Alert archive / Illinois / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 22, NWS Paducah, KY

March 15, 2025Alexander County, Union County, Illinois; Bollinger County, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri

NWS Paducah, KY issued this tornado warning at Mar 15, 2025, 12:12 AM CDT for Alexander County, Union County, Illinois; Bollinger County, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. It was in force for 48 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 15, 2025, 12:12 AM CDT (05:12 UTC)
Expired
Mar 15, 2025, 1:00 AM CDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Paducah, KY
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Alexander County, IL, Union County, IL, Bollinger County, MO, Cape Girardeau County, MO

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:10 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 14, 7:34 PM CDTTornado Watch PDSSPC10 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 5.2 hours before the alert went out and 281 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2025-03-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1678 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2025-03-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 331 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1678 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1335 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
74 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
331 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
465 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.0
Supercell composite
21.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Mar 14, 6:29 PM CDT, 5 hours 43 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • A Wind Advisory remains in effect through 4 AM for gusts of 40-50 mph.
  • All modes of significant severe weather are expected with tonight's storms, large hail (2+ inches), damaging winds of 70-80+ mph, and significant tornadoes (EF2+).
  • Saturday maintains a severe threat during the morning into the early afternoon. All modes of severe remain possible. This is mainly across western KY and southwest IN.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 14, 6:29 PM CDT, 5 hours 43 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Paducah KY
629 PM CDT Fri Mar 14 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- A Wind Advisory remains in effect through 4 AM for gusts of
  40-50 mph.

- All modes of significant severe weather are expected with tonight's
  storms, large hail (2+ inches), damaging winds of 70-80+ mph,
  and significant tornadoes (EF2+).

- Saturday maintains a severe threat during the morning into the
  early afternoon. All modes of severe remain possible. This is
  mainly across western KY and southwest IN.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 255 PM CDT Fri Mar 14 2025

A strong, negatively tilted 500mb trof will move through the upper
midwest this evening and tonight. A strong 978-976mb sfc low will
track through eastern NE into MN this evening and tonight. We are
warm sectored today throughout the day w/a dry line to our west.
Windy conditions today ahead of this system with gusts of 40-50 mph.
A Wind Advisory is in effect through 4am.

Very concerning situation unfolding tonight with all modes of
significant severe possible. Models are setting up further west and
timing has slowed a little. Dew points are still forecast to surge
northward from southern AR over the next several hours and have a 70-
90% chance of reaching or exceeding 60 degrees. SBCAPE is still
around 1,000-2,000 J/kg. 0-1 km SRH is rather high at around 300+
m2/s2, and 0-3 km SRH is 600+ m2/s2. STP in the HRRR is 7-8. Bulk
shear is 60+ kts. Mid level lapse rates are still rather steep at
7.5-8 degC. Models are still showing a broken line of storms moving
through which means both linear dynamics and supercells are
possible. All hazards are possible wtih 70-80+ mph damaging winds,
large hail (2+ inches), and significant tornadoes (EF2+) some of
which could be long track. These storms will also be moving rather
quickly at around 60-70 mph. Storms are expected to weaken some as
they move further east late tonight as dewpoints drop off and
instability decreases.

How tonight evolves will determine how tomorrow plays out. A
secondary system comes up from the south tomorrow and brings storms
to eastern portions of the area (mainly the KY pennyrile and
southwest IN). The best instability is in the morning to early
afternoon with about 1,000-1,500 J/kg of MUCAPE which is when we
could see severe storms (SPC slight risk). There is also the
possibility for training storms. Some areas could see 1-2" of rain
with flash flooding possible and we are in a slight (level 2 of 4)
for the excessive rainfall outlook.

Behind the cold front with this system highs will fall back into the
50s for Sunday. Upper level ridging builds in early next week and
temperatures then moderate back into the 60s and 70s. Another trof
and sfc low come through on Wednesday bringing more storms to the
area along with a cold front Wednesday night.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/...
Issued at 628 PM CDT Fri Mar 14 2025

A strong storm system is on track to bring widespread severe
weather tonight across the region. Damaging winds, large hail,
and tornadoes will be possible, with the greatest risk across
the western terminals. Intermittent MVFR cigs and IFR/MVFR vsby
reductions will be possible during thunderstorms. There is some
uncertainly if discrete supercells will develop on the onset
ahead of a squall line that will move from west to east between
03-11z. Winds will be south between 15-25 kts with gusts around
30 kts outside of thunderstorms.

Storms clear out Saturday morning before additional showers and
thunderstorms develop into the afternoon. There is uncertainty
in how far east a frontal boundary will progress, but the
greatest risk for additional thunderstorms that can turn strong
to severe will be across KEVV/KOWB. Additional MVFR cigs and
vsby reductions will be possible during thunderstorms before the
aformentioned storm system begins to clear out towards the end
of the TAF period. Winds will be south between 5-15 kts with
gusts around 20 kts in the morning.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...Wind Advisory until 4 AM CDT Saturday for ILZ075>078-080>094.
MO...Wind Advisory until 4 AM CDT Saturday for MOZ076-086-087-100-
     107>112-114.
IN...Wind Advisory until 4 AM CDT /5 AM EDT/ Saturday for INZ081-
     082-085>088.
KY...Wind Advisory until 4 AM CDT Saturday for KYZ001>022.

&&

DISCUSSION...SHAWKEY
AVIATION...DW
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 14, 4:48 PM CDT, 7 hours 24 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Paducah KY
448 PM CDT Fri Mar 14 2025

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-151200-
Jefferson-Wayne IL-Edwards-Wabash-Perry IL-Franklin-Hamilton-
White-Jackson-Williamson-Saline-Gallatin-Union-Johnson-Pope-
Hardin-Alexander-Pulaski-Massac-Gibson-Pike-Posey-Vanderburgh-
Warrick-Spencer-Fulton-Hickman-Carlisle-Ballard-McCracken-Graves-
Livingston-Marshall-Calloway-Crittenden-Lyon-Trigg-Caldwell-
Union KY-Webster-Hopkins-Christian-Henderson-Daviess-McLean-
Muhlenberg-Todd-Perry MO-Bollinger-Cape Girardeau-Wayne MO-Carter-
Ripley-Butler-Stoddard-Scott-Mississippi-New Madrid-
448 PM CDT Fri Mar 14 2025 /548 PM EDT Fri Mar 14 2025/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern
Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast
Missouri.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

Strong gusty winds of 40 to 50 mph are forecast this afternoon
and evening. Refer to the Wind Advisory for additional details.

Widespread thunderstorms are expected this evening into tonight
with the potential for significant severe weather. Hazards
include damaging winds in excess of 70 mph, tornadoes, and large
hail.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday

Additional thunderstorms are possible on Saturday, some of which
may be severe with damaging winds, large hail, and a few
tornadoes. This threat is primarily across west Kentucky and
southwest Indiana. Heavy rainfall may lead to flash flooding
across west Kentucky on Saturday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters please report any severe weather or damage to the
National Weather Service or local authorities.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 14, 11:36 PM CDT, 36 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1136 PM CDT Fri Mar 14 2025

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

1125 PM     Hail             5 WSW Glenallen         37.29N 90.12W
03/14/2025  M1.50 Inch       Bollinger          MO   Emergency Mngr

            Near DD and BCR 810.

&&
Local storm report, Mar 14, 11:59 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1159 PM CDT Fri Mar 14 2025

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

1144 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 WNW Scott City        37.23N 89.58W
03/14/2025  M61 MPH          Scott              MO   ASOS

            ASOS station KCGI Cape Girardeau MO.

&&

DWS
Local storm report, Mar 15, 12:02 AM CDT, 10 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1202 AM CDT Sat Mar 15 2025

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

1135 PM     Tornado          2 W Poplar Bluff        36.77N 90.45W
03/14/2025                   Butler             MO   Emergency Mngr

            Major damage reported to New Covenant
            Fellowship Church and a neighboring trailer
            park on PP Highway.

&&

DWS
Local storm report, Mar 15, 12:03 AM CDT, 9 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1203 AM CDT Sat Mar 15 2025

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

1140 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 ESE Perryville        37.72N 89.86W
03/14/2025                   Perry              MO   Law Enforcement

            Damage reported on the south side of
            Perryville. Possible tornado.

&&

DWS
Local storm report, Mar 15, 12:04 AM CDT, 8 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1204 AM CDT Sat Mar 15 2025

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

1135 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 NNE Lithium           37.87N 89.87W
03/14/2025  M62 MPH          Perry              MO   AWOS

            AWOS station KPCD Perryville MO.

&&

DWS
Special weather statement, Mar 15, 12:05 AM CDT, 7 minutes before
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Paducah, KY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 15, 1:06 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHFulton39 min
Mar 15, 1:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPAHBallard48 min
Mar 15, 1:18 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHBallard27 min
Mar 15, 1:33 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHBallard, McCracken42 min
Mar 15, 1:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPAHBallard26 min
Mar 15, 1:36 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHFulton, Hickman24 min
Mar 15, 1:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threatPAHBallard16 min
Mar 15, 1:53 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHCarlisle, Fulton, Hickman52 min
Mar 15, 2:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPAHCrittenden, Livingston, McCracken40 min
Mar 15, 2:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPAHBallard, Carlisle, Fulton, Hickman31 min
Mar 15, 2:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPAHBallard, Carlisle, Graves, Livingston, McCracken45 min
Mar 15, 2:24 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHCarlisle, Graves, Hickman, McCracken, Marshall33 min
Mar 15, 2:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHCrittenden, Henderson, Union, Webster42 min
Mar 15, 2:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPAHCrittenden, Livingston, Union39 min
Mar 15, 2:47 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHHenderson, Union43 min
Mar 15, 2:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPAHCaldwell, Crittenden, Graves, Livingston, Lyon, McCracken and 1 more50 min
Mar 15, 2:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHCarlisle, Graves, Hickman, McCracken34 min
Mar 15, 3:06 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHCaldwell, Crittenden, Livingston, Lyon24 min
Mar 15, 3:13 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPAHCaldwell, Crittenden, Daviess, Henderson, Hopkins, McLean and 2 more47 min
Mar 15, 3:15 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHLivingston, Lyon, McCracken, Marshall45 min
Mar 15, 3:26 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPAHDaviess49 min
Mar 15, 3:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHCaldwell, Crittenden, Livingston, Lyon39 min
Mar 15, 3:48 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHHopkins, McLean, Webster27 min
Mar 15, 3:58 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHCaldwell, Crittenden, Hopkins, Lyon11 min
Mar 15, 4:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHDaviess, Henderson, McLean, Webster42 min
Mar 15, 4:07 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHCaldwell, Crittenden, Henderson, Hopkins, Webster38 min
Mar 15, 4:28 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPAHDaviess, Henderson, McLean47 min
Mar 15, 4:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHDaviess38 min
Mar 15, 4:43 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threatPAHDaviess32 min
Mar 15, 4:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHDaviess, Hopkins, McLean, Webster41 min
Mar 15, 5:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHDaviess33 min
Mar 15, 5:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHDaviess, McLean42 min
Mar 15, 10:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHCarlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman24 min
Mar 15, 10:27 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementPAHMcCracken48 min
Mar 15, 10:30 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementPAHMcCracken45 min
Mar 15, 10:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHBallard, Graves, McCracken17 min
Mar 15, 11:57 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningPAHMuhlenberg8 days
Mar 15, 5:58 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementPAHTodd62 min
Mar 14, 11:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPAHJackson39 min
Mar 14, 11:24 PM CDTTornado WarningPAHJackson51 min
Mar 14, 11:38 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatPAHJackson, Union52 min
Mar 14, 11:59 PM CDTTornado WarningPAHFranklin, Jackson, Perry, Williamson46 min
Mar 15, 12:09 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHFranklin, Jackson, Williamson51 min
Mar 15, 12:09 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHAlexander, Pulaski51 min
Mar 15, 12:21 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHFranklin, Jefferson, Perry27 min
Mar 15, 12:32 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatPAHAlexander, Jackson, Johnson, Union, Williamson43 min
Mar 15, 12:42 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHAlexander, Pulaski33 min
Mar 15, 12:44 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHFranklin, Hamilton, Jefferson46 min
Mar 15, 12:58 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHJohnson, Pulaski, Union32 min
Mar 15, 1:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHEdwards, Hamilton, Wabash, Wayne, White57 min
Mar 15, 1:26 AM CDTTornado Warning Considerable damage threatPAHGallatin, Hardin, Johnson, Pope, Saline, Williamson49 min
Mar 15, 1:35 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHEdwards, Wabash, Wayne40 min
Mar 15, 1:53 AM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatPAHGallatin, Saline, White52 min
Mar 15, 2:20 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHWhite40 min
Mar 14, 9:24 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatPAHCarter51 min
Mar 14, 10:00 PM CDTTornado Warning EmergencyTornado observedCatastrophic damage threatPAHCarter15 min
Mar 14, 10:12 PM CDTTornado WarningPAHCarter, Ripley, Wayne48 min
Mar 14, 10:19 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatPAHWayne26 min
Mar 14, 10:34 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedPAHRipley41 min
Mar 14, 10:51 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatPAHCarter, Wayne39 min
Mar 14, 10:58 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatPAHButler, Ripley47 min
Mar 14, 11:09 PM CDTTornado WarningPAHBollinger, Cape Girardeau, Wayne38 min
Mar 14, 11:16 PM CDTTornado Warning Considerable damage threatPAHButler, Ripley44 min
Mar 14, 11:37 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatPAHButler, Stoddard53 min
Mar 14, 11:47 PM CDTTornado WarningPAHBollinger, Stoddard, Wayne43 min
Mar 14, 11:58 PM CDTTornado WarningPAHButler26 min
Mar 15, 12:31 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHNew Madrid, Stoddard29 min
Mar 15, 12:52 AM CDTTornado WarningPAHMississippi, New Madrid, Scott, Stoddard38 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Illinois, 2025Tornado Warnings in Missouri, 2025Every tornado warning in 2025Tornadoes in 2025

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.