Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 36, NWS Paducah, KY

March 2, 2012Alexander County, Pulaski County, Union County, Illinois; Cape Girardeau County, Scott County, Missouri

NWS Paducah, KY issued this tornado warning at Mar 2, 2012, 12:03 PM CST for Alexander County, Pulaski County, Union County, Illinois; Cape Girardeau County, Scott County, Missouri. It was in force for 42 min. 4 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 2, 2012, 12:03 PM CST (18:03 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 2012, 12:45 PM CST
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Paducah, KY
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Alexander County, IL, Pulaski County, IL, Union County, IL, Cape Girardeau County, MO, Scott County, MO

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 57 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:06 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 2, 12:06 PM CSTTSTM WND GST 53Cape Girardeau, MO1/2 INCH HAIL ALSO REPORTED AT NORTH KINGSHIGHWAY ROAD
Mar 2, 12:06 PM CSTHAIL 1Cape Girardeau, MOQUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED NEAR WALLMART ALONG HIGHWAY H.
Mar 2, 12:07 PM CSTFUNNEL CLOUDCape Girardeau, MOUNCONFIRMED...REPORTED BY PUBLIC.
Mar 2, 12:22 PM CSTTSTM WND DMG2 S Cape Girardeau, MO3 INCH DIAMTER BRANCHES FALLING WITH SHINGLES RIPPED OFF ON ONE ROOF IN THE COMMUNITY OF SCOTT CITY.

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 2, 9:54 AM CSTTornado Watch PDSSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 6.1 hours before the alert went out and 277 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2012-03-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1667 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2012-03-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 175 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
1667 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-25 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
523 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
68 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
175 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
169 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
6.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

096 
WFUS53 KPAH 021803
TORPAH
ILC003-153-181-MOC031-201-021845-
/O.NEW.KPAH.TO.W.0036.120302T1803Z-120302T1845Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1203 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  ALEXANDER COUNTY IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...
  WESTERN PULASKI COUNTY IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...
  SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...
  SOUTHERN CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...
  NORTHERN SCOTT COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...

* UNTIL 1245 PM CST.

* AT 1201 PM CST...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED STRONG ROTATION 
NEAR WHITEWATER...NORTH OF CHAFFEE. DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THIS 
POSSIBLE TORNADO MOVING EAST AT 65 MPH.

  IN ADDITION...GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNED AREA INCLUDE...
  SCOTT CITY...CAPE GIRARDEAU...KELSO...OLIVE BRANCH...TAMMS...
  MOUNDS...DONGOLA...EAST CAPE GIRARDEAU...COMMERCE...THEBES...MILL
  CREEK...PULASKI AND ULLIN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT...STRONG ROTATION IS REPORTED. 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 3745 8905 3710 8913 3712 8973 3732 8978
TIME...MOT...LOC 1803Z 260DEG 58KT 3725 8961

$$
1 follow-up statement
141 
WWUS53 KPAH 021831
SVSPAH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1231 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

ILC003-153-181-MOC031-201-021845-
/O.CON.KPAH.TO.W.0036.000000T0000Z-120302T1845Z/
PULASKI IL-UNION IL-ALEXANDER IL-CAPE GIRARDEAU MO-SCOTT MO-
1231 PM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALEXANDER...SOUTHERN UNION
AND WESTERN PULASKI COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...AND NORTHERN
SCOTT AND SOUTHERN CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
UNTIL 1245 PM CST...

AT 1224 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS DANGEROUS 
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR DONGOLA STRETCHING BACK TOWARD CAPE 
GIRARDEAU...MOVING EAST AT 65 MPH.

A SECOND STORM...ALSO CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO...IS NOW 
LOCATED NEAR DUTCHTOWN MOVING EAST AT 65 MPH.

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 3745 8905 3710 8913 3712 8973 3732 8978
TIME...MOT...LOC 1830Z 260DEG 58KT 3734 8921

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 2, 1:30 AM CSTWind AdvisoryPAHAlexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin and 13 more19 hr
Mar 2, 11:12 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHFranklin, Jackson, Williamson33 min
Mar 2, 11:33 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHFranklin, Jackson, Williamson42 min
Mar 2, 11:37 AM CSTTornado WarningPAHFranklin, Hamilton, Saline23 min
Mar 2, 11:44 AM CSTTornado WarningPAHFranklin, Hamilton, Saline, Williamson31 min
Mar 2, 12:02 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHEdwards, Hamilton, White28 min
Mar 2, 12:07 PM CSTTornado WarningPAHHamilton, White38 min
Mar 2, 12:29 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHWabash, White46 min
Mar 2, 12:39 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHJohnson, Union36 min
Mar 2, 12:42 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHAlexander, Pulaski33 min
Mar 2, 12:53 PM CSTTornado WarningPAHJohnson, Pope22 min
Mar 2, 12:58 PM CSTTornado WarningPAHWhite24 min
Mar 2, 1:09 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHMassac, Pulaski20 min
Mar 2, 1:11 PM CSTTornado WarningPAHGallatin, Hardin, Pope, Saline34 min
Mar 2, 1:23 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHMassac, Pope22 min
Mar 2, 1:28 PM CSTTornado WarningPAHGallatin32 min
Mar 2, 1:38 PM CSTTornado WarningPAHMassac37 min
Mar 2, 1:49 PM CSTTornado WarningPAHMassac, Pope26 min
Mar 2, 1:54 PM CSTTornado WarningPAHHardin36 min
Mar 2, 10:55 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHCarter, Wayne35 min
Mar 2, 11:06 AM CSTTornado WarningPAHWayne24 min
Mar 2, 11:26 AM CSTTornado WarningPAHBollinger, Wayne34 min
Mar 2, 11:39 AM CSTTornado WarningPAHBollinger, Cape Girardeau, Scott, Stoddard36 min
Mar 2, 12:26 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHScott, Stoddard34 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2012Tornado Warnings in Missouri, 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.