Alert archive / Illinois / Special Weather Statements in 2017

Special Weather Statement, NWS Quad Cities, IA

July 18, 2017Mercer County, Illinois

NWS Quad Cities, IA issued this special weather statement at Jul 18, 2017, 7:32 PM CDT for Mercer County, Illinois. It was in force for 43 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
Jul 18, 2017, 7:32 PM CDT (00:32 UTC)
Expired
Jul 18, 2017, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Quad Cities, IA

County Mercer County, IL

The radar

The Quad Cities radar (KDVN), 60 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:35 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Davenport, (KDVN), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 62 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, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2017-07-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 818 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2017-07-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -2 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
818 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1415 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-2 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

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What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at Jul 18, 5:34 PM CDT, 1 hour 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 5:34 PM CDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
534 PM CDT Tue Jul 18 2017

.UPDATE...
Issued at 532 PM CDT Tue Jul 18 2017

The MCV is convectively active now over our Iowa counties. I have
increased pops to likely for this activity, and with the
relatively slow movement, an inch of rain seems likely with these
storms. They will continue to lift east to northeast, with the
strongest updraft/storms on the east to southeast flank of the
MVC. Some gusty winds are possible near 40 to 50 mph with the
stronger storms.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 349 PM CDT Tue Jul 18 2017

The hot and humid air mass has advected into E Iowa/NW Illinois
today. As sfc winds turned to the SSW, dewpoints jumped into the
lower to middle 70s. The muggy air together with sfc ambient temps
in the mid 80s to around 90 F was creating heat indices this
afternoon in the lower to upper 90s for most areas. Have the
impacts of upper 90s to near 100 F heat indices handled with a
Special Weather Statement for locations roughly along and south of
a Benton County (Iowa) to Clinton County to Whiteside County
line.

Regional and local radar depicted a small cluster of showers and
storms forming over south-central Iowa between Altoona and
Oskaloosa. A weak low to mid-level vorticity max was exposed by this
area of convection via weak cyclonic rotation in recent radar loops

&&

.SHORT TERM...(This Evening through Wednesday)
ISSUED AT 349 PM CDT Tue Jul 18 2017

This Evening and Tonight

Best chances for scattered showers and thunderstorms will likely be
associated with the vort. max mentioned in the synopsis. The
forcing/PVA attendant to this feature is quite localized...do not
foresee widespread coverage of rain. The track of the small
cluster of convection will likely be along the counties in the
I-80 corridor. However, even in this zone, there will be many
locations that receive little to no rainfall. Weak effective bulk
shear under 25 kts should preclude a severe weather threat.

The next area of concern is with convection developing off to the
north across NE Iowa and SE Minnesota. 18Z run of the 3 km hi-res
NAM flipped back to sustaining a broken line of convection dropping
into the northern CWA after 9-10 PM. Confidence on this solution is
low and PoPs in the 20-40% message that. It's in this area where the
Storm Prediction Center has a marginal risk for severe storms
capable of producing scattered damaging wind gusts due to moderate
DCAPE values near 1000 J/kg. However, the severe threat is low and
depends on the convection remaining organized as it propagates to
the SE tonight. Thinking due to lack of sufficient deep layer
shear, most storms that impact the CWA will stay below severe
limits.

Wednesday

Excessive heat warnings and watches are in effect for portions of
the area. The watch was expanded to include several more counties to
the north and now includes the Quad Cities Metro area. Please refer
to the heat headlines for location specific details. Peak heat
indices will be highest south of I-80 where the warning is in
effect. The bottom line is we are entering a prolonged period of
heat indices near or over 100 F that may last through Saturday of
this upcoming weekend. It's important to take the necessary
precautions to prevent heat related illnesses.

Continued hot and humid with peak heat indices a few degrees higher
than today (Tuesday). Warming 850mb temps should effectively cap the
lower atmosphere, preventing convection through the afternoon.
Although, there is a possibility for a convectively induced sfc
boundary to be draped somewhere across the central to northern CWA.
So there is a low chance for an isolated shower or storm. Uttech

.LONG TERM...(Wednesday Night through Tuesday)
ISSUED AT 349 PM CDT Tue Jul 18 2017

Thursday through Saturday Heat Concerns...like mentioned above, have
coordinated an Excessive Heat Warning through Sat evening generally
south of I80, and continue/expanded Heat Watch to the north along
the I80 corridor including the Quad City area through Princeton IL.
Away from convective debris and storm outflow, expect average
afternoon ambient temps in the low to mid 90s and sfc DPTs in the
mid 70s if not higher/pooled along boundaries. The "away from
convective debris/clouds" is a big one, and see the challenging day-
by-day need to adjust additional Heat Advisory and Warning areas
north or south depending on recent or projected convective activity
zones. But the southern third or a bit more of the DVN CWA has the
best chance for 2-4 day accumulative effect of 105+ Heat Index
readings, thus the issuance of the long duration warning. But even
here, there could be a southward push of the main front or outflow
boundary by nocturnal storms(further south than any model suggests),
focusing convective debris or even new storm development into the
warning areas and thus putting a lid on hitting true excessive heat
criteria at times.

Wednesday night through Saturday precip/storm chances...12z GFS and
18z NAM are more bullish in bringing down a portion of an MCS into
the northern third or even more of the DVN CWA after Midnight Wed
night into Thu morning, while the 12z ECMWF propagates a convective
system along and just to the north of the DVN CWA during that time,
maybe scraping the Hwy 20 corridor. See the further south push of a
portion of this system if it is mature and using sfc cool pool
mechanics. With deeper layer shear and lingering CAPEs, could see a
bowing segment producing damaging winds even late night, and
torrential rainfall at high rates where these system passes. Some
areas getting a quick half inch to over an inch by Thu morning.

Nocturnal LLJ impinging on lingering boundary may even produce
localized flash flood potentail under back-building storms lingering
into mid thu morning. The same scenario may unfold for the following
two nights Thu night and Fri night being so close to the increased
mid layer westerly steering flow and edge of more enhanced elevated
mixed layer to the south. Thus late night thunderstorm chances into
the start of the weekend. High CAPES, shear, and PWATs of 1.8 to
well over 2 inches continue to suggest the main threats being
damaging wind gusts and very heavy, possibly flooding rains
especially in areas of repeated storm tracks. The medium range models
vary on what night or nights is more primed for the area the get
clipped or more widespread impacted by these systems, and will have
to carry nightly POPS with higher values in the north for now. But
again, by Thursday or especially Friday, can't rule out a southward
shunted boundary "lighting up" along and south of I80 in the late
afternoon or evening. Low confidence for Saturday and it appears
muddled with storms chances and storm strength potentail.

Sunday through next Tuesday...A digging short wave trof aloft,
opening up northwesterly steering flow for relief in the form of
Candian high pressure, still appears to be on track according to
longer range upper jet trends/pattern changes. Currently progged
incoming airmass trajectories suggest highs only in the upper 70s to
lower 80s for much of the area both Monday and Tuesday, with Sunday
being a bit warmer transition day. the humidity will be scored out
as well by increased drying northwesterly flow early next week, but
will have to battle crop evapo-transpiration and area swaths that get
hit by heavy rain the previous 2-4 days. ..12..

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Wednesday Afternoon)
ISSUED AT 1221 PM CDT Tue Jul 18 2017

VFR will prevail through this TAF cycle. There is a low chance
for a shower or brief storm to impact KCID/KDBQ late this
afternoon into tonight, but did not mention in TAFs at this time
due to low confidence on occurrence. Will continue to monitor and
amend if necessary. Uttech

&&

.DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...Excessive Heat Warning from noon Wednesday to 8 PM CDT Saturday
     for Des Moines-Henry IA-Jefferson-Keokuk-Lee-Louisa-Van
     Buren-Washington.

     Excessive Heat Watch from Wednesday afternoon through Saturday
     evening for Cedar-Iowa-Johnson-Muscatine-Scott.

IL...Excessive Heat Warning from noon Wednesday to 8 PM CDT Saturday
     for Hancock-Henderson-McDonough-Mercer-Warren.

     Excessive Heat Watch from Wednesday afternoon through Saturday
     evening for Bureau-Henry IL-Putnam-Rock Island.

MO...Excessive Heat Warning from noon Wednesday to 8 PM CDT Saturday
     for Clark-Scotland.

&&

UPDATE...Ervin
SYNOPSIS...Uttech
SHORT TERM...Uttech
LONG TERM...12
AVIATION...Uttech
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 18, 4:14 PM CDT, 3 hours 18 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Quad Cities IA IL
414 PM CDT Tue Jul 18 2017

IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007-
009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-191000-
Buchanan-Delaware-Dubuque-Benton-Linn-Jones-Jackson-Iowa-Johnson-
Cedar-Clinton-Muscatine-Scott-Keokuk-Washington-Louisa-Jefferson-
Henry IA-Des Moines-Van Buren-Lee-Jo Daviess-Stephenson-Carroll-
Whiteside-Rock Island-Henry IL-Bureau-Putnam-Mercer-Henderson-
Warren-Hancock-McDonough-Scotland-Clark-
414 PM CDT Tue Jul 18 2017

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central
Illinois...northwest Illinois...west central Illinois...east
central Iowa...northeast Iowa...southeast Iowa and northeast
Missouri.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

Isolated thunderstorms will occur this afternoon and early
evening especially along and west of the Mississippi River.
eastern Iowa. Scattered thunderstorms are possible late this
evening and overnight, mainly north of Interstate 80 across
eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. There is a low potential for
severe storms, with damaging winds and heavy rainfall the primary
threats.

Heat and humidity will be high through early evening with
heat index readings ranging from the mid 90s to around 100.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

Wednesday through Saturday...several rounds of thunderstorm
complexes will push across portions of the outlook area, mainly
north of Interstate 80. There is the potential for these storms to
be severe with damaging winds and large hail. Torrential rainfall is
likely with several inches of rain possible in a short time. This
could lead to localized flash flooding. However, confidence is low
on the timing and exact location of the thunderstorm complexes.

Hot and humid conditions can be expected for much of this work week
and into the upcoming weekend. The hotter temperatures should
generally occur near and south of Interstate 80. Temperatures are
expected to push well into the 90s with dewpoints well into the 70s
to around 80. This will soar heat index values to 100 to 106 almost
every afternoon from Wednesday through Saturday. But cloud cover
and storm outflow may bring temporary cool downs to the ambient
temperatures, especially north of Interstate 80.

An Excessive Heat Warning has been issued for Wednesday through
Saturday for areas generally near and south of a line from
Sigourney Iowa, to Wapello and Aledo Illinois. An Excessive Heat
Watch continues through Saturday generally for the counties along
the Interstate 80 Corridor.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

There is a low chance that spotter activation will be needed
through tonight.

Uttech/12

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 18, 6:28 PM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 18, 7:00 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 18, 7:05 PM CDT, 27 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 18, 7:12 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 18, 7:16 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 18, 7:32 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Quad Cities, IA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 18, 7:05 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDVNClinton, Scott55 min
Jul 19, 3:50 AM CDTHeat AdvisoryDVNBenton, Cedar, Clinton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones and 3 more4 days
Jul 19, 5:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVNBuchanan, Delaware, Dubuque61 min
Jul 19, 6:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVNDubuque, Jackson78 min
Jul 18, 7:16 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDVNMcDonough44 min
Jul 18, 7:48 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementDVNWhiteside42 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Illinois, 2017Every special weather statement in 2017

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.