Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 86, NWS Lake Charles, LA

December 23, 2020Avoyelles Parish, Rapides Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Dec 23, 2020, 8:45 PM CST for Avoyelles Parish, Rapides Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 18 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 23, 2020, 8:45 PM CST (02:45 UTC)
Expired: Dec 23, 2020, 9:03 PM CST
In force: 18 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

Counties Avoyelles Parish, LA, Rapides Parish, LA

The radar

The Ft Polk radar (KPOE), 81 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:50 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 23, 8:40 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), launched 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 171 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: 666 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 660 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 227 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 226 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.0
Supercell composite: 4.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

744 
WFUS54 KLCH 240245
TORLCH
LAC009-079-240315-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0086.201224T0245Z-201224T0315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
845 PM CST Wed Dec 23 2020

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Rapides Parish in central Louisiana...
  Northwestern Avoyelles Parish in central Louisiana...

* Until 915 PM CST.
    
* At 844 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Pineville, moving east 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...
  Ball and Kolin around 855 PM CST.
  Libuse and Esler Regional Airport around 900 PM CST.
  Holloway and Centerpoint around 910 PM CST.
  Deville around 915 PM CST.

This includes Interstate 49 between mile markers 76 and 90.
 
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.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3147 9216 3146 9217 3145 9215 3143 9216
      3141 9215 3139 9212 3138 9212 3137 9209
      3135 9207 3134 9209 3133 9208 3133 9207
      3124 9204 3119 9248 3136 9253 3147 9219
TIME...MOT...LOC 0244Z 255DEG 24KT 3130 9242 

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

$$

13

1 follow-up statement

689 
WWUS54 KLCH 240303
SVSLCH

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
903 PM CST Wed Dec 23 2020

LAC009-079-240312-
/O.CAN.KLCH.TO.W.0086.000000T0000Z-201224T0315Z/
Rapides LA-Avoyelles LA-
903 PM CST Wed Dec 23 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN RAPIDES AND NORTHWESTERN
AVOYELLES PARISHES IS CANCELLED...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 200 AM CST for central
Louisiana.

LAT...LON 3147 9216 3146 9217 3145 9215 3143 9216
      3141 9215 3139 9212 3138 9212 3137 9209
      3135 9207 3134 9209 3133 9208 3133 9207
      3124 9204 3119 9248 3136 9253 3147 9219
TIME...MOT...LOC 0301Z 255DEG 24KT 3133 9228 

$$

13

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 23, 7:12 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Beauregard	33 min
Dec 23, 7:18 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Grant	42 min
Dec 23, 8:11 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Rapides	34 min
Dec 23, 8:55 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Rapides, Vernon	35 min
Dec 23, 9:24 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LCH	Rapides	36 min
Dec 23, 9:48 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Avoyelles	42 min
Dec 23, 9:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LCH	Avoyelles	46 min
Dec 24, 12:37 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	St. Mary	23 min
Dec 24, 12:41 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Saint Martin	34 min
Dec 24, 12:55 AM CST	Special Weather Statement	LCH	Saint Martin	35 min
Dec 24, 9:53 AM CST	Wind Advisory	LCH	Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Evangeline, Rapides, Saint Landry and 1 more	8 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 2020 Every tornado warning in 2020 Tornadoes in 2020

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.