Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 1986
Tornado Warning 9, NWS Memphis, TN
NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Jul 31, 1986, 6:10 PM CDT for Crittenden County, Arkansas. It was in force for 65 min. 1 report 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
- Jul 31, 1986, 6:10 PM CDT (23:10 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 31, 1986, 7:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 65 min
- Issued by
- NWS Memphis, TN
- Area
- Whole counties
County Crittenden 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 6:30 PM CDT | Hail 0.75 | Crittenden, 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
Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 53 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 3635 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 10 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -28 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 2 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAAOO KMEM 312310 RRA
TORMEM
ARC035-010015-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
610 PM CDT THU JUL 31 1986
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 715 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:
IN EAST CENTRAL ARKANSAS
..NORTHERN CRITTENDEN
AT 6:10 RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO LOCATED IN NORTHERN
CRITTENDEN COUNTY JUST SOUTH OF TURRELL.
DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. CARS ARE EASILY
TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF
A TORNADO, LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING. IF NO
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY, SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 439 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT
FOR MOST OF THE MIDSOUTH.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
Special weather statement, Jul 31, 2:25 PM CDT, 3 hours 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS 225PM CDT THU JUL 31 1986 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 439 IN EFFECT UNTIL 800PM CDT FOR A PART OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI... AT 220PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO INDICATED NO PRECIPITATION IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI. HOWEVER AN AREA OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING OVER NORTH ALABAMA. THE ACTIVITY IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. EVEN THOUGH NO ACTIVITY IS NOTED OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI..WE EXPECT THE ACTIVITY TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY DURING THE HEAT OF THE DAY AND TO CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. PERSONS IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Jul 31, 3:20 PM CDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS 320PM CDT THU JUL 31 1986 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 439 IN EFFECT UNTIL 800PM CDT FOR A PART OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI... AT 320PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO INDICATED NO PRECIPITATION IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE. HOWEVER AN AREA OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS IS OCCURRING OVER NORTH ALABAMA. THIS ACTIVITY IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. EVEN THOUGH NO ACTIVITY IS NOTED OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI..WE EXPECT THE ACTIVITY TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY DURING THE HEAT OF THE DAY AND TO CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. PERSONS IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Jul 31, 5:20 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS 520PM CDT THU JUL 31 1986 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 439 IN EFFECT UNTIL 800PM CDT FOR A PART OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI... AT 520PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO INDICATED NO PRECIPITATION IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI. HOWEVER AN AREA OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR ACROSS NORTHEAST ARKANSAS. EVEN THOUGH NO ACTIVITY IS NOTED OVER NORTH &MISSISSIPPI..WE EXPECT THE ACTIVITY TO DEVELOP DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. PERSONS IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Local storm report, Jul 31, 5:53 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
550 PM CDT THU JUL 31 1986
REPORTS FOR PERIOD 4PM CDT TO 530PM CDT THU JUL 31 1986
420 PM POINSETT COUNTY ARKANSAS. SHERIFFS OFFICE 50-55 MPH WINDS.
420 PM CRAIGHEAD COUNTY ARKANSAS. OTWELL (10 SW JBR) VERY HEAVY RAIN
WIND BLOWING LIMBS FROM TREES ESTD 50-55 MPH. SMALL HAIL.
520 PM POINSETT COUNTY ARKANSAS. HARRISBURG TREES DOWN WINDS ESTD 60 MPH.The office that day
Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 3:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Craighead, Poinsett | 58 min |
| Jul 31, 4:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Craighead, Poinsett | 57 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.