Significant Weather Events

February 15 2016 Severe Weather

Map of severe weather reports and severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings on February 15th.

Event Overview

An area of low pressure moved along the Gulf Coast triggering showers and thunderstorms during the morning and afternoon of February 15, 2016. Surface temperatures in the mid to upper 60s combined with dew points in the mid 60s resulted in a large amount of atmospheric instability compared to typical February conditions. Deep level wind shear supported the development of rotating updrafts and, as surface temperatures began to increase throughout the morning, several supercell thunderstorms developed ahead of the surface cold front. These prefrontal thunderstorms resulted in two EF-0 tornadoes. One tornado resulted in damage to several buildings near Plaucheville in Avoyelles Parish. Another tornado touched down in open fields south of Welsh in Jefferson Davis Parish and dissipated before producing any damage.

As the cold front approached from the northwest, two multicell clusters developed and moved to the east southeast. The first resulted in a microburst with 70-80 MPH winds that damaged a car wash and Pizza Hut in Alexandria. The second multicell thunderstorm produced a swath of severe hail extending from Moss Bluff to just south of Welsh. Cold temperatures above the surface were conducive for the development of large hail with multiple reports of ping pong ball to two inch hail in Iowa and Lacassine.

February 15th Lake Charles Morning Sounding

(Click for a larger image)

Lake Charles Sig. Hail Parameter Climatology

(Click for a larger image)

Lake Charles Mixed Layer CAPE Climatology

(Click for a larger image)

Lake Charles Most Unstable CAPE Climatology

(Click for a larger image)

Hail and Storm Damage Photographs. Click for larger image.
Alexandria, LA, KALB	Alexandria, LA, Kelly Taylor-Forgar	Alexandria, LA, KALB
Iowa, LA, Chris Walker	Iowa, LA, Christina Granger	Iowa, LA, Ted Louviere
Lacassine, LA, Sadie Prejean	Lebleu Settlement, LA, Deonna Liprie	Lebleu Settlement, LA, Debbie Bennett

Page by: Tim Humphrey Last Updated: Feb 17, 2016