A warm front lifted northward through the Quad State region during the morning hours. Dew points in the lower 70s made their way into Southeast Missouri, allowing MUCAPE to surge to 2000-2500 J/kg.
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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.
The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.
A warm front lifted northward through the Quad State region during the morning hours. Dew points in the lower 70s made their way into Southeast Missouri, allowing MUCAPE to surge to 2000-2500 J/kg. SRH peaked around 150 m2/s2 in the evening with effective bulk shear around 40 kts. Lapse rates were 6-7 C/km. Cells formed in the afternoon, moving northeastward. The frontal passage moved through late evening. Wind damage reports in SEMO were concentrated on the path of a more north-south oriented portion of the line that showed rotation aloft. A funnel cloud observation was made northwest of Advance with that feature.
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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 18, 5:44 PM CST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 644 PM CDT Thu Apr 18 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Thunderstorms expected to develop this afternoon/evening. Widespread damaging winds (30%) will be the prominent hazard with the main line, while large hail (15%) and isolated tornadoes (5%) may also occur. - Much cooler Friday through the weekend, as highs/lows in the 80s/60s transition to 60s/40s. Some upper 30s are possible both weekend nights, and if skies clear/winds diminish, some frost potential exists then...with the better chance of that occurring being Sunday night. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 106 PM CDT Thu Apr 18 2024 We are closely tracking a warm front's lift across the area, in advance of a developing and approaching broader/stronger storm system that will produce an all hazards potential severe weather event later this afternoon/evening. Soupy upper 60s surface dew points are in our south already, with lower 70s just about to enter. As the warm sector lifts this pm, the increasing moist tongue with temps rising into the 80s will help instability balloon, with 2000-3000 J/KG Available Potential Energy for Convection at most unstable in the layer. CAMs all model active convection. Some (FV3/ARW) are a little faster and more robust, while others (NAM) are on the opposite end of that, but all agree on the main line approaching late today and blasting thru the area this evening. The FV3/ARW support an aggressive bowing of the northern structure of the line, which is a slight evolution from previous runs. The HRRR and NSSL also bow, but are more solidly split with warm sector convection out ahead, and then main line convection with the cold front's approach. We still like a basic 18-21z warm sector threat, followed by the main threat timing of the potential bowing line from 21-03z. After fropa, storm threat will diminish though some lingering pop may survive thru the overnight. Low clouds may linger til/shortly after daybreak, after which we'll see that cooler/drier air work its way in/across the FA. We are still forecasting a transition from our 80s/60s highs/lows to 60s/40s with this airmass change, that will last thru the weekend. Some upper 30s are possible both weekend nights, with perhaps Sunday night the better chance for frost with clearing skies/diminished winds. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 644 PM CDT Thu Apr 18 2024 Scattered SHRA/TSRA could effect eastern portions of the region early this evening, before a long line of strong to severe storms sweeps quickly eastward across the entire region beginning around 01Z and likely leaving the area by 06Z. Very strong winds are likely with the main line of storms. MVFR ceilings will arrive with the line and a period of IFR ceilings may eventually develop overnight into the early morning hours. Ceilings will lift to VFR by midday. South winds will shift to the northwest behind the line of storms and gusts 20-25kts will be possible through the remainder of the forecast. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && DISCUSSION... AVIATION...DRS
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 135 PM CDT Thu Apr 18 2024 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-191000- 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- 135 PM CDT Thu Apr 18 2024 /235 PM EDT Thu Apr 18 2024/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight The threat of storms will increase to a peak this evening, with all severe hazards in play. The greatest risk is for damaging winds, with large hail and tornadoes also posing potential risks. Frequent deadly lightning and locally heavy rains capable of sporadic flooding are also potential hazards. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Lows in the upper 30s are possible this weekend, with Sunday night perhaps the best chance for frost to develop as skies clear and winds diminish then. These cooler temperatures and thus the chance of frost appears greatest along and north of the Ohio River. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is requested for our ongoing active severe weather watch.
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
520 PM CDT Thu Apr 18 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0510 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 SSW Mound City 37.05N 89.19W
04/18/2024 Alexander IL 911 Call Center
Tree down across Highway 37 between Cairo
and Mounds City.
&&
DWSPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
746 PM CDT Thu Apr 18 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0743 PM Hail Woodlawn 38.33N 89.03W
04/18/2024 M1.25 Inch Jefferson IL Public
&&
bmPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
747 PM CDT Thu Apr 18 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0738 PM Hail Pinckneyville 38.08N 89.38W
04/18/2024 M0.25 Inch Perry IL Emergency Mngr
&&
bmPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
820 PM CDT Thu Apr 18 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0819 PM Hail 2 N Fairfield 38.41N 88.37W
04/18/2024 M0.25 Inch Wayne IL Emergency Mngr
&&
bmPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
825 PM CDT Thu Apr 18 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0813 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 4 N Belle Prairie City 38.28N 88.56W
04/18/2024 M58 MPH Wayne IL Trained Spotter
Measured 1 mile north of mile marker 100 on
Interstate 64.
&&
DWSPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
848 PM CDT Thu Apr 18 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0847 PM Hail Crossville 38.17N 88.07W
04/18/2024 M0.25 Inch White IL Trained Spotter
&&
bmThe Paducah radar (KPAH), 123 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:52 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Downburst winds downed a few trees near the intersection of DD and County Rd 822. Additionally, a shed had its roof blown off and another small shed was blown over. Two tractor trailer cab shells were blown over as well.
A couple of trees were downed south of Marble Hill by thunderstorm winds.
At least one funnel cloud was spotted west of Advance associated with the storm approaching from the northwest.
A couple of trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds in Vanduser.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, April 2024
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: 1172236, 1172238, 1172237, 1172239.