Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 1989

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Little Rock, AR

March 30, 1989Prairie County, Arkansas

NWS Little Rock, AR issued this tornado warning at Mar 30, 1989, 5:31 PM CST for Prairie County, Arkansas. It was in force for 19 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 30, 1989, 5:31 PM CST (23:31 UTC)
Expired: Mar 30, 1989, 5:50 PM CST
In force: 19 min
Issued by: NWS Little Rock, AR
Area: Whole counties

County Prairie County, AR

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 30, 5:40 PM CST	Thunderstorm Wind 0	Prairie, AR

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

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 146 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 3583 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 11 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 45 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLIT 302332
TORLIT
ARC117-310000-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
531 PM CST THU MAR 30 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LITTLE ROCK HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  600 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN CENTRAL ARKANSAS
          ...PRAIRIE
 
AT 531 PM...A TORNADO WAS SIGHTED 4 MILES NORTH OF DES ARC MOVING TO
THE EAST AT 35 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 30, 12:53 PM CST, 4 hours 38 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1250 PM CST THU MAR 30 1989

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WEST AND
CENTRAL ARKANSAS UNTIL 4 PM...

AT 1245 PM...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ACROSS PORTIONS OF
EXTREME NORTHWEST ARKANSAS IN THE VICINITY OF A COLD FRONT BEGINNING
TO MOVE INTO THE AREA. THE COLD FRONT STRETCHES SOUTHWARD TO THE
EXTREME SOUTHEAST CORNER OF OKLAHOMA.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP DURING THE NEXT HOUR
NEAR THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN WESTERN ARKANSAS AS THE HEATING OF THE
DAY INCREASINGLY PLAYS A ROLE IN THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. TEMPERATURES
WERE NEARING 80 DEGREES IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS AT NOON.

34

Special weather statement, Mar 30, 1:06 PM CST, 4 hours 25 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT SMITH AR
 100 PM CST THU MAR 30 1989

 ..A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM CST
THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR PARTS OF EXTREME EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
MUCH OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS...

A PART OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED, SPECIFICALLY
THAT PART OF THE WATCH AREA NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS
TO PARIS TEXAS. IN EXTREME EASTERN OKLAHOMA SEQUOYAH COUNTY IS NO LONGER
IN THE WATCH AREA.

AT 1255 PM CST FT SMITH RADAR INDICATED A 50 MILE WIDE BAND OF LIGHT SHOWERS
AND A FEW THUNDERSHOWERS FROM NEAR MONETTE MISSOURI TO 20 MILES NORTHEAST
OF MCALESTER OKLAHOMA. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
LIGT TO MODERATE RAIN WAS OCCURING WITH THIS LINE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSHOWERS.

Special weather statement, Mar 30, 1:37 PM CST, 3 hours 54 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT SMITH AR
135 PM CST THU MAR 30 1989

 ..A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM CST
THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON MUCH OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR OKLAHOMA. IN
EXTREME EASTERN OKLAHOMA LEFLORE COUNTY IS NO LONGER UNDER A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH.

AT 135 PM CST FT SMITH RADAR INDICATED A 50 MILE WIDE BAND OF LIGHT SHOWERS
AND A FEW THUNDERSHOWERS FROM 20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MONETTE MISSOURI 20 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF FT SMITH ARKANSAS. MOVEMENT WAS EAT AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. LIGHT
MODERATE RAIN WAS OCCURING WITH THIS BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS.

Local storm report, Mar 30, 1:45 PM CST, 3 hours 46 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT SMITH, AR
142 PM CST THU MAR 30 1989

TIME        COUNTY       EVENT

1110        SEQUOYAH     DELAYED REPORT OF DIME SIZE HAIL ALONG THE
                         SEQUOYAH ADAIR COUNTY LINE NEAR BUNCH OKLAHOMA.

Special weather statement, Mar 30, 2:48 PM CST, 2 hours 43 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT SMITH AR
 248 PM CST THU MAR 30 1989

 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CST THIS
THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR A PORTION OF WEST CENTRAL AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS.

A PORTION OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED, SPECIFICALLY
THAT PART OF THE WATCH AREA NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM HARRISON ARKANSAS
TO 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF TEXARKANA ARKANSAS. IN WESTERN ARKANSAS
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR SEBASTIAN CRAWFORD
MADISON WASHINGTON AND FRANKLIN  COUNTIES.

AT 235 PM CST FT SMITH RADAR INDICATED A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN YELL
COUNTY ARKANSAS ABOUT 30 MILE NORTHWEST OF HOT SPRINGS ARKANSAS. ALSO INDICATED
WAS A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN EXTREME WESTERN PERRY COUNTY ARKANSAS. MOVEMENT
ON BOTH THESE STORMS WAS EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

ELSEWHERE A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS WERE LCOATED IN A 50 MILE WIDE BAD FROM 10 MILES
EAST OF HARRISON ARKANSAS TO 20 MILE SOUTH OF FT SMITH ARKANSAS. MOVEMENT
WAS EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR

Local storm report, Mar 30, 4:50 PM CST, 41 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
450 PM CST THU MAR 30 1989

242 PM...OLA IN YELL COUNTY...MARBLE SIZE HAIL. REPORT VIA OES.
350 PM...BIGELOW- PERRY COUNTY. 35-40 MPH WINDS. PEA SIZE HAIL.
                   REPORT VIA HAMS.
354 PM...BIGELOW- PERRY COUNTY. MARBLE SIZE HAIL. REPORTED BY HAMS.
355 PM...TOAD SUCK DAM- FAULKNER COUNTY.  60 MPH WINDS. REPORTED BY HAMS.
         IN CONWAY 4 FT DIAMETER TREE SNAPPED AND FELL ON HOUSE AT
         MITCHELL ST AND PRINCE ST (NEAR CONWAY HIGH SCHOOL)
409 PM...LAKE CONWAY- FAULKNER COUNTY. GOLF BALL HAIL. HEAVY RAIN.
              REPORTED BY HAMS.
409 PM...1 1/2 NORTHWEST OF MAYFLOWER-FAULKNER COUNTY. 1.25 INCH HAIL.
         SKYWARN SPOTTER.
413 PM...MAYFLOWER- FAULKNER COUNTY. 3/4 INCH HAIL. REPORTED BY OES.
418 PM...EASTERN LAKE CONWAY--FAULKNER COUNTY. 3/4 TO 1 INCH HAIL.
         REPORTED BY NWS EMPLOYEE.
425 PM...VILONIA- FAULKER COUNTY. 50 MPH WINDS. MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND VERY
         HEAVY RAINFALL. REPORT BY HAMS.
444 PM...AUSTIN- LONOKE COUNTY...3/4 INCH HAIL AT AUSTIN. REPORT BY HAMS.
447 PM...1 MILES WEST OF CABOT- LONOKE COUNTY..GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AND
         HEAVY RAIN. REPORT BY HAMS.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Little Rock, AR issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 30, 2:37 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Perry, Yell	53 min
Mar 30, 3:20 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Conway	40 min
Mar 30, 3:28 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Perry	47 min
Mar 30, 3:47 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Faulkner	53 min
Mar 30, 4:10 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Cleburne	65 min
Mar 30, 4:18 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Pulaski	42 min
Mar 30, 4:45 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Lonoke	45 min
Mar 30, 4:55 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Prairie, White	50 min
Mar 30, 5:35 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Woodruff	40 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 1989 Every tornado warning in 1989 Tornadoes 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.