Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 11, NWS Memphis, TN

June 5, 1994Greene County, Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Jun 5, 1994, 6:21 PM CDT for Greene County, Arkansas. It was in force for 39 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 5, 1994, 6:21 PM CDT (23:21 UTC)
Expired
Jun 5, 1994, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Whole counties

County Greene County, AR

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 153 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 1994-06-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1054 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 1994-06-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 2 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1054 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-48 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
920 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
7 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
2 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
30 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 KMEM 052320
TORMEM
ARC055-060000-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
621 PM CDT SUN JUN 5 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  700 PM CDT
FOR PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS......
 
IN EAST ARKANSAS
 
   ...GREENE COUNTY
 
AT 618 PM DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A PROBABLE TORNADO ABOUT TWO
MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF WALCOTT IN SOUTHWESTERN GREENE COUNTY. THE
THUNDERSTORM WITH WHICH THE POTENTIAL TORNADO IS ASSOCIATED WAS DRIFTING
SLOWLY TOWARD THE EAST NORTHEAST. THAT MOVEMENT WILL TAKE THE STORM NEAR
WALCOTT BEFORE 645 PM.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUrILDING.  AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH
OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

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, Jun 5, 4:16 PM CDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
ARZ009-018-026-052215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
416 PM CDT SUN JUN 5 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...

AN AREA OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS THAT WAS OVER EXTREME SOUTH MISSOURI AT
310 PM WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF ARKANSAS AND WILL MOVE
INTO THAT AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BOTH DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS
AND LARGE HAIL.  THE STORMS WERE FORMING ALONG A WIND SHIFT LINE THAT
DEVELOPED FROM INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS FARTHER NORTH IN MISSOURI.  THE
WIND SHIFT LINE WILL PUSH SOUTHEAST INTO GREENE AND CLAY COUNTIES OF
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND INTO THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL BEFORE 500 PM THIS
EVENING.

RESIDENTS OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS SHOULD KEEP POSTED ON LOCAL WEATHER
DEVELOPMENTS AND STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR UPDATES ON THE
THREATENING WEATHER.
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 4:16 PM CDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
ARZ009-018-026-052215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
416 PM CDT SUN JUN 5 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...

AN AREA OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS THAT WAS OVER EXTREME SOUTH MISSOURI AT
310 PM WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF ARKANSAS AND WILL MOVE
INTO THAT AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BOTH DESTRUCTIVE WIND GUSTS
AND LARGE HAIL.  THE STORMS WERE FORMING ALONG A WIND SHIFT LINE THAT
DEVELOPED FROM INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS FARTHER NORTH IN MISSOURI.  THE
WIND SHIFT LINE WILL PUSH SOUTHEAST INTO GREENE AND CLAY COUNTIES OF
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND INTO THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL BEFORE 500 PM THIS
EVENING.

RESIDENTS OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS SHOULD KEEP POSTED ON LOCAL WEATHER
DEVELOPMENTS AND STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR UPDATES ON THE
THREATENING WEATHER.
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 5:16 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031-
033-052315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
516 PM CDT SUN JUN 5 1994

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHERN LAFAYETTE COUNTY EXPIRED AT
445 PM CDT...

AT 505 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO INDICATED
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI...NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...MIDDLE TENNESSEE...AND NORTHERN
ALABAMA. A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST
OKTIBEHHA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. ANOTHER STRONG
THUNDERSTORM IN EASTERN LAFAYETTE COUNTY HAD WEAKENED ONLY SLIGHTLY IN
INTENSITY DURING THE PAST HOUR. THESE TWO STORMS MAY BE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...AND PROBABLE HAIL.

THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING VERY SLOWLY TO THE NORTHEAST
AT AROUND 10 MILES AN HOUR. THEREFORE...LOCALIZED URBAN AND SMALL STREAM
FLOODING IS A POSSIBILITY WHERE HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURS.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 5:16 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031-
033-052315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
516 PM CDT SUN JUN 5 1994

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHERN LAFAYETTE COUNTY EXPIRED AT
445 PM CDT...

AT 505 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO INDICATED
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI...NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...MIDDLE TENNESSEE...AND NORTHERN
ALABAMA. A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST
OKTIBEHHA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. ANOTHER STRONG
THUNDERSTORM IN EASTERN LAFAYETTE COUNTY HAD WEAKENED ONLY SLIGHTLY IN
INTENSITY DURING THE PAST HOUR. THESE TWO STORMS MAY BE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...AND PROBABLE HAIL.

THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING VERY SLOWLY TO THE NORTHEAST
AT AROUND 10 MILES AN HOUR. THEREFORE...LOCALIZED URBAN AND SMALL STREAM
FLOODING IS A POSSIBILITY WHERE HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURS.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 6:06 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031-
033-060015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
606 PM CDT SUN JUN 5 1994

AT 600 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO INDICATED
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED
IN WESTERN LOWNDES COUNTY. THIS STORM MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY
HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND POSSIBLE
SMALL HAIL. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO THE CITY OF COLUMBUS WITHIN
THE NEXT HOUR.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SLOWLY TO THE NORTHEAST AT
AROUND 10 MILES AN HOUR. THEREFORE...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS
A POSSIBILITY WHERE HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURS.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

NNNN
Special weather statement, Jun 5, 6:06 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031-
033-060015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS
606 PM CDT SUN JUN 5 1994

AT 600 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO INDICATED
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED
IN WESTERN LOWNDES COUNTY. THIS STORM MAY BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY
HEAVY RAIN...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND POSSIBLE
SMALL HAIL. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO THE CITY OF COLUMBUS WITHIN
THE NEXT HOUR.

THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SLOWLY TO THE NORTHEAST AT
AROUND 10 MILES AN HOUR. THEREFORE...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS
A POSSIBILITY WHERE HEAVY RAINFALL OCCURS.

STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

NNNN

The office that day

Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 5, 4:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGMississippi31 min
Jun 5, 5:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGClay, Greene41 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994

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.