Alert archive / Louisiana / Tornado Warnings in 2023

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Lake Charles, LA

January 18, 2023Cameron Parish, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana

NWS Lake Charles, LA issued this tornado warning at Jan 18, 2023, 7:51 PM CST for Cameron Parish, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. It was in force for 24 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: Jan 18, 2023, 7:51 PM CST (01:51 UTC)
Expired: Jan 18, 2023, 8:15 PM CST
In force: 24 min
Issued by: NWS Lake Charles, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

Counties Cameron Parish, LA, Vermilion Parish, LA

The radar

The Lake Charles radar (KLCH), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:53 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 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 52 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: 1229 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 617 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 272 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 281 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.8
Supercell composite: 11.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

983 
WFUS54 KLCH 190151
TORLCH
LAC023-113-190215-
/O.NEW.KLCH.TO.W.0002.230119T0151Z-230119T0215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Lake Charles LA
751 PM CST Wed Jan 18 2023

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Cameron Parish in southwestern Louisiana...
  Northwestern Vermilion Parish in southwestern Louisiana...

* Until 815 PM CST.
    
* At 750 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a 
  tornado was located over mainly rural areas of northeastern 
  Cameron Parish, 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...
  Lake Arthur and Klondike around 810 PM CST.
  Gueydan around 815 PM CST.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Florence Landing.

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 2988 9280 2996 9284 3004 9273 3004 9271
      3006 9269 3006 9268 3008 9265 3007 9264
      3009 9263 3010 9258 3012 9256 2990 9245
TIME...MOT...LOC 0150Z 246DEG 28KT 2994 9278 

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

$$

25

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jan 19, 2:29 PM CST	Small Craft Advisory	LCH		49 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Louisiana, 2023 Every tornado warning in 2023 Tornadoes in 2023

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.