Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2018

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Lake Charles, LA

February 21, 2018Vernon Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Feb 21, 2018, 8:32 AM CST for Vernon Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 28 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
Feb 21, 2018, 8:32 AM CST (14:32 UTC)
Expired
Feb 21, 2018, 9:00 AM CST
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

County Vernon Parish, LA

The radar

The Ft Polk radar (KPOE), 46 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:32 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

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 12:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 107 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 2018-02-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1458 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Lake Charles Mun, LA at 12:00Z on 2018-02-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 203 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1458 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
474 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
203 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
188 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.3
Supercell composite
10.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

260 
WFUS54 KLCH 211432
TORLCH
LAC115-211500-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0004.180221T1432Z-180221T1500Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
832 AM CST WED FEB 21 2018

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Western Vernon Parish in west central Louisiana...

* Until 900 AM CST
    
* At 831 AM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Burr Ferry, or 10 miles northwest of Rosepine,
  moving northeast at 30 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado. 

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. 

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely. 

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Burr Ferry around 840 AM CST. 
  Fort Polk around 850 AM CST. 
  New Llano around 855 AM CST. 
  Leesville and Anacoco around 900 AM CST. 

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Evans
and Pickering.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile
home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and
protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3122 9313 3088 9337 3088 9341 3093 9353
      3096 9353 3096 9355 3097 9356 3101 9355
      3103 9351 3105 9353 3106 9352 3107 9352
      3130 9343 3133 9341
TIME...MOT...LOC 1431Z 205DEG 27KT 3098 9344 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

13
1 follow-up statement
758 
WWUS54 KLCH 211446
SVSLCH

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
846 AM CST WED FEB 21 2018

LAC115-211500-
/O.CON.KLCH.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-180221T1500Z/
Vernon LA-
846 AM CST WED FEB 21 2018

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 AM CST FOR WESTERN
VERNON PARISH...
    
At 845 AM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Burr Ferry, or 9 miles southwest of Leesville,
moving northeast at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and quarter size hail. 

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. 

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely. 

This dangerous storm will be near...
  Fort Polk around 855 AM CST. 
  Leesville and New Llano around 900 AM CST. 

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Pickering.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3092 9335 3101 9353 3103 9351 3104 9352
      3127 9341 3115 9318 3095 9332
TIME...MOT...LOC 1445Z 211DEG 21KT 3104 9339 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

13

The office that day

Everything else NWS Lake Charles, LA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 21, 8:59 AM CSTTornado WarningLCHVernon31 min
Feb 21, 9:34 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementLCHVernon26 min
Feb 21, 9:39 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementLCHRapides36 min
Feb 21, 9:46 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningLCHBeauregard, Vernon5 hr
Feb 21, 10:11 AM CSTTornado WarningLCHRapides, Vernon15 min
Feb 21, 10:23 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningLCHBeauregard8 days
Feb 21, 10:23 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningLCHRapides14 days
Feb 21, 10:23 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningLCHCalcasieu65 hr
Feb 21, 10:29 AM CSTSpecial Weather StatementLCHVernon46 min
Feb 21, 10:37 AM CSTWind AdvisoryLCHCameron, Lafayette, Saint Martin7 hr
Feb 21, 10:52 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningLCHVernon4 hr
Feb 21, 11:05 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningLCHVernon8 days
Feb 21, 11:19 AM CSTFlash Flood WarningLCHRapides3 hr
Feb 21, 11:28 AM CSTFlash Flood WatchLCHAllen, Beauregard, Rapides, Vernon31 hr
Feb 21, 2:19 PM CSTRiver Flood WarningLCHBeauregard, Calcasieu69 days
Feb 21, 2:46 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningLCHRapides, Vernon5 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 2018Every tornado warning in 2018Tornadoes in 2018

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.