Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Warnings in 1988

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Jackson, MS

January 19, 1988Madison County, Mississippi

NWS Jackson, MS issued this tornado warning at Jan 19, 1988, 10:20 AM CST for Madison County, Mississippi. It was in force for 40 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
Jan 19, 1988, 10:20 AM CST (16:20 UTC)
Expired
Jan 19, 1988, 11:00 AM CST
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Jackson, MS
Area
Whole counties

County Madison 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
Jan 19, 10:42 AM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Madison, 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, 4.3 hours before the alert went out and 35 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 12:00Z on 1988-01-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1224 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 12:00Z on 1988-01-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 296 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1224 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
660 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
296 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
349 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.1
Supercell composite
10.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KJAN 191620
TORJAN
MSC089-191700-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1020 AM CST TUE JAN 19 1988
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 AM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
          ...MADISON
 
AT 1018 PM...RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
FLORA MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. PRESENT PATH SHOULD TAKE THE
POSSIBLE TORNADO UP THE BIG BLACK RIVER.
 
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 THVE 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, Jan 19, 6:02 AM CST, 4 hours 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
600 AM CST TUE JAN 19 1988

        ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTH...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL
              AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 1 PM...

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER THREE FOR NORTH MISSISSIPPI EXPIRED AT 6 AM.
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER FOUR IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR NORTH...EXTREME WEST-
CENTRAL...AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 1 PM.

AT 6 AM...A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE...
SOUTHWESTWARD THROUGH EASTERN ARKANSAS TO NEAR MONROE, LOUISIANA...
AND ON SOUTHWESTWARD INTO EXTREME SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

THIS BAND OF STORMS WILL BE MOVING EASTWARD...AND WILL BEGIN TO EFFECT
NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.  FARTHER SOUTH...
THE BAND WILL BE MUCH SLOWER TO MOVE EAST.  ALTHOUGH SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL EFFECT THE AREA BETWEEN VICKSBURG AND NATCHEZ DURING
THE NEXT FEW HOURS...THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL REMAIN
OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI UNTIL AT LEAST THE MIDDLE OF THE MORNING.
FARTHER SOUTH...THE GREATEST THREAT TO THE AREAS SOUTH OF VICKSBURG
WILL BE AFTER MID-MORNING.

THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES WILL BE HIGH IN
MISSISSIPPI TODAY.  IF YOU ARE IN OR NEAR THE TORNADO WATCH
AREA...BE SURE AND LISTEN TO LATEST STATEMENTS AND BE PREPARED TO
TAKE QUICK ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.

ALSO...SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES WILL LIKELY BE EXTENDED FARTHER EAST
AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...SO PEOPLE EAST OF THIS TORNADO WATCH AREA
WILL LIKELY SEE WATCHES FOR THEIR AREAS LATER IN THE DAY.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 6:32 AM CST, 3 hours 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
630 AM CST TUE JAN 19 1988

        ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTH...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL
              AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 1 PM...

AT 630 AM...A 60 MILE WIDE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR
MEMPHIS TENNESSEE...SOUTHWESTWARD THROUGH EASTERN ARKANSAS...CENTRAL
LOUISIANA...INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

THE STRONGEST STORMS IN MISSISSIPPI WERE NEAR CLARKSDALE.

ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSHOWERS OF LESSER INTENSITY WERE
NUMEROUS FROM YAZOO CITY TO OXFORD...AND LIGHT SHOWERS WERE SCATTERED
BETWEEN MCCOMB AND LAUREL.

THE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM MEMPHIS TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS WAS MOVING
ONLY VERY SLOWLY TO THE EAST WHILE INDIVIDUAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WERE RACING NORTHEAST AT OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 7:27 AM CST, 2 hours 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
725 AM CST TUE JAN 19 1988

        ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTH...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL
              AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 1 PM...

AT 725 AM...A 60 MILE WIDE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR
MEMPHIS TENNESSEE...SOUTHWESTWARD THROUGH EASTERN ARKANSAS...CENTRAL
LOUISIANA.

THE STRONGEST STORMS IN MISSISSIPPI WERE IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE
STATE.
ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSHOWERS OF LESSER INTENSITY WERE
NUMEROUS OVER MOST OF MISSISSIPPI AND EXTENDED INTO ADJACENT STATES.

THE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM MEMPHIS TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS WAS MOVING
ONLY VERY SLOWLY TO DTHE EAST WHILE INDIVIDUAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WERE RACING NORTHEAST AT OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 8:34 AM CST, 1 hour 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
825 AM CST TUE JAN 19 1988

        ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTH...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL
              AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 1 PM...

AT 825 AM...A 20 MILE WIDE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR
MEMPHIS TENNESSEE...SOUTHWESTWARD THROUGH EASTERN ARKANSAS...CENTRAL
LOUISIANA.

THE STRONGEST STORMS IN MISSISSIPPI WERE IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE
STATE.
ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSHOWERS OF LESSER INTENSITY WERE
NUMEROUS OVER MOST OF MISSISSIPPI AND EXTENDED INTO ADJACENT STATES.

THE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM MEMPHIS TO SOUTHEAST TEXAS WAS MOVING
ONLY VERY SLOWLY TO THE EAST WHILE INDIVIDUAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WERE RACING NORTHEAST AT OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 8:54 AM CST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
852 AM CST TUE JAN 19 1988

        ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTH...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL
              AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 1 PM...

AT 849 AM...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN BOLIVAR COUNTY
SOUTHWEST OF ROSEDALE. THIS STORM IS MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE NORTHEAST AT
50 TO 60 MPH AND WILL PASS THROUGH ROSEDALE AND SHELBY.

AS THE STORM MOVES THROUGH NORTHWEST BOLIVAR COUNTY DURING THE NEXT
30 MINUTES...GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH...PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL AND
VERY HEAVY RAINS CAN BE EXPECTED. THE STORM WILL BE MOVING INTO
COAHOMA COUNTY AROUND 915 AM.
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 9:47 AM CST, 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
935 AM CST TUE JAN 19 1988

        ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR NORTH...EXTREME WEST-CENTRAL
              AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 1 PM...

AT 930 AM...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM EAST OF VICKSBURG
TO NEAR FAYETTE. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH
AND WILL BE MOVING INTO WESTERN HINDS AND YAZOO COUNTIES DURING THE
NEXT HOUR. WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL..AND
TORRENTIAL RAINS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN THE DELTA FROM GREENVILLE TO
EAST OF MEMPHIS. THE STORMS HAVE WEAKENED SLIG'HTLY DURING THE LAST
HALF HOUR.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 19, 9:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANBolivar30 min
Jan 19, 9:16 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANWashington44 min
Jan 19, 9:50 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANBolivar25 min
Jan 19, 9:55 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANHinds, Yazoo50 min
Jan 19, 10:09 AM CSTTornado WarningJANHinds21 min
Jan 19, 10:48 AM CSTTornado WarningJANHolmes, Yazoo42 min
Jan 19, 11:04 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANBolivar, Sunflower26 min
Jan 19, 11:10 AM CSTTornado WarningJANAttala35 min
Jan 19, 11:36 AM CSTTornado WarningJANSunflower, Tallahatchie24 min
Jan 19, 11:43 AM CSTTornado WarningJANWebster47 min
Jan 19, 11:43 AM CSTTornado WarningJANMontgomery16 min
Jan 19, 12:20 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANScott30 min
Jan 19, 1:40 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANJasper, Newton35 min
Jan 19, 2:54 PM CSTTornado WarningJANJasper51 min
Jan 19, 3:21 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANLauderdale39 min
Jan 19, 3:40 PM CSTTornado WarningJANLauderdale40 min
Jan 19, 3:50 PM CSTTornado WarningJANKemper25 min
Jan 19, 4:31 PM CSTTornado WarningJANJones29 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.