Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Little Rock, AR

April 4, 1986Garland County, Arkansas

NWS Little Rock, AR issued this tornado warning at Apr 4, 1986, 4:54 PM CST for Garland County, Arkansas. It was in force for 66 min. 4 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Apr 4, 1986, 4:54 PM CST (22:54 UTC)
Expired
Apr 4, 1986, 6:00 PM CST
In force
66 min
Issued by
NWS Little Rock, AR
Area
Whole counties

County Garland County, AR

The radar

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

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 4, 5:07 PM CSTHail 1.75Garland, AR
Apr 4, 5:14 PM CSTHail 1Garland, AR
Apr 4, 5:25 PM CSTHail 1.75Garland, AR
Apr 4, 5:45 PM CSTHail 2.75Garland, AR

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KUMN), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 265 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 1986-04-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 1986-04-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 144 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1334 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
60 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
144 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLIT 042254
TORLIT
ARC051-050000-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
454 PM CST FRI APR 4 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 600 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY IN

ARK........GARLAND

AT 450PM A TORNADO WAS REPORTED ON THE GROUND JUST SOUTH OF
GLENWOOD IN PIKE COUNTY. THIS STORM HAS MOVED INTO
SOUTHWESTERN GARLAND COUNTY.

THIS IS A LARGE AND DANGEROUS STORM AND RESIDENTS SHOULD TAKE
SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION..PEOPLE IN THE IMMEDIATE
PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD MOVE TO THE CENTRAL PARTS OF THEIR HOMES
IMMEDIATELY!

DO NOT OPEN WINDOWS.. USE THE TIME TO GET TO SAFE SHELTER. FLYING
GLASS AND DEBRIS CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

IF IN A VEHICLE.. PARK IT AND GET INTO A BUILDING OR SHELTER. DO
NOT TRY TO OUTRUN OR EVADE THE TORNADO.

IF YOU OBSERVE ANY SEVERE WEATH	ER, PLEASE REPORT IT TO YOUR_
NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

22

What forecasters said that day

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

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 4, 12:28 PM CST, 4 hours 26 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT SMITH, AR
1221 PM CST FRI APR 04 1986

TIME     LOCATION          EVENT

04/1750Z  MADISON CY AR    MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT HUNTSVILLE

04/1755Z  BENTON CY AR     3/4 INCH HAIL IN LOWELL ARK BY STATE POLICE

04/1803Z  CRAWFORD CY AR   MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT MOUNT GAYLOR ARK

04/1804Z  BENTON CY AR     MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT ROGERS ARK

04/1820Z  SEQUOYAH CY OK   PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL 4 MILE W SALLISAW
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 12:39 PM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1235 PM CST FRI APR 4 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN
AND NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS UNTIL 300 PM...

AT 1230 PM CST..RADAR INDICATED A 10 MILE WIDE LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS THAT EXTENDED FROM JUST NORTHWEST OF NEWPORT TO JUST
NORTH OF CONWAY TO 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF MORRILTON. THE HEAVIEST STORMS
WERE LOCATED NEAR HEBER SPRINGS..NEAR QUITMAN AND 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF
MORRILTON. MOVEMENT IS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILE AN HOUR.

HEAVY RAIN..GUSTY WINDS..FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THE STORMS.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF THE NORTHERN
HALF OF THE STATE. COVERAGE AND INTENSITIES HAVE SHOWN LITTLE CHANGE
DURING THE PAST HOUR. MOVEMENT IS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
<
PERSONS ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN ARKANSAS ARE URGED TO STAY TUNED
TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

22
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 2:38 PM CST, 2 hours 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
235 PM CST FRI APR 4 1986

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL
ARKANSAS UNTIL 900 PM...

AT 235 PM CST..RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF THUNDERSHOWERS AND A FEW
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER ABOUT THE NORTHWESTERN 1/3 OF ARKANSAS.
THE AREA WAS LOCATED NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM NEAR MENA TO CLINTON TO
PARAGOULD. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED 10 MILES WEST OF OZARK.
MOVEMENT IS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILE AN HOUR.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHEASTERN
TEXAS.

PERSONS THROUGH WESTERN AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER
CLOS^ELY FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS AND BE READY FOR QUICK ACTION IF
WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.
<
22
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 3:33 PM CST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
330 PM CST FRI APR 4 1986

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL
ARKANSAS UNTIL 900 PM...

AT 330 PM VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE INCREASING IN SOUTHWEST AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. HALF INCH SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN NORTHERN HOWARD
COUNTY AT 345PM.

RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR OZARK
ARKANSAS, TO NEAR MURFREESBORO ARKANSAS, AND ANOTHER JUST EAST OF
MTN HOME ARKANSAS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST
AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

ELSEWHERE, SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS COVERED A LARGE AREA OF
WEST AND NORTHERN ARKANSAS.
22
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 3:41 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
330 PM CST FRI APR 4 1986

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL
ARKANSAS UNTIL 900 PM...

AT 330 PM VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE INCREASING IN SOUTHWEST AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. HALF INCH SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN NORTHERN HOWARD
COUNTY AT 325PM.

RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR OZARK
ARKANSAS, TO NEAR MURFREESBORO ARKANSAS, AND ANOTHER JUST EAST OF
MTN HOME ARKANSAS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST
AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

ELSEWHERE, SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS COVERED A LARGE AREA OF
WEST AND NORTHERN ARKANSAS.

100/22
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 4:25 PM CST, 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
425 PM CST FRI APR 4 1986

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL
ARKANSAS UNTIL 900 PM...

AT 420 PM VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE INCREASING OVER WESTERN AND
SOUTHWESTERN ARKANSAS. HALF INCH SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED AT HARTMAN
WHICH IS NEAR CLARKSVILLE IN JOHNSON COUNTY AT 407PM.

RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSHOWERS AND A FEW VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM BULL SHOALS RESERVOIR TO JUST EAST OF
CLARKSVILLE TO JUST EAST OF MURFREESBORO. THE HEAVIEST STORM WAS
LOCATED ON THE NORTHERN END OF LAKE GREESON IN PIKE COUNTY. MOVEMENT
IS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

PERSONS IN WESTERN..SOUTHWESTERN AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS SHOULD MONITOR
THE CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS CLOSELY FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS AND BE
READY TO TAKE QUICK ACTION IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED.
<
22

The office that day

Everything else NWS Little Rock, AR issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 4, 4:42 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKGarland48 min
Apr 4, 5:42 PM CSTTornado WarningLZKSaline63 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.