Alert archive / Mississippi / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS Jackson, MS

February 17, 1986Leflore County, Mississippi

NWS Jackson, MS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 17, 1986, 6:55 PM CST for Leflore County, Mississippi. It was in force for 40 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Feb 17, 1986, 6:55 PM CST (00:55 UTC)
Expired: Feb 17, 1986, 7:35 PM CST
In force: 40 min
Issued by: NWS Jackson, MS
Area: Whole counties

County Leflore County, MS

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 138 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 2739 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 929 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 145 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 292 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 3.0
Supercell composite: 13.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KJAN 180056
SVRJAN
MSC083-180135-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
655 PM CST MON FEB 17 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 735 PM CST  FOR LEFLORE COUNTY IN MISSISSIPPI.

AT 652 PM CST RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 10 MILES
EAST NORTHEAST OF INDIANOLA NEAR THE SUNFLOWER COUNTY-LEFLORE COUNTY
LINE. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AROUND 40 MPH, AND IT PRODUCED GOLF
BALL SIZE HAIL A FEW MINUTES AGO NEAR THE TOWN OF SUNFLOWER.

ON ITS PRESENT COURSE, THIS STORM WILL TRACK ACROSS THE CENTRAL PORTION
OF LEFLORE COUNTY. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM SHOULD SEEK SHELTER.

What forecasters said that day

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

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 17, 1:40 PM CST, 5 hours 15 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
140 PM CST MON FEB 17 1986

  ...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS AND SMALL HAIL OCCURING IN NORTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI...

AT 130PM CST THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL
HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS OCCURING IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI WITH SMALL HAIL
BEING REPORTED.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURING NORTHEAST OF TUPELO..WEST OF WEST
POINT..AND BETWEEN CORINTH AND BOONEVILLE.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 MP

THUDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOPE IN NORTHERN  AND EASTERN MISSISSIPPI
AND WERE MOVING THE THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

  THESE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE BRIEF PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN..WIND
GUSTS UP TO 40 MILES AN HOUR... SMALL HAIL...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

PERSONS IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI SHOULD BE WEATHER ALERT AND BE
PREPARED TO TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTION SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER
APPROACH.

Special weather statement, Feb 17, 1:53 PM CST, 5 hours 2 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
148 PM CST MON FEB 17 1986

...THUNDERSTORMS INCREASING IN STRENGTH OVER EAST CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI AND EXTREME WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 145 PM CST RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS
OVER EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI AND EXTREME WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA.
THE HEAVIEST STORM WAS 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF WAYNESBORO IN
EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE INCREASED IN STRENGTH AND AREA COVERAGE
SINCE THE LAST HOUR AND WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

IF SEVERE WEATHER IS SIGHTED TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

                                                                             [

                                                                             [

Special weather statement, Feb 17, 3:13 PM CST, 3 hours 42 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
315 PM CST MON FEB 17 1986

...THUNDERSTORMS INCREASING IN STRENGTH OVER EAST CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI AND EXTREME WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA...

AT 310 PM CST RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS
OVER EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI AND EXTREME WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA.
THE HEAVIEST STORM IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI WAS IN CLARKE
COUNTY 10 MILES SOUTH OF QUITMAN. OTHER VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS
WERE 15 MILES SOUTH OF HATIESBURG AND OVER EASTERN PARTS OF KEMPER
COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE INCREASED IN STRENGTH AND AREA COVERAGE
SINCE THE LAST HOUR AND WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

IF SEVERE WEATHER IS SIGHTED TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

                                                   H

Local storm report, Feb 17, 3:59 PM CST, 2 hours 56 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
358 PM CST MON FEB 17 1986

MISSISSIPPI HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTS GOLF BALL SIZE HALL 10 MILES
SOUTH OF LOUISVILLE NEAR HIGHWAY 15 AT 345 PM CST.

Local storm report, Feb 17, 5:47 PM CST, 1 hour 8 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
 545 PM CST MON FEB 17 1986

 250 PM CST...BOLIVAR CD REPORTS MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT ROSEDALE.
320 PM CST...BOLIVAR CD REPORTS MARBLE SIZE AT DUNCAN.
330 PM CST...GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED 3 MILES SW OF CLEVELAND
             BY BOLIVAR CD.
400 PM CST...RULEVILLE PD REPORTS DIME SIZE HAIL JUST NORTH OF TOWN.
405 PM CST...SUNFLOWER CD REPORTS PEA SIZE HAIL AT DREW.
425 PM CST...GREENWOOD-LEFLORE CD REPORTS MARBLE SIZE HAIL NEAR
             MINTER CITY.
435 PM CST...GRENADA CD REPORTS QUARTER SIZE HAIL AT INTERSECTION OF
             I-55 AND HWY 7 IN NORTHERN GRENADA COUNTY.
450 PM CST...YALOBUSHA CD REPORTS DIME SIZE HAIL AT COFFEEVILLE.
500 PM CST...GRENADA CD REPORTS DIME SIZE HAIL NEAR SAME LOCATION AS
             IN EARLIER REPORT AT 435 PM CST.
505 PM CST...GREENWOOD-LEFLORE CD REPORTS MARBLE SIZE HAIL NEAR MONEY..
             AND MARBLE TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL 5 SW OF MINTER CITY. <<

Special weather statement, Feb 17, 6:25 PM CST, 30 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
620 PM CST MON FEB 17 1986

THUNDERSHOWERS STARTED DEVELOPING IN LAUDERDALE COUNTY AROUND 600 PM
AND BY 615 PM RADAR SHOWED WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSHOWERS FROM NEAR
BASIC CITY TO 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF KEY FIELD TO ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH
OF KEY FIELD.

THESE THUNDERSHOWERS SHOULD MOVE NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 40 MPH. AFTER THEY
HAVE BECOME FULLY DEVELOPED.

RESIDENTS OF LAUDERDALE COUNTY...INCLUDING THE CITY OF MERIDIAN...
SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER FOR THE NEXT 30 TO 40 MINUTES.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Jackson, MS issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 17, 7:35 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Rankin	40 min
Feb 17, 8:08 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Madison	37 min
Feb 17, 8:47 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Winston	43 min
Feb 17, 9:05 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Noxubee	40 min
Feb 17, 9:45 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Lauderdale	25 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Mississippi, 1986 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

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.