Alert archive / Mississippi / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Jackson, MS

March 17, 1987Copiah County, Mississippi

NWS Jackson, MS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 17, 1987, 7:48 PM CST for Copiah County, Mississippi. It was in force for 27 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
Mar 17, 1987, 7:48 PM CST (01:48 UTC)
Expired
Mar 17, 1987, 8:15 PM CST
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Jackson, MS
Area
Whole counties

County Copiah County, MS

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
Mar 17, 8:00 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 56Copiah, MS

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

Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 00:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 61 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, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 1987-03-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 83 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 1987-03-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 554 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
83 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
622 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
76 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
554 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
785 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KJAN 180148
SVRJAN
MSC029-180215-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
748 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1987
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL  815 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
          ...COPIAH
 
AT 748 PM JACKSON RADAR WAS DETECTING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR
WESSON MOVING NORTH AT 50 MILES PER HOUR.  THIS STORM CONTAINS LARGE
HAIL AND MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND AS IT MOVES THROUGH HAZLEHURST AND
CRYSTAL SPRINGS DURING THE NEXT HALF HOUR.
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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, Mar 17, 2:10 PM CST, 5 hours 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
210 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1987

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSZTORMS IS ENETERING SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI.
THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST NORTH AND WEST OF
NATCHEZ. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING THROUGH NORTHERN ADAMS...WESTERN
JEFFERSON...AND WESTERN CLAIBORNE COUNTIES WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY R'AIN...AND SMALL HAIL IS LIKELY WITH THE
PASSAGE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

PEOPLE IN THE SOUTHWST MISSISSIPPI SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR
THE WATHER THIS AFTERNOON AS THIS STORM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH.
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 2:15 PM CST, 5 hours 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
210 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1987

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IS ENTERING SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI.
THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST NORTH AND WEST OF
NATCHEZ. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING THROUGH NORTHERN ADAMS...WESTERN
JEFFERSON...AND WESTERN CLAIBORNE COUNTIES WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY+ RAIN...AND SMALL HAIL IS LIKELY WITH THE
PASSAGE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

PEOPLE IN SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR
THE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AS THIS STORM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH.

...SEVERAL SPELLING CORRECTIONS WERE MADE....
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 3:07 PM CST, 4 hours 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
305 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1987

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 33 IS STILL IN EFFECT UNTIL 4PM FOR
   SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPPI...

STRONG THUNDERSTORM CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST UP THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN EXTREME SOUTHWEST
WARREN COUNTY AT 3 PM. IT WILL BE MOVING NEAR VICKSBURG BETWEEN 330
AND 400 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WfINDS...AND SMALL HAIL IS LIKELY
WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

PEOPLE IN SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR
THE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AS THIS STORM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH.
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 4:00 PM CST, 3 hours 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
405 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1987

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 34 IS STILL IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR CENTRAL
                     AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI...

AT 405 PM...RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERED MOST OF THE WESTERN HALF
OF MISSISSIPPI.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE OVER MADISON...ADAMS..
JEFFERSON AND CLAIBORNE COUNTIES.

ALTHOUGH THESE STORMS DO NOT APPEAR TO BE SEVERE AT THE PRESENT TIME...
THEY COULD INTENSIFY RAPIDLY AT ANY TIME.  HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WIND
AND SMALL HAIL IS LIKELY WITH THE HEAVIER STORMS AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST
AT 50 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH MISSISSIPPI SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE
LAT%EST WEATHER STATEMENTS IN THIS RAPIDLY-CHANGING SITUATION...AND BE
PREPARED TO TAKE QUICK PROTECTIVE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED OR THE
WEATHER BECOMES THREATENING.
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 4:09 PM CST, 3 hours 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
410 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1987

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 34 CONTINUES TO BE IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF EAST
CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 1000 PM CST.

AT 400 PM CST RADAR SHOWED A 6 MILE WIDE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT
EXTENDED FROM JUST WEST OF UNION TO NEAR NEWTON.  THIS AREA OF
STORMS WAS MOVING NORTH AT 35 MPH.

RESIDENTS IN NEWTON AND NESHOBA COUNTIES OF EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
ARE UR+GED TO REMAIN WEATHER ALERT FOR THE NEXT 45 TO 60 MINUTES AS
THESE STORMS PASS THROUGH THE AREA.
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 6:34 PM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
635 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1987

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 34 CONTINUES TO BE IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF EAST
CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 1000 PM CST.

AT 630 PM CST RADAR SHOWED WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO
WESTERN NESHOBA AND WINSTON COUNTIES. THEY WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35
MPH.

RESIDENTS IN WINSTON AND NESHOBA COUNTIES OF EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
CAN EXPECT GUSTY WINDS...LIGHTNING...AND PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AS THESE
STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE TWO COUNTY AREA.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 17, 7:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANLincoln33 min
Mar 17, 7:47 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANWalthall18 min
Mar 17, 8:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANWalthall35 min
Mar 17, 8:43 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningJANYazoo2 hr
Mar 17, 9:09 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningJANHolmes, Humphreys, Leflore3 hr
Mar 17, 9:09 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningJANHinds3 hr
Mar 17, 10:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANJasper, Jones30 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Mississippi, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987

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.