Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 24, NWS Jackson, MS

March 4, 1989Newton County, Mississippi

NWS Jackson, MS issued this tornado warning at Mar 4, 1989, 1:19 PM CST for Newton County, Mississippi. It was in force for 26 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 4, 1989, 1:19 PM CST (19:19 UTC)
Expired
Mar 4, 1989, 1:45 PM CST
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Jackson, MS
Area
Whole counties

County Newton County, MS

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 12:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 91 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 1989-03-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 6 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 1989-03-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 233 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
6 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-126 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
542 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
233 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
316 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMEI 041920
TORMEI
MSC101-041945-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
119 PM CST SAT MAR 4 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MERIDIAN HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  145 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
          ...NEWTON
 
AT 115 PM CST RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 15 MILES SW OF
NEWTON. THE STORM WAS MOVING THE NORTHEAST AT 30MILES AN HOUR.
 
 
 
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 4, 8:52 AM CST, 4 hours 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
850 AM CST SAT MAR 4 1989

   ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE OVER MISSISSIPPI BY TONIGHT...

A STRONG COLD FRONT EXTENDED THIS MORNING FROM NORTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS
SOUTHWEST TO NEAR LONGVIEW AND SAN ANTONIO TEXAS. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
IS PRESENTLY DEVELOPING ON THIS FRONT IN SOUTHERN TEXAS. THIS LOW IS
EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY AND THEN MOVE NORTHEAST INTO NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
BY SUNSET AND THEN RACE NORTHEAST ACROSS NORTH MISSISSIPPI TONIGHT.

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS
OF LOUISIANA LATER TODAY AND THEN SPREAD INTO MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT.

ANOTHER CONCERN IS THE POSSIBILITY OF VERY HEVY RAINS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS
OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE STATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT. IN THE DELTA...WHERE RIVER FLOODING IS ALREADY OCCURRING...
RAINFALL TOTALS WILL APPROACH 3 INCHES IN SOME LOCATIONS.

AFTER THE FRONT PASSES THROUGH THE STATE TONIGHT...COLDER AIR WILL
BE USHERED IN BY BLUSTERY NORTHWESTERLY WINDS. THE AIR MAY BE COLD
ENOUGH IN THE NORTHWEST FOR THE RAIN TO CHANGE BRIEFLY TO SNOW ON
SUNDAY BEFORE THE PRECIPITATION ENDS.

THIS IS A RATHER COMPLEX...BUT SERIOUS WEATHER SITUATION. ALL
MISSISSIPPIANS...SHOULD REMAIN WEATHER CONSCIOUS THROUGHOUT THE DAY
AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED OR
THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED.
Special weather statement, Mar 4, 12:38 PM CST, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1229 PM CST SAT MAR 4 1989

AT 1229 PM CST...SCATTERED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE INCREASING OVER
EAST CENTRAL  MISSISSIPPI.

THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED IN NORTHEAST FOREST COUNTY
AND THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF SMITH COUNTY...NEAR MIZE.

INTENSITIES WERE INCREASING WITH MOVEMENT NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

AFTER THE FRONT PASSES THROUGH THE STATE TONIGHT...COLDER AIR WILL
BE USHERED IN BY BLUSTERY NORTHWESTERLY WINDS. THE AIR MAY BE COLD
ENOUGH IN THE NORTHWEST FOR THE RAIN TO CHANGE BRIEFLY TO SNOW ON
SUNDAY BEFORE THE PRECIPITATION ENDS.

THIS IS A RATHER COMPLEX...BUT SERIOUS WEApTHER SITUATION. ALL
MISSISSIPPIANS...SHOULD REMAIN WEATHER CONSCIOUS THROUGHOUT THE DAY
AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED OR
THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED.
Special weather statement, Mar 4, 12:40 PM CST, 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTED...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1229 PM CST SAT MAR 4 1989

AT 1229 PM CST...SCATTERED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE INCREASING OVEqR
EAST CENTRAL  MISSISSIPPI.

THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED IN NORTHEAST FOREST COUNTY
AND THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF SMITH COUNTY...NEAR MIZE.

INTENSITIES WERE INCREASING WITH MOVEMENT NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Mar 4, 1:09 PM CST, 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1250 PM CST SAT MAR 4 1989

   ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE OVER MISSISSIPPI BY TONIGHT...

A STRONG COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM NEAR LITTLE ROCK TO SHREVEPORT TO
HOUSTON. THE AIR HAS BEEN SO COLD BEHIND THE FRONT...THE FRONT HAS
SURGED MUCH FASTER SOUTHWARD THROUGH TEXAS THAN WAS EARLIER EXPECTED.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND EAST
MISSISSIPPI IN ASSOCIATION WITH AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING
THROUGH THE STATE. DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS...A FEW OF THESE
STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...BUT THEY SHOULD THEN MOVE INTO ALABAMA
LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE CLOSE TO NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI TONIGHT...
AND THEN BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY. THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NEAR
BROWNSVILLE WILL THEN RACE NORTHEAST TOWARD MISSISSIPPI. AS THE
LOW APPROACHES RAIN AND NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD ACROSS
THE STATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE.

HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE
STATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN ARE
POSSIBLE ACROSS EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON.

MUCH COLDER AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE STATE BEHIND THE FRONT AND THE RAIN
MAY CHANGE OVER TO SNOW IN THE NORTHWEST BEFORE THE PRECIPITATION ENDS.

THIS IS A RATHER COMPLEX...BUT SERIOUS WEATHER SITUATION. ALL
MISSISSIPPIANS...SHOULD REMAIN WEATHER CONSCIOUS THROUGHOUT THE DAY
AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED OR
THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 4, 12:03 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANScott27 min
Mar 4, 12:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANScott, Smith30 min
Mar 4, 5:32 PM CSTTornado WarningJANWarren28 min
Mar 4, 5:58 PM CSTTornado WarningJANWarren32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Mississippi, 1989Every tornado warning in 1989Tornadoes in 1989

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.