Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 25, NWS Jackson, MS

March 4, 1989Warren County, Mississippi

NWS Jackson, MS issued this tornado warning at Mar 4, 1989, 5:32 PM CST for Warren County, Mississippi. It was in force for 28 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 4, 1989, 5:32 PM CST (23:32 UTC)
Expired
Mar 4, 1989, 6:00 PM CST
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS Jackson, MS
Area
Whole counties

County Warren 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 4, 5:55 PM CSTHail 1.75Warren, 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, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 73 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 KJAN 042334
TORJAN
MSC149-050000-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
532 PM CST SAT MAR 4 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  600 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI
          ...SOUTHERN WARREN
 
AT 530 PM...JACKSON RADAR INDICATED A TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM NOW MOVING
INTO SOUTHWEST WARREN COUNTY OR ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF VICKSBURG.
THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A POWERFUL TORNADO. IT WILL MOVE
NEAR YOKENA AND THEN MOVE NORTHEAST ALONG THE RIVER. THE WARNING WILL
LIKELY BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THE VICKSBURG AREA AS THE STORM MOVES
INTO THE AREA.
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  MOVE QUICKLY TO UNDERGROUND SHELTER IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.
AVOID WINDOWS.  LEAVE CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A STURDY BUILDING.
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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, 1:35 PM CST, 3 hours 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
125 PM CST SAT MAR 4 1989

AT 125 PM CST...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
NEWTON, MISSISSIPPI AND 10 MILES NORTHEAST THROUGH EAST OF UNION,
MISSISSIPPI AS WELL AS 10 MILES WEST OF DE KALB, MISSISSIPPI.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOU.

NUMEROUS OTHER THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUED
OVER MOST OF EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI MAINLY BETWEEN HATTIESBURG,
CARTHAGE, AND COLUMBUS INTO WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA.

ISOLATED RAINSHOWERS CONTINUED NEAR JACKSON.
Special weather statement, Mar 4, 3:57 PM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
350 PM CST SAT MAR 4 1989

   ...HEVAY RAINFALL TONIGHT AND SUNDAY...THEN MUCH COLDER...

A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM HAS DEVELOPED MUCH FURTHER SOUTH THAN WAS EARLIER
ANTICIPATED ALONG A COLD FRONT THAT STRETCHED FROM NEAR MEMPHIS TO
LAKE CHARLES TO BROWNSVILLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER TONIGHT AS THE LOW NEAR BROWNSVILLE RACES NORTHEAST. ALSO...A
VERY POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL BE APPROACHING FROM WEST TEXAS.

THE COMBINATION OF ALL THESE WEATHER FEATURES HAS RESULTED IN HEAVY
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. THESE STORMS
WILL INCREASE AND NUMBERS AND INTENSITY AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE
STATE TONIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE. ALSO...
HEAVY RAINFALL OVER NEARLY SATURATED GROUNDS ARE ANTICIPATED. THUS...
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THAT PORTION OF MISSISSIPPI
ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE-20.

THE SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO BE LOCATED NEAR MCCOMB
BY SUNRISE SUNDAY MONRING AND WILL MOVE NORTHEAST OUT OF THE STATE
SUNDAY AFTERNOON. MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
THE DAY SUNDAY.

BEHIND THE FRONT...VERY COLD AIR WILL INVADE THE STATE. THE
PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY CHANGE OVER TO SNOW IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI
BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. LIGHT SNOW IS POSSIBLE AS FAR SOUTH AS INTERSTATE
20 SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. IT APPEARS THAT ALTHIUGH THIS IS A VERY
POWERFUL SYSTEM...THAT SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE LIGHT. SOME MEASURABLE
AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI-TENNESSEE BORDER
BY MONDAY MORNING.

ANOTHER FACTOR WITH THIS STORM IS MORE ARCTIC AIR THAT WILL PUT A REAL
CHILL ON THE STATE...ESPECIALLY SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. WITH NORTHERLY
WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH EXPECTED...WIND CHILLS WILL FALL CLOSE TO ZERO
ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL SECTIONS BY MONDAY MORNING.

SOME RATHER DRAMATIC zWEATHER CHANGES WILL BE TAKING PLACE ACROSS
MISSISSIPPI DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS AND ALL MISSISSIPPIANS ARE URGED
TO LISTEN TO THE LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Mar 4, 4:35 PM CST, 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
425 PM CST SAT MAR 4 1989

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 EFFECTIVE UNTIL 10:00PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH EFFECTIVE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING...

AT 425 PM...ONE VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS OCCURRING IN EAST
CENTRAL LOUISIANA 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF ALEXANDRIA MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHERWISE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP OVER
MOST SECTIONS OF MISSISSIPPI...EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
AND IN WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA

MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Mar 4, 4:45 PM CST, 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
 440 PM CST SAT MAR 4 1989

 TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM THIS EVENING.
     FLASH FLOOD FOR TONIGHT ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20

AT 430 PM NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS OCCURRING IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI OR
EXTREME WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA.  HOWEVER NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN
SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS THE AREA.  THE THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN SHOWERS
WERE LOCATED EAST OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR TUPELO TO KOSCIUSKO TO NEAR
HATTISBURG.  THE THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST
AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND THESE STORMS COULD
BECOME SEVERE.  PERSONS LIVING IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND
BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED OR THREATENING WEATHER
APPROACHES. <<
Special weather statement, Mar 4, 4:48 PM CST, 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MERIDIAN MS
 440 PM CST SAT MAR 4 1989

 TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM THIS EVENING.
     FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 20

AT 430 PM NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS OCCURRING IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI OR
EXTREME WEST CENTRAL ALABAMA.  HOWEVER NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN
SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS THE AREA.  THE THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN SHOWERS
WERE LOCATED EAST OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR TUPELO TO KOSCIUSKO TO NEAR
HATTISBURG.  THE THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST
AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND THESE STORMS COULD
BECOME SEVERE.  PERSONS LIVING IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND
BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED OR THREATENING WEATHER
APPROACHES. <<
Special weather statement, Mar 4, 5:07 PM CST, 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
505 PM CST SAT MAR 4 1989

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17 EFFECTIVE UNTIL 10:00PM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH EFFECTIVE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING...

AT 500 PM...A VERY INTENSE AND POSSIBLE TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WAS
LOCATED IN EXTREME EAST CENTRAL LOUISIANA ABOUT 20 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST
OF PORT GIBSON. THIS STORM IS MOVING NORTH-NORTHEAST AND ON ITS PRESENT
TRACK..IT WILL MOVE THROUGH NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND REMAIN WEST OF
MISSISSIPPI RIVER FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. HOWEVER...THESE TYPE STORMS
CAN TURN TO THE RIGHT...SO RESIDENTS IN CLAIBORNE AND WARREN COUNTY
SHOULD STAY WEATHER CONSCIOUS DURING THE NEXT HOUR OR SO.

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, 1:19 PM CSTTornado WarningJANNewton26 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.