Tornado in Illinois, May 6, 2003

Name: Tornado in Illinois, May 6, 2003
Start: 2003-05-06T19:35
End: 2003-05-06T19:35
Location: Illinois

May 6, 2003 · NWS LSX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at May 6, 12:00 PM CST, 7 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 12:00 PM CST, 7 hours 35 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
100 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

MOISTURE AT 850 WAS BEGINNING TO ADVECT NEWD ACROSS THE LOWER MS
VALLEY THIS MORNING.  ETA SIMILAR WITH MONS RUN WITH 100 KT H3 JET
ACROSS THE TX PANHANDLE BY MIDNIGHT WITH 2ND JET VICINITY OF LM
PROVIDING JET COUPLING. SIGNIFICANT DIVERGENCE FORECAST ACROSS IL
AND AR.  MSAS AT NOON INDICATED SURFACE MOISTURE CONVERGENCE ACROSS
CENTRAL MO AT NOON WITH MOST UNSTABLE AIR ACROSS THE ERN OZARKS.

HIGH MOISTURE FORECAST BY NGM, ETA AND GFS WITH ALL 3 FORECASTING
KS IN THE MID 30S TO LOW 40S ACROSS PTNS OF THE AREA THIS EVE.
THE GFS IS MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THE PARAMETER. FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE
HAS 1.0 TO 1.5 INCHES ACROSS MOST OF THE CWA.  LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN
ARE LIKELY TO EXCEED THESE VALUES AND WILL ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH FOR
ENTIRE CWA FOR TONIGHT.

SERIOUS OF SHORT WAVES WILL AFFECT THE AREA LATER IN THE WEEK.  ETA
FORECASTS H5 80 M HEIGHT FALL CENTER OVER NM THU MORNING WITH 120 M
HFC DIGGING INTO NRN CA.  THE GFS IS VERY SIMILAR.  LEAD SYSTEM IS
FORECAST TO DIG INTO NW MO/SW IA BY THU MIDN BY BOTH ETA AND GFS.
STRONG SHORT WAVE IS FORECAST TO MOVE OUT OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES SAT
MORNING AND PLOW INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION BY SUN MORNING.  GFS IS
FORECASTING A 180 M HFC NR MKE BY 12Z SUN.

IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD, THE GFS AND ECMWF BOTH FORECAST STRONG H5
SHORT WAVES ROTATING INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS WITH THE GFS CLOSING
OFF THE LOW OVR THE HIGH PLAINS OF CO.  AS A RESULT, GFS IS SLOWER
WITH SYSTEM THAN ECMWF BY SUN.  THE ECMWF IS VERY SIMILAR IN
FORECASTING A DEEP SURFACE LOW NR LS BY SUN MORNING.  THINGS QUIET
EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH THE GFS SHIFTING THE STRONG SHORT WAVES FURTHER
N.

.STL...FLOOD WATCH FOR THE ENTIRE CWA FOR TONIGHT

Hazardous weather outlook, May 6, 11:15 AM CST, 8 hours 20 minutes before

ILZ058>060-064-065-069-070-074-079-095>102-MOZ018-019-026-027-
034>036-041-042-047>052-059>065-072>075-084-085-099-071200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
1215 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSOURI
AND WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ILLINOIS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE OVER PARTS OF MISSOURI AND
ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF A PARIS TO BOWLING GREEN MISSOURI TO
LITCHFIELD ILLINOIS LINE.  SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE MODERATE RISK
AREA ARE COLUMBIA...JEFFERSON CITY...ST LOUIS...FARMINGTON...
BELLEVILLE AND CENTRALIA.  THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT RISK OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT COVERS THE REST OF THE AREA OVER WEST
CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI.

LOW PRESSURE OVER OKLAHOMA WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ALONG A FRONTAL
BOUNDARY OVER SOUTHERN MISSOURI THROUGH TONIGHT.  THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THIS FRONT AND MOVE INTO THE AREA THIS
AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING.  SOME OF THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE
SEVERE GIVEN THE STRONG ATMOSPHERIC WINDS AND VERY UNSTABLE
CONDITIONS OVER THE REGION.  THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING ISOLATED TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL UP TO
THE SIZE OF BASEBALLS.  HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

THE RISK OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ON
WEDNESDAY...GENERALLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70.  THERE IS A RISK OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE ENTIRE AREA ON THURSDAY.  A SERIES OF
STORM SYSTEMS WIL MOVE ALONG A STALLED FRONTAL SYSTEM LOCATED OVER
SOUTHERN MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AS YET
ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE MIDWEST.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT...
HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/LSX (ALL LOWER CASE)

BRITT

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 6, 7:08 PM CST, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
808 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0801 PM    2E FESTUS                 MO   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/06/03   JEFFERSON                      REPORTED IN CRYSTAL CITY
                                          BY HAM RADIO.

Local storm report, May 6, 7:12 PM CST, 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
812 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0805 PM    BARNHART                  MO   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/06/03   JEFFERSON                      REPORTED BY HAM RADIO.

0805 PM    WEINGARTEN                MO   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/06/03   STE GENEVIEVE                  REPORTED BY HAM RADIO.

Local storm report, May 6, 7:20 PM CST, 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
820 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0805 PM    BONNE TERRE               MO   WIND DAMAGE
05/06/03   ST FRANCOIS                    NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES...SOME ON TOP OF
                                          CARS WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO.
                                          TIME ESTIMATED.

0817 PM    RUMA                      IL   0.88 INCH HAIL
05/06/03   RANDOLPH                       REPORTED BY PUBLIC.

Local storm report, May 6, 7:21 PM CST, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
821 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0750 PM    DE SOTO                   MO   WIND DAMAGE
05/06/03   JEFFERSON                      EXTENSIVE TREE AND POWER
                                          LINE DAMAGE.  CITY IS
                                          WITHOUT POWER.  REPORTED
                                          BY HAM RADIO.

Local storm report, May 6, 7:31 PM CST, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
831 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0831 PM    2SW MARISSA               IL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/06/03   ST. CLAIR                      MOVING
                                          NORTHEAST...REPORTED BY
                                          HAM RADIO.

Local storm report, May 6, 7:33 PM CST, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST LOUIS MO
833 PM CDT TUE MAY 06 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0825 PM    HECKER                    IL   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/06/03   MONROE                         REPORTED BY HAM RADIO.

0830 PM    WALSH                     IL   FUNNEL CLOUD
05/06/03   RANDOLPH                       REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC.

The radar

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:36 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Randolph

When: May 6, 7:35 PM CST
Where: Randolph County, Walsh
Rating: F0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.083, -89.850

A storm spotter reported a brief tornado in an open field near Walsh.

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Illinois in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Illinois, 2003 Warnings in Illinois, May 2003

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5359906.