Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 16, NWS Jackson, MS
NWS Jackson, MS issued this tornado warning at Mar 12, 1988, 4:12 PM CST for Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It was in force for 33 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 12, 1988, 4:12 PM CST (22:12 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 12, 1988, 4:45 PM CST
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Jackson, MS
- Area
- Whole counties
County Lauderdale 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 4:23 PM CST | Thunderstorm Wind 56 | Lauderdale, MS | |
| Mar 12, 4:50 PM CST | Hail 1 | Lauderdale, 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 12:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 134 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
- 3 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -51 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 688 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 48 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 287 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 430 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMEI 122212
TORMEI
MSC075-122245-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
412 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 445 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
...LAUDERDALE
AT 410 PM CST RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR MERIDIAN
MISSISSIPPI MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.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, Mar 12, 1:34 PM CST, 2 hours 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 130 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL... NORTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 5 PM... JACKSON RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF HAZLEHURST IN COPIAH COUNTY AND WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL PASS JUST TO THE WEST OF CRYSTAL SPRINGS IN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES AND MAY P?RODUCE SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH... AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 2:04 PM CST, 2 hours 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS 200 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CST... AT 200 PM VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED FROM SOUTHERN LEAKE COUNTY TO JUST NORTHWEST OF PHILIDELPHIA. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND SOME SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS. RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER NORTHCENTRAL CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI AND EXTREME WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA. ALTHOUGH NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN DETECTED OR REPORTED THE POTENTIAL REMAINS FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EiAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. PERSONS IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER. <<
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 2:38 PM CST, 1 hour 34 minutes before
TTAA0 KJAN 122038 SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 240 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR A SMALL PORTION OF NORTH...WEST CENTRAL...AND SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...BUT STILL REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 5 PM... TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI CARROLL GRENADA LEFLORE SUNFLOWER WASHINGTON IN CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI CLAIBORNE HUMPHREYS ISSAQUENA JEFFERSON SHARKEY WARREN IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI ADAMS WILKINSON
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 3:30 PM CST, 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 330 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988 ...FREEZE WARNING FOR SUNDAY NIGHT... A COLD FRONT ENTERED EXTREME NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON. DRIER AIR BEHIND THIS FRONT WILL PUT AN END TO THE RAIN AND THUNDER- STORM ACTIVITY OVER MISSISSIPPI EARLY TONIGHT EXCEPT IN THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST...WHERE THUNDERSTORMS COULD LINGER UNTIL MIDNIGHT OR SO. ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLDER TONIGHT...THE MERCURY SHOULD REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING. LOWS WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 30S IN THE NORTH TO NEAR 50 ALONG THE COAST. HOWEVER...A MUCH STRONGER SURGE OF COLD AIR WILL SPREAD OVER THE STATE SUNDAY NIGHT AS A CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BUILDS SOUTHWARD INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THIS WILL RESULT IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI SUNDAY NIGHT. EVEN PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE STATE COULD EXPERIENCE READINGS NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW FREEZING LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. ONE FACTOR WHICH COULD WORK IN OUR FAVOR IS A DISTURBANCE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE THAT COULD PRODUCE SOME CLOUDS OVER THE STATE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. IF THAT HAPPENS...SOME AREAS COULD BE SPARED FROM A FREEZE...OR AT LEAST FROM A HARD FREEZE. HOWEVER...IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL HOW MUCH CLOUDINESS THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ABLE TO GENERATE. PEOPLE IN MISSISSIPPI SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR WEATHER FORECASTS THIS WEEKEND...AND SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE NECESSARY PROTECTIVE MEASURES BY SQUNDAY NIGHT. PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T PLANTED GARDENS YET MIGHT WANT TO HOLD OFF FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
Special weather statement, Mar 12, 3:32 PM CST, 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS 330 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988 ...FREEZE WARNING FOR SUNDAY NIGHT... A COLD FRONT ENTERED EXTREME NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON. DRIER AIR BEHIND THIS FRONT WILL PUT AN END TO THE RAIN AND THUNDER- STORM ACTIVITY OVER MISSISSIPPI EARLY TONIGHT EXCEPT IN THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST...WHERE THUNDERSTORMS COULD LINGER UNTIL MIDNIGHT OR SO. ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLDER TONIGHT...THE MERCURY SHOULD REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING. LOWS WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 30S IN THE NORTH TO NEAR 50 ALONG THE COAST. HOWEVER...A MUCH STRONGER SURGE OF COLD AIR WILL SPREAD OVER THE STATE SUNDAY NIGHT AS A CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BUILDS SOUTHWARD INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THIS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI SUNDAY NIGHT. EVEN PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE STATE COULD EXPERIENCE READINGS NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW FREEZING LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. ONE FACTOR WHICH COULD WORK IN OUR FAVOR IS A DISTURBANCE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE THAT COULD PRODUCE SOME CLOUDS OVER THE STATE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. IF THAT HAPPENS...SOME AREAS COULD BE SPARED FROM A FREEZE...OR AT LEAST FROM A HARD FREEZE. HOWEVER...IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL HOW MUCH CLOUDINESS THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ABLE TO GENERATE. PEOPLE IN MISSISSIPPI SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR WEATHER FORECASTS THIS WEEKEND...AND SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE NECESSARY PRSOTECTIVE MEASURES BY SUNDAY NIGHT. PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T PLANTED GARDENS YET MIGHT WANT TO HOLD OFF FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
Local storm report, Mar 12, 3:40 PM CST, 32 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
335 PM CST SAT MAR 12 1988
325 PM CST...7 SSE DEKALB MISSISSIPPI MARBLE SIZE HAIL LOUD ROAR
TO NORTH. BY COOP OBSERVER.The office that day
Everything else NWS Jackson, MS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 2:08 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Rankin | 37 min |
| Mar 12, 2:17 PM CST | Tornado Warning | JAN | Rankin | 28 min |
| Mar 12, 2:30 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Neshoba, Newton | 45 min |
| Mar 12, 2:49 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Kemper, Noxubee | 41 min |
| Mar 12, 3:24 PM CST | Tornado Warning | JAN | Kemper | 36 min |
| Mar 12, 4:04 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Lauderdale | 41 min |
| Mar 12, 4:29 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Clarke | 46 min |
| Mar 12, 4:45 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Lauderdale | 30 min |
| Mar 12, 5:14 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Clarke | 31 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Mississippi, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988
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.