Alert archive / Mississippi / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 9, NWS Jackson, MS

March 17, 1987Jasper County, Jones County, Mississippi

NWS Jackson, MS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 17, 1987, 10:15 PM CST for Jasper County, Jones County, Mississippi. It was in force for 30 min. 2 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
Mar 17, 1987, 10:15 PM CST (04:15 UTC)
Expired
Mar 17, 1987, 10:45 PM CST
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Jackson, MS
Area
Whole counties

Counties Jasper County, MS, Jones 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, 10:15 PM CSTTornado F1Jones, MS
Mar 17, 10:30 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Jones, 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, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 104 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 KMEI 180415
SVRMEI
MSC061-067-180445-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
1015 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1045 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES OF

EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...SOUTHERN JASPER AND NORTHERN JONES

AT 1005 PM CST RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR LAUREL
MISSISSIPPI.  THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTH AT 50 MPH.

 A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA SO REMEMBER
 THESE STORMS CAN AND OCCASSIONALLY DO PRODUCE A TORNADO WITH LITTLE
 OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.

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, 6:34 PM CST, 3 hours 41 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.
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 8:52 PM CST, 1 hour 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
850 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1987

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 34 IS STILL IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF EAST CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 1000 PM CST.

AT 845 PM CST RADAR SHOWED A 20 MILE WIDE AREA OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
THAT EXTENDED FROM NEAR LOUISVILLE IN WINSTON COUNTY TO NEAR MOSELLE IN
JONES COUNTY.  THERE WERE OTHER THUNDERSTORMS IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI.
ALL OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE  MOVING NORTH AT 45 MPH AND THE AREA WAS
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

RESIDENTS OF EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI CAN EXPECT PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...
LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE
THROUGH THE AREA.
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 9:34 PM CST, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
930 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1987

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

AT 930 PM CST RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN CLARKE AND
LAUDERDALE COUNTIES OF EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI.  THEY WERE MOVING
NORTH AT 50 MPH TOWARDS KEMPER COUNTY.

RESIDENTS OF LAUDERDALE AND CLARKE COUNTIES CAN EXPECT GUSTY WINDS...
LIGHTNING...PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN...AND SMALL HAIL FOR THE NEXT 20 TO
MINUTES.  RESIDENTS OF KEMPER COUNTY SHOULD EXPECT THESE SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS TO START IN ABOUT 20 OR 30 MINUTES.

EVERYONE IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI AND EXTREME WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA
IS URGED ATO BE WEATHER ALERT FOR THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT.

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, 7:48 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANCopiah27 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

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.