Alert archive / Missouri / Tornado Watches in 2017

Tornado Watch 44

February 28, 201721 counties in Missouri

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Feb 28, 2017, 6:23 PM CST for 21 counties in Missouri. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Feb 28, 2017, 6:23 PM CST (00:23 UTC)
Expired
Feb 28, 2017, 11:49 PM CST
In force
5 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Largest hail expected
2.5 in
Strongest gust expected
60 kt
All 21 counties

Adair County, MO, Bates County, MO, Carroll County, MO, Cass County, MO, Chariton County, MO, Cooper County, MO, Grundy County, MO, Henry County, MO, Howard County, MO, Johnson County, MO, Lafayette County, MO, Linn County, MO, Livingston County, MO, Macon County, MO, Pettis County, MO, Putnam County, MO, Randolph County, MO, Ray County, MO, Saline County, MO, Schuyler County, MO, Sullivan County, MO

The radar

The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 73 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:26 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 SPC expected

The probabilities SPC published with the watch, for the watch area over its life.

Two or more tornadoes
30%
One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes
20%
Ten or more severe wind reports
30%
One or more gusts of 65 knots or more
10%
Ten or more severe hail reports
30%
One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more
30%
Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports
60%

Warnings issued inside it

16 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 28, 6:37 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXCarroll, Chariton, Lafayette, Saline38 min
Feb 28, 7:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXChariton, Howard, Randolph, Saline51 min
Feb 28, 7:52 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXJohnson, Lafayette23 min
Feb 28, 8:13 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXLafayette, Saline15 min
Feb 28, 8:46 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXBates, Cass29 min
Feb 28, 8:51 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXCass, Johnson24 min
Feb 28, 9:10 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXBates, Cass, Johnson35 min
Feb 28, 9:22 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXJohnson23 min
Feb 28, 9:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXCass, Henry, Johnson29 min
Feb 28, 9:44 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXBates, Cass, Henry, Johnson46 min
Feb 28, 9:46 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXJohnson, Pettis44 min
Feb 28, 9:48 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXBates42 min
Feb 28, 9:57 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXHenry, Johnson48 min
Feb 28, 10:24 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXBates, Cass, Henry36 min
Feb 28, 10:39 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXCooper, Pettis51 min
Feb 28, 11:14 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXHenry, Pettis31 min

Discussions around it

SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KFOE), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 185 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 2017-03-01Temperature 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°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 2017-03-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 123 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156175Sfc1 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
2351 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
80 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
123 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
144 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

253 
WWUS20 KWNS 010017
SEL4  
SPC WW 010017
KSZ000-MOZ000-010700-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Tornado Watch Number 44
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
720 PM CDT Tue Feb 28 2017

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

* Tornado Watch for portions of 
  Extreme eastern Kansas
  West-central and northern Missouri

* Effective this Tuesday night and Wednesday morning from 720 PM
  until 200 AM CDT.

* Primary threats include...
  A couple tornadoes possible
  Isolated very large hail events to 2.5 inches in diameter
    possible
  Isolated damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible

SUMMARY...Thunderstorms developing near a cold front will offer
severe hail and gusts, and an increasing tornado threat with time,
while moving into strengthening moisture over the watch area.  See
SPC mesoscale discussion 223 for additional/initial meteorological
guidance.

The tornado watch area is approximately along and 50 statute miles
east and west of a line from 40 miles south southwest of Knob Noster
MO to 25 miles north of Kirksville MO. For a complete depiction of
the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS
WOU4).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER...A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
and possible warnings.

&&

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 41...WW 42...WW 43...

AVIATION...Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
surface and aloft to 2.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 450. Mean
storm motion vector 25035.

...Edwards

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 28, 6:05 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAdair, Audrain, Barton, Bates, Benton, Boone and 39 more115 min
Feb 28, 7:46 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Madison and 10 more119 min
Feb 28, 8:06 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCClark, Lewis84 min
Feb 28, 8:29 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCBollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Mississippi and 7 more12 hr
Feb 28, 9:04 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCAudrain, Barry, Barton, Benton, Boone, Callaway and 54 more7 hr
Feb 28, 10:01 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarry, Barton, Bates, Benton, Camden, Cedar and 14 more119 min
Feb 28, 10:09 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry66 min
Mar 1, 12:16 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarton, Camden, Cedar, Christian, Cole, Crawford and 28 more89 min
Mar 1, 2:09 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Madison and 9 more2 hr
Mar 1, 3:03 AM CSTTornado WatchSPCBollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Mississippi and 7 more5 hr
Mar 1, 4:19 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCMississippi56 min

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2017Every tornado watch 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.