Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 1990
Tornado Warning 3, NWS Little Rock, AR
NWS Little Rock, AR issued this tornado warning at May 16, 1990, 7:27 PM CDT for Union County, Arkansas. It was in force for 63 min. 3 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
- May 16, 1990, 7:27 PM CDT (00:27 UTC)
- Expired
- May 16, 1990, 8:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 63 min
- Issued by
- NWS Little Rock, AR
- Area
- Whole counties
County Union 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 7:45 PM CDT | Hail 2.75 | Union, AR | |
| May 16, 7:45 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Union, AR | |
| May 16, 7:49 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Union, 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
Longview/Gregg, TX (KGGG), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 208 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
- 2570 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -8 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1057 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 48 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 169 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 303 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 4.1
- Supercell composite
- 18.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KLIT 170027 TORLIT ARC139-170130- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 727 PM CDT WED MAY 16 1990 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LITTLE ROCK HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS ...UNION COUNTY AT 725 PM...RADAR SHOWED A TORNADO TO THE WEST OF THE EL DORADO METRO AREA MOVING TO THE EAST AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR. LARGE POWER LINES HAVE BEEN DOWNED TO THE WEST OF EL DORADO. 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. 25
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, May 16, 2:45 PM CDT, 4 hours 42 minutes before
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
Special weather statement, May 16, 3:42 PM CDT, 3 hours 45 minutes before
OKZ020-013-ARZ001-004-007-162145- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT SMITH AR 341 PM CDT WED MAY 16 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM FOR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA... RADAR AT 340 PM CDT SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM JOPLIN MISSOURI SOUTHWEST INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA ACROSS TULSA TO 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF MCALESTER OKLAHOMA. MOVEMENT OF THE LINE WAS SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH WITH STORM CELLS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS LINE WILL MOVING INTO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF ARKANSAS BY 430 PM. PERSONS IN NORT5HEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SHOULD LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FOR THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN AND DEADLY LIGHTNING.
Special weather statement, May 16, 4:06 PM CDT, 3 hours 21 minutes before
ARZALL-162300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 405 PM CDT WED MAY 16 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS UNTIL 8 PM... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 10 PM FOR WEST AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS... STRONG AND POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO AND TOWARD ARKANSAS. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED ACROSS SOUTHWEST MISSOURI...EXTREME NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA MOVING TO THE EAST AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR. A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST TEXAS WAS MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE OCCURRED IN THIS CLUSTER. AS THE NIGHT GOES ON...STRONG AND POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMSV MAY AFFECT THE ENTIRE STATE. ARKANSANS SHOULD LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. 25
Special weather statement, May 16, 4:49 PM CDT, 2 hours 38 minutes before
ARZALL-162245- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 448 PM CDT WED MAY 16 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS TIL 8 PM... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR WEST AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS TIL 10 PM... A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST... INTO THE EXTREME NORTHWEST CORNER OF ARKANSAS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED ALONG THE LINE...WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS HAVING BEEN ISSUED BY THE WEATHER SERVICE OFFICES IN SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI...TULSA OKLAHOMA AND FORT SMITH ARKANSAS. A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS WAS PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED BY THE WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN SHREVEPORT. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR. THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER CONTINUES TO BE HIGH OVER ARKANSAS TONIGHT. WITH THE APPROACH OF THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WEST AND NORTHWEST SECTIONS...AND THE CLUSTER OVER THE SOUTHWEST PORTION...ARKANSANS SHOULD TAKE COVER IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. 25
Special weather statement, May 16, 5:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
ARZALL-162345- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 545 PM CDT WED MAY 16 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS TIL 8 PM... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES FOR WEST AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS TIL 10 PM... A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LYING ACROSS THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF ARKANSAS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR...WHILE THE LINE WAS TRANSLATING TO THE SOUTHEAST AROUND 15 MILES AN HOUR. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS CONTINUE IN EFFECT FOR COUNTIES ACROSS NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. A LARGE...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ACROSS SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NEAR MAGNOLIA. THE SHREVEPORT WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING ON THIS VERY DANGEROUS STORM...WHICH WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR. RESIDENTS OF UNION AND OUACHITA COUNTIES SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR THIS THUNDERSTORM WHICH MAY CONTINUE EASTWARD INTO THESE COUNTIES. VERY WARM...MOIST...UNSTABLE AIR CONTINUES OVER ALL OF ARKANSAS...WITH SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL FOR THE ENTIRE STATE. ARKANSANS SHOULD STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. 25
The office that day
Everything else NWS Little Rock, AR issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 8:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Searcy, Van Buren | 69 min |
| May 16, 8:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Montgomery | 58 min |
| May 16, 8:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Independence | 62 min |
| May 16, 9:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Ashley, Bradley, Union | 68 min |
| May 16, 9:48 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Ashley | 3 hr |
| May 16, 9:59 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Union | 3 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes in 1990
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.