Severe Weather Summary - 20 April 2003

Ahead of a slow moving upper level disturbance, a band of scattered to broken severe thunderstorms affected central Kentucky and south central Indiana during the evening hours of Sunday 20 April 2003. Due to the slow motion of this upper level low, strong to severe thunderstorms regenerated in the same locations during the evening. Some counties in the Louisville forecast area saw two or more warnings issued for separate thunderstorms. Below are some data relating to these storms, along with a listing of storm reports.

Model Data (for folks with advanced meteorological training):

12hr Eta forecast valid at 8pm EDT 20 April. Notice the band of relatively high surface to 6km shear (lower-right panel), indicating a zone where storms can organize.

18hr Eta forecast valid at 2am EDT 21 April. The band of 6km shear has moved little during the previous 6 hour period, meaning a continued threat of organized convection, assuming all else being equal.

RUC BUFKIT profile valid at 7pm EDT 20 April. Observe the impressive 6km shear and 3km CAPE values.

Radar Loops:

Louisville, KY radar showing the onset of severe weather in the area. Note the cell merger over Dubois Co., Indiana (east of Jasper).

[ 862kb animated GIF ]

 
Louisville, KY radar, later in the evening, showing the train of strong to severe storms near the Ohio River. Note the severe storm moving through the Louisville metro area, where it produced 67 MPH straight-line thunderstorm winds at the International Airport. Also, at the end of the loop, an outflow boundary is located from south of Louisville southwestward to near Elizabethtown. Forecasters note these features since they are an important source for thunderstorm regeneration, or they indicate where the low-level air has stabilized.

[ 934kb animated GIF ]

 
Hopkinsville, KY radar showing a right-moving supercell thunderstorm as it crossed a good part of south central Kentucky. This storm during its lifetime produced an F1 tornado over northern Christian County.

[ 1.68MB animated GIF ]

Storm Reports:

The following is a summary of the local storm reports thus far received by the National Weather Service in Louisville. Should you have a report to offer, please use our online form or feel free to call us at 502-969-8842 during normal business hours.

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....
0530 PM    JASPER                    IN   1.00 INCH HAIL 
04/20/03   DUBOIS
0550 PM    MORGANTOWN                KY   .75 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   BUTLER
0600 PM    MORGANTOWN                KY   .75 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   BUTLER
0618 PM    ROUNDHILL                 KY   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   EDMONSON
0635 PM    CUB RUN                   KY   .88 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   HART
0715 PM    TELL CITY                 IN   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   PERRY
0635 PM    HUNTINGBURG               IN   69 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
04/20/03   DUBOIS
0700 PM    SALEM                     IN   .75 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   WASHINGTON
0724 PM    SCOTTSBURG                IN   .75 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   SCOTT
0754 PM    CONCORDIA                 KY   1.50 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   MEADE
0805 PM    VALLEY CITY               IN   .88 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   HARRISON
0822 PM    CLOVERPORT                KY   .75 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   BRECKINRIDGE
0835 PM    SHIVELY                   KY   .75 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   JEFFERSON
0841 PM    LOU INT'L AIRPORT         KY   67 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
04/20/03   JEFFERSON
0844 PM    LOU BOWMAN AIRPORT        KY   55 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
04/20/03   JEFFERSON
0847 PM    EKRON                     KY   1.75 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   MEADE
0815 PM    CLOVERPORT                KY   .75 INCH HAIL
04/20/03   BRECKINRIDGE

 

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