO REMAIN RELATIVELY LOW IN THE 25 TO 35 KT
RANGE...BUT THIS WILL STILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT MULTICELL
STORM FORMATION TODAY. ACTIVITY MAY START OVER E MO IN THE
MORNING...THEN PROGRESS EAST AS THE DAY GOES ON.

ADDITIONAL WEAK DISTURBANCES WILL TRACK EAST ACROSS THE REGION
FRIDAY AND SAT...THO TIMING AND EXACT PATHS ARE A BIT LESS
CERTAIN.. THEREFORE...WILL KEEP SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM CHANCES IN THE
CHC RANGE.

NEAR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE THROUGH
SATURDAY...WITH NO COLD FRONTS IN SIGHT.

.LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 331 AM CDT THU
MAR 15 2012

ON SUNDAY...THE UPPER RIDGE TRIES TO RE-ESTABLISH ITSELF OVER THE
AREA BUT RIPPLES OF ENERGY ARE PROGGED TO TOP THE RIDGE...SO WILL
MAINTAIN A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS. MEANWHILE...A LARGE
TROF WILL CONTINUE COMING ASHORE ON THE WEST COAST AND DEEPEN AS IT
DOES. THE UPPER RIDGE WILL AMPLIFY OVER OUR AREA AND THEN SHIFT
EAST...AS THE WEST COAST TROF MOVES INTO THE ROCKIES. THE WARM
WEATHER WILL CONTINUE HOWEVER...WITH HIGHS AROUND 80. ASIDE FROM AN
ISOLATED SHOWER OR STORM...WILL CONTINUE TO LEAVE MONDAY DRY FOR NOW.

WE WILL THEN TURN OUR ATTENTION TO WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS TROF IN
THE ROCKIES. THE GFS/GEM/ECMWF ALL TRY AND CLOSE OFF A MID/UPPER LEVEL
LOW SOMEWHERE OVER SOUTHEAST COLORADO OR THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS.
MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION GENERATED AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM APPEARS TO
STAY TO OUR WEST ON MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. THEREFORE...WE SHOULD
CONTINUE TO STAY VERY WARM WITH TEMPS AROUND 80 DEGREES CONTINUING.

THE 12Z ECMWF TAKES THE UPPER LOW AND SLOWLY MOVES IT INTO THE SOUTH
CENTRAL PLAINS DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK BUT KEEPS PRECIPITATION
TO OUR WEST UNTIL WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER THE 00Z ECMWF IS FASTER
AND IS MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH THE UPPER TROUGH AND BRINGS IT INTO THE
CENTRAL PLAINS AS EARLY AS TUESDAY NIGHT...AND SPREADS RAIN INTO THE
AREA TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AS AN UPPER LOW FORMS
OVER ARKANSAS...AND THEN SITS AND SPINS OVER OUR AREA FOR THE REST
OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND.

THE GFS IS NOT AS FAST WITH THE PROGRESSION OF THE UPPER SYSTEM AND
SHOWS THE UPPER LOW DIVING INTO THE HEART OF TEXAS BY 12Z WED.
HOWEVER...LIKE THE ECMWF...IT SHOWS PRECIPITATION SPREADING INTO
WESTERN PARTS OF THE AREA BY LATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND INTO
WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AS THE LOW MEANDERS IN AND AROUND THE
ARKLATEX REGION AND BECOMES ALL WOUND UP. THE GFS ENSEMBLES SHOW A
MUCH SLOWER APPROACH AND WEAKER SYSTEM AND WOULD KEEP PRECIP OUT OF
THE AREA UNTIL PROBABLY THURSDAY. USUALLY THESE TYPE OF CLOSED LOW
SYSTEMS HAVE A MIND OF THEIR OWN AND MODELS HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME
PLACING THEM. THEREFORE...WILL SHOW A GRADUAL INCREASE IN POPS FROM
WEST TO EAST STARTING TUESDAY NIGHT AND GOING THROUGH WEDNESDAY
NIGHT...BUT KEEP CHANCES LOW FOR NOW. TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY BE
MUTED BY CLOUDS/PRECIP ON WEDNESDAY.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 1243 PM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT SHOULD JUST ABOUT BE OVER AT KCGI...BUT
THE OTHER SITES WILL SEE 2 TO 4 HOURS OF AT LEAST SCATTERED TS IN
THE VICINITY. OTHERWISE THE FORECAST WILL BE VFR THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...NONE.
MO...NONE.
IN...NONE.
KY...NONE.
&&

UPDATE...DRS
SHORT TERM...GM
LONG TERM....CW
AVIATION...DRS

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 15, 5:00 AM CDT, 8 hours 41 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
500 AM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-161000-
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-
500 AM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

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 REGION HAS BEEN OUTLOOKED BY THE STORM
PREDICTION CENTER WITH SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY.
QUARTER SIZED HAIL OR LARGER...ALONG WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...
WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERNS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED DAILY THROUGH SUNDAY. AT THIS
TIME...ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. HOWEVER...DUE TO
THE VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS IN PLACE...ISOLATED STRONG
TO SEVERE STORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT...ESPECIALLY DURING THE HEAT
OF THE AFTERNOONS AND EARLY EVENINGS. IN ADDITION... LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL WILL LIKELY ACCOMPANY ANY STORMS THAT DO FORM.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 15, 10:12 AM CDT, 3 hours 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1012 AM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

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

1010 AM     HAIL             JACKSON                 37.38N 89.65W
03/15/2012  M0.75 INCH       CAPE GIRARDEAU     MO   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PEA TO PENNY SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN THE COMMUNITY.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, Mar 15, 12:42 PM CDT, 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1242 PM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

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

1236 PM     HAIL             HOPKINSVILLE            36.85N 87.49W
03/15/2012  M1.75 INCH       CHRISTIAN          KY   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED ALONG GLASS AVENUE BY LAW
            ENFORCEMENT.

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, Mar 15, 1:13 PM CDT, 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
113 PM CDT THU MAR 15 2012

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

0110 PM     HAIL             4 NW FORT BRANCH        38.29N 87.63W
03/15/2012  M1.00 INCH       GIBSON             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED.

&&

SMITTY

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 15, 12:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Posey, Vanderburgh	26 min
Mar 15, 12:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Posey, Vanderburgh	31 min
Mar 15, 1:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Spencer	23 min
Mar 15, 1:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Gibson	33 min
Mar 15, 1:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Gibson, Pike, Warrick	35 min
Mar 15, 3:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Spencer	24 min
Mar 15, 4:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PAH	Spencer	13 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 2012 Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.