Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 2019

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Key West, FL

December 22, 2019Monroe County, Florida

NWS Key West, FL issued this tornado warning at Dec 22, 2019, 10:18 PM EST for Monroe County, Florida. It was in force for 42 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: Dec 22, 2019, 10:18 PM EST (03:18 UTC)
Expired: Dec 22, 2019, 11:00 PM EST
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Key West, FL
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

County Monroe County, FL

The radar

The Key West radar (KBYX), 3 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:18 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Dec 22, 8:45 PM EST	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Key West, FL (KEYW), launched 00:00Z, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 7 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: 915 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 617 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 318 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 362 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 2.1
Supercell composite: 8.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

717 
WFUS52 KKEY 230318
TORKEY
FLC087-230400-
/O.NEW.KKEY.TO.W.0001.191223T0318Z-191223T0400Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Key West FL
1018 PM EST Sun Dec 22 2019

The National Weather Service in Key West has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Lower Keys in Monroe County in Florida...

* Until 1100 PM EST..

* At 1017 PM EST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a 
  tornado was located 5 miles south of Key West, moving northeast at 
  10 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.

* Locations impacted include...
  Key West, Big Coppitt Key, Boca Chica Channel Bridge, Boca Chica,
  Key Haven, Saddlebunch Keys, Geiger Key, Bay Point, Shark Key and
  Sugarloaf Key.

This includes US 1 between mile markers 3 and 17. 

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 2452 8181 2457 8177 2472 8168 2473 8168
      2470 8162 2471 8162 2461 8151 2458 8154
      2453 8171 2452 8175
TIME...MOT...LOC 0317Z 217DEG 11KT 2450 8174 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

Haner

2 follow-up statements

734 
WWUS52 KKEY 230339
SVSKEY

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Key West FL
1039 PM EST Sun Dec 22 2019

FLC087-230400-
/O.CON.KKEY.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-191223T0400Z/
Lower Keys in Monroe FL-
1039 PM EST Sun Dec 22 2019

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EST FOR LOWER
KEYS IN MONROE COUNTY...
    
At 1039 PM EST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado 
was located just southeast of Geiger Key, or Big Coppitt Key, moving 
northeast at 20 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.

Locations impacted include...
Big Coppitt Key, Boca Chica, Boca Chica Channel Bridge, Saddlebunch
Keys, Geiger Key, Bay Point, Shark Key, Sugarloaf Key and Upper
Sugarloaf Key.

This includes US 1 between mile markers 7 and 17. 

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.

Tornadoes are extremely difficult to see and confirm at night. Do not
wait to see or hear the tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

&&

LAT...LON 2460 8172 2473 8168 2473 8167 2470 8162
      2471 8162 2461 8151 2459 8153 2456 8163
      2454 8171
TIME...MOT...LOC 0339Z 229DEG 15KT 2456 8166 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

Haner

523 
WWUS52 KKEY 230356
SVSKEY

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Key West FL
1056 PM EST Sun Dec 22 2019

FLC087-230405-
/O.EXP.KKEY.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-191223T0400Z/
Lower Keys in Monroe FL-
1056 PM EST Sun Dec 22 2019

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR LOWER KEYS IN MONROE COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
1100 PM EST...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.  However gusty
winds are still possible.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 500 AM EST for the Florida 
Keys.

LAT...LON 2460 8172 2473 8168 2473 8167 2470 8162
      2471 8162 2461 8151 2459 8153 2456 8163
      2454 8171
TIME...MOT...LOC 0355Z 217DEG 11KT 2460 8163 

$$

WLC

The office that day

Everything else NWS Key West, FL issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 22, 7:23 PM EST	Special Marine Warning	KEY		67 min
Dec 22, 8:06 PM EST	Special Marine Warning	KEY		54 min
Dec 22, 8:07 PM EST	Special Marine Warning	KEY		53 min
Dec 22, 8:32 PM EST	Special Marine Warning	KEY		58 min
Dec 22, 8:54 PM EST	Special Marine Warning	KEY		66 min
Dec 22, 9:31 PM EST	Special Marine Warning	KEY		59 min
Dec 22, 9:51 PM EST	Special Marine Warning	KEY		39 min
Dec 22, 10:11 PM EST	Areal Flood Advisory	KEY	Monroe	2 hr
Dec 22, 10:25 PM EST	Special Marine Warning	KEY		35 min
Dec 22, 10:27 PM EST	Special Marine Warning	KEY		63 min
Dec 22, 11:30 PM EST	Special Marine Warning	KEY		45 min
Dec 23, 12:15 AM EST	Special Marine Warning	KEY		60 min
Dec 23, 1:13 AM EST	Special Marine Warning	KEY		92 min
Dec 23, 4:42 AM EST	Small Craft Advisory	KEY		41 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Florida, 2019 Every tornado warning in 2019 Tornadoes in 2019

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.