Alert archive / Illinois / Special Weather Statements in 2018

Special Weather Statement, NWS St. Louis, MO

May 31, 2018Randolph County, Illinois

NWS St. Louis, MO issued this special weather statement at May 31, 2018, 7:40 PM CDT for Randolph County, Illinois. It was in force for 35 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: May 31, 2018, 7:40 PM CDT (00:40 UTC)
Expired: May 31, 2018, 8:15 PM CDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS St. Louis, MO

County Randolph County, IL

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:41 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

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 348 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: 2231 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1014 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 74 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 119 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 St. Louis, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this special weather statement went out at May 31, 5:12 PM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 5:12 PM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation
National Weather Service Saint Louis MO
512 PM CDT Thu May 31 2018

.SHORT TERM...  (Through Late Friday Afternoon)
Issued at 320 PM CDT Thu May 31 2018

Next round of severe thunderstorms is imminent.

The current weather setup shows one MCV just southwest of Hannibal,
Missouri and this has maintained a steady area of clouds and showers
around and just ahead of it, and is affecting the Quincy area.
Areas further to the south have partially cleared and this has
allowed them to recover and return to a more unstable state after
the morning round of rain and thunderstorms.  The most unstable air
exists across far southern MO where SBCAPE values have increased to
over 3000 J/kg, with much more modest SB and MLCAPE values across
the I-70 corridor, less than 1000.  An old outflow boundary also
exists across this CAPE gradient in far southern MO and combined
with another MCV approaching thru southwest MO, this will create the
conditions for what should be an outbreak of severe thunderstorms in
this area, and extend east toward sundown into the extreme lower
Ohio River Valley.  Temperatures range from the mid 70s in portions
of central and northeast MO to the upper 80s elsewhere.

We are still looking at severe convective initiation to get going
across southeast MO in earnest by 4pm with an exit out of our
forecast area by 8pm.  Primary initial threats will be large hail
and isolated tornadoes, evolving into a lessening tornado threat and
addition of damaging straight line wind threat with time.

Further north--including the STL metro area--it is much more
difficult with limited influence of the northeast MO MCV and likely
a too little too late influence for the southern one, and what does
develop will have to on ill defined boundaries on limited
instability.

Skies are then expected to clear this evening from west to east with
dry weather for much of tonight and into Friday.  Another night
of what is more typical summertime temps with lows from 65 to 70.
Temps will rebound on Friday thanks to decent sunshine and weak
westerly flow back into the 90 to 95 range.

TES

.LONG TERM...  (Friday Night through Next Thursday)
Issued at 320 PM CDT Thu May 31 2018

Weak surface ridge will continue to slide east away from the area
on Friday night. A cold front over the central Plains will begin to
push east toward the forecast area overnight into early Saturday
morning. An MCS is forecast to form over parts of northeast Kansas
and southeast Nebraska and move southeast toward the area overnight.
The MCS is forecast to enter central Missouri sometime on early
Saturday morning and move southeast into east central and southeast
Missouri and southwestern Illinois through the morning on Saturday.
Ahead of the Saturday morning MCS, the environment will have CAPE
values on the order of 500 to 1000 J/kg with steep mid level lapse
rates in the order of 6.5 to 7.5 C/km with a veering low level jet.
The primary threats with the MCS will be damaging winds and large
hail.

The cold front will slowly move through the area on Saturday
afternoon and evening. Ahead of the front, the environment by
Saturday afternoon is forecast to have steep mid level lapse rates
in the order of 7.5 C/km to 8.5 C/km. Additionally, CAPE values will
be in the order of 1500-2500 J/kg with sufficient wind profiles that
will allow for multiple storm modes in the form of supercells and
bow segments along and ahead of the cold front on Saturday
afternoon. Finally, with PWAT values in the range of 1.5 to over 2
inches would suggest that there is potential for flash flooding
across the entire area. The hazards on Saturday afternoon and
evening will be damaging winds,large hail and a few tornadoes.

The cold front will clear the area by late Saturday night, but the
area will remain in northwest flow at both the surface and aloft. At
this point, Sunday looks dry as the periphery of upper level ridging
over the southwestern US moves northeast over the area. A short wave
over the lee of the rockies will eject east-southeast toward the
area. An MCS is possible over parts of central and southeast Kansas
that could impact parts of southeast Missouri and southwestern
Illinois on Monday night into early Tuesday morning. A ridge of high
pressure will build in from the Great Plains through from Wednesday.
 A weak short wave in the northwest flow will move southeast across
northeast Missouri and western and southwestern Illinois to provide
a chance for showers and thunderstorms on Thursday afternoon and
evening.

Kelly

&&

.AVIATION...  (For the 00z TAFs through 00z Friday Evening)
Issued at 512 PM CDT Thu May 31 2018

VFR conditions, outside of thunderstorms, are expected to prevail
at the TAF sites thru the valid period. The thunderstorm threat is
expected to push east of the STL metro sites by the beginning of
the valid period, with decreasing clouds later this evening and
dry weather thereafter. Otherwise, look for light winds tonight
and Friday.

TES

&&

.LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MO...None.
IL...None.
&&

WFO LSX

Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 3:39 PM CDT, 4 hours 1 minute before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Saint Louis MO
339 PM CDT Thu May 31 2018

ILZ058>060-064-065-069-070-074-079-095>102-MOZ018-019-026-027-
034>036-041-042-047>052-059>065-072>075-084-085-099-011200-
Greene IL-Macoupin IL-Montgomery IL-Bond IL-Fayette IL-Clinton IL-
Marion IL-Washington IL-Randolph IL-Adams IL-Brown IL-Pike IL-
Calhoun IL-Jersey IL-Madison IL-Saint Clair IL-Monroe IL-Knox MO-
Lewis MO-Shelby MO-Marion MO-Monroe MO-Ralls MO-Pike MO-Boone MO-
Audrain MO-Moniteau MO-Cole MO-Osage MO-Callaway MO-Montgomery MO-
Lincoln MO-Gasconade MO-Warren MO-Saint Charles MO-Franklin MO-
Saint Louis MO-Saint Louis City MO-Jefferson MO-Crawford MO-
Washington MO-Saint Francois MO-Sainte Genevieve MO-Iron MO-
Madison MO-Reynolds MO-
339 PM CDT Thu May 31 2018

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern and
central Missouri as well as west central and southwest Illinois.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

Numerous severe storms are possible through around 8 pm this
evening across southeast Missouri and far southern Illinois. The
main threats will be hail bigger than golf balls and isolated
tornadoes initially, changing to hail up to golf ball and
damaging winds straight line winds towards the end of the event.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

There is a chance for thunderstorms Saturday afternoon and
evening. Some of the storms may be strong to severe with the main
threats being damaging winds and large hail.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will likely be needed through early this
evening for southeast Missouri and far southern Illinois.

TES

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 31, 7:09 PM CDT, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
709 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2018

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

0702 PM     HAIL             STAUNTON                39.01N 89.79W
05/31/2018  E0.75 INCH       MACOUPIN           IL   PUBLIC

&&

TES

Local storm report, May 31, 7:21 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
721 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2018

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

0721 PM     HAIL             VIBURNUM                37.71N 91.14W
05/31/2018  M1.00 INCH       IRON               MO   PUBLIC

&&

PW

Local storm report, May 31, 7:24 PM CDT, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
724 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2018

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

0724 PM     HAIL             1 W VIBURNUM            37.71N 91.14W
05/31/2018  E1.75 INCH       IRON               MO   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

PW

Local storm report, May 31, 7:31 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
731 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2018

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

0731 PM     HAIL             3 N CALEDONIA           37.81N 90.77W
05/31/2018  E2.50 INCH       WASHINGTON         MO   PUBLIC

&&

PW

Local storm report, May 31, 7:32 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
732 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2018

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

0704 PM     HAIL             STAUNTON                39.01N 89.79W
05/31/2018  E0.88 INCH       MACOUPIN           IL   PUBLIC

&&

TES

Special weather statement, May 31, 7:40 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service St Louis MO
740 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2018

ILZ079-010115-
Randolph IL-
740 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2018

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN RANDOLPH COUNTY
UNTIL 815 PM CDT...

At 740 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Coulterville, moving east at 20 mph.

Nickel size hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with
this storm.

Locations impacted include...
Sparta, Coulterville and Eden.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for southwestern
Illinois.

LAT...LON 3805 8969 3817 8970 3818 8959 3804 8960
TIME...MOT...LOC 0040Z 268DEG 19KT 3812 8961

Kanofsky

The office that day

Everything else NWS St. Louis, MO issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 31, 7:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LSX	Crawford, Iron, Washington	57 min
May 31, 7:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LSX	Iron, Reynolds	32 min
May 31, 7:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LSX	Sainte Genevieve, Saint Francois, Washington	35 min
May 31, 7:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LSX	Iron, Washington	12 min
May 31, 8:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LSX	Reynolds	50 min
May 31, 9:26 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LSX	Reynolds	49 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Illinois, 2018 Every special weather statement 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.