Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 1994
Tornado Warning 2, NWS Memphis, TN
NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Apr 15, 1994, 1:23 PM CDT for St. Francis County, Arkansas. It was in force for 22 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 15, 1994, 1:23 PM CDT (18:23 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 15, 1994, 1:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 22 min
- Issued by
- NWS Memphis, TN
- Area
- Whole counties
County St. Francis County, AR
The nearest sounding before it
Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 6.4 hours before the alert went out and 76 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
- 1448 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -187 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 614 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 45 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 256 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 229 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 3.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KMEM 151823 TORMEM ARC123-151845- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 123 PM CDT FRI APR 15 1994 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 145 PM CDT FOR PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...... IN EAST ARKANSAS ...ST.FRANCIS COUNTY AT 120 PM...THE ARKANSAS STATE POLICE REPORTED A TORNADO ON HIGHWAY 1 NEAR FORREST CITY. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES 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 BLANNKETS...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, Apr 15, 8:59 AM CDT, 4 hours 24 minutes before
TNZ001-002-019-048-049-088-MSZ001-007-010-ARZ009-018-028-035-036- 048-151500- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 859 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 90 IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON FOR NORTHEAST ARKANSAS ... NORTHWEST TENNESSEE AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL... ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 91 CONTINUES FOR MOST OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND FOR PARTS OF ALABAMA AND MISSISSIPPI UNTIL 3 PM... AREAS OF THUNDERSTORMS WERE ACTIVE IN TWO DISTINCT LOCATIONS AT 850 AM ... ONE OVER NORTHERN ARKANSAS ... SOUTHERN MISSOURI ... AND INTO EXTREME NORTHWEST TENNESSEE. THE OTHER AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER CENTRAL AND EAST MISSISSIPPI AND PARTS OF ALABAMA. DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE OVER NORTHERN ARKANSAS NEAR BIGGERS IN SOUTHWEST CLAY COUNTY ... CLOSE TO IMBODEN NEAR THE LAWRENCE / RANDOLPH COUNTY LINE. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT NEARLY 40 MPH. HIGH WIND AND HAIL WERE INDICATED WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. AN AREA OF HIGH WIND AND SHOWERS WAS SHOWN TO BE APPROACHING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER THROUGH ST FRANCIS .. CROSS .. CRITTENDEN .. AND MISSISSIPPI COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS. THESE AREA OF WIND AND SHOWERS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE RIVER INTO OBION .. LAKE .. DYER .. LAUDERDALE .. TIPTON .. AND SHELBY COUNTIES OF WEST TENNESSEE BY 930 AM. YOU NEED TO STAY ABREAST OF LOCAL WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING THIS MORNING/S DANGEROUS WEAlTHER SITUATION. STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO/TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND LISTEN FOR LATER BULLETINS.
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 9:07 AM CDT, 4 hours 16 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031- 033-151515- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS 907 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994 .....TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 91 IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM CDT FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST AND EASTCENTRAL MISSISSIPPI..... AT 858 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO CONTINUED TO SHOW SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHWEST ALABAMA AND EASTCENTRAL MISSISSIPPI MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MILE AN HOUR. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN EASTCENTRAL MISSISSIPPI WERE LOCATED OVER KEMPER..NESHOBA..NOXUBEE AND WINSTON COUNTIES. RESIDENTS OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI SHOULD REMAIN ALERT TO THE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY AS MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP WITH THE AFTERNOON HEATING AND ALSO MOVE IN FROM THE WEST WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. NNNN
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 10:06 AM CDT, 3 hours 17 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031- 033-151615- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS 1006 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994 .....TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 91 IN EFFECT UNTIL 3PM CDT FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST AND EASTCENTRAL MISSISSIPPI..... AT 955 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR AT TUPELO CONTINUED TO SHOW SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN ALABAMA AND EASTCENTRAL MISSISSIPPI. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN EASTCENTRAL MISSISSIPPI WERE LOCATED IN NOXUBEE AND KEMPER COUNTIES. DURING THE PAST HOUR...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE STARTING TO DEVELOP OVER NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI..WESTERN TENNESSEE AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI WERE LOCATED OVER CALHOUN..CHICKASAW AND WEBSTER COUNTIES. ALL THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. RESIDENTS OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI SHOULD KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY A0ND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO WORSEN AS THE DAY GOES ON. NNNN
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 11:03 AM CDT, 2 hours 20 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031- 033-151700- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS 1103 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994 .....TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 91 REMAINS IN EFFECT TIL 3 PM CDT FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST AND EASTCENTRAL MISSISSIPPI..... AT 1055 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO SHOWED SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR..WHILE THE AREA WAS SLIDING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER DESOTO..MARSHALL..LAFAYETTE..MONROE AND ITAWAMBA COUNTIES. RESIDENTS OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI CAN EXPECT GUSTY SURFACE WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTENING WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS. CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA IS EXPECTED TO WORSEN AS THE DAY GOES ON WITH THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT FROM THE WEST. NNNN
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 12:04 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031- 033-151800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS 1204 PM CDT FRI APR 15 1994 .....TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 91 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM CDT FOR PARTS OF EASTERN MISSISSIPPI..... .....SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCH NUMBER 94 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT FOR MOST OF NORTH AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI..... AT 1155 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO SHOWED SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN ALABAMA..WESTERN TENNESSEE AND NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI. THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR WHILE THE SYSTEM WAS SLIDING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR. IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM CORINTH TO OXFORD TO CLARKSDALE. RESIDENTS OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THE SKY AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. NNNN
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 1:04 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
MSZ005-006-009-017-016-002-003-004-013-014-015-023-024-030-031- 033-151900- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TUPELO MS 104 PM CDT FRI APR 15 1994 .....TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 91 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 M CDT FOR PARTS OF EASTERN MISSISSIPPI..... .....SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 94 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT FOR MOST OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI..... AT 1255 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN TUPELO CONTINUED TO SHOW SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN TENNESSEE...NORTHERN ALABAMA AND NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN PRENTISS..TIPPAH..UNION.. MARSHALL..0PANOLA AND SUNFLOWER COUNTIES. RESIDENTS OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND TAKE NECESSARY ACTIONS IF A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR LOCATION. NNNN
The office that day
Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 9:28 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Greene | 47 min |
| Apr 15, 1:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Crittenden | 33 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.