Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Little Rock, AR

February 20, 1997Conway County, Arkansas

NWS Little Rock, AR issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 20, 1997, 10:00 PM CST for Conway County, Arkansas. It was in force for 35 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 20, 1997, 10:00 PM CST (04:00 UTC)
Expired
Feb 20, 1997, 10:35 PM CST
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Little Rock, AR
Area
Whole counties

County Conway County, AR

The radar

The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 62 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:02 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Feb 20, 6:00 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 4.0 hours before the alert went out and 207 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, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 1997-02-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 267 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, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 1997-02-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 221 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
267 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-14 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
593 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
221 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
270 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
1.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLIT 210358 RRA
SVRLIT
ARC029-210435-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1000 PM CST THU FEB 20 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LITTLE ROCK AR HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1035 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN CENTRAL ARKANSAS

   ...CONWAY COUNTY
 
AT 959 PM CST...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WAS DETECTED BY DOPPLER RADAR 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF MORRILTON OR IN THE
VICINITY OF SAINT VINCENT MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
SAINT VINCENT                AROUND 959 PM CST  ...
WONDERVIEW                   AROUND 1002 PM CST ...
SPRINGFIELD                  AROUND 1005 PM CST ...
BIRDTOWN                     AROUND 1005 PM CST ...
MOUNT ZION                   AROUND 1015 PM CST ...

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. REMEMBER SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCAxSIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR
NO ADVANCE WARNING. REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS.

32/206

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, Feb 20, 5:51 PM CST, 4 hours 9 minutes before
ARZ003>009-012>018-020>028-030>073-210145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
550 PM CST THU FEB 20 1997
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT THIS EVENING...

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 51 IS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS
UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH TEXAS THIS EVENING WILL APPROACH
ARKANSAS LATER THIS EVENING. SEVERE WEATHER WAS BREAKING OUT ACROSS EAST
TEXAS...AND WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF
HOURS.

CONDITIONS ACROSS ARKANSAS ARE UNSTABLE...STORMS THAT DEVELOP IN THE
WEST AND CENTRAL AREAS COULD BECOME SEVERE QUICKLY. ALONG WITH THE
THREAT OF DAMAGING STORMS IN ARKANSAS...HEAVY RAINS WILL ACCOMPANY SOME
OF THE THUNDERSTORMS.

RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO STAY ABREAST OF DEVELOPING WEATHER THIS
EVENING.

34
Special weather statement, Feb 20, 8:14 PM CST, 1 hour 46 minutes before
ARZ003>009-012>018-020>028-030>073-210145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
820 PM CST THU FEB 20 1997

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT THIS EVENING...

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 51 IS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS
UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVED THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS LATE THURSDAY
AFTERNOON. AT 800 PM...THE STORM SYSTEM WAS MOVING INTO SOUTHERN
OKLAHOMA...AND STRONG STORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM WERE MOVING
INTO EXTREME WESTERN ARKANSAS.

STORMS IN EXTREME EASTERN OKLAHOMA PRODUCED 70 MPH WINDS EARLIER.

A LINE OF STORMS IN WESTERN ARKANSAS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD
AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED. HOWEVER...INDIVIDUAL STORMS WILL MOVE TO THE
NORTH AT NEARLY 45 MPH. THE MAIN THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IN THE
WATCH AREA IS STRONG AND DAMAGING WINDS...AND THE POSSIBILITY OF AN
ISOLATED TORNADO.

34
Special weather statement, Feb 20, 8:20 PM CST, 1 hour 40 minutes before
ARZ003>009-012>018-020>028-030>073-210145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
820 PM CST THU FEB 20 1997

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT THIS EVENING...

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 51 IS IN EFFECT FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS
UNTIL MIDNIGHT.

A STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVED THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS LATE THURSDAY
AFTERNOON. AT 800 PM...THE STORM SYSTEM WAS MOVING INTO SOUTHERN
OKLAHOMA...AND STRONG STORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM WERE MOVING
INTO EXTREME WESTERN ARKANSAS.

STORMS IN EXTREME EASTERN OKLAHOMA PRODUCED 70 MPH WINDS EARLIER.

A LINE OF STORMS IN WESTERN ARKANSAS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD
AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED. HOWEVER...INDIVIDUAL STORMS WILL MOVE TO THE
NORTH AT NEARLY 45 MPH. THE MAIN THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER IN THE
WATCH AREA IS STRONG AND DAMAGING WINDS...AND THE POSSIBILITY OF AN
ISOLATED TORNADO.

34
Local storm report, Feb 20, 9:17 PM CST, 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
915 PM CST THU FEB 20 1996

TIME CDT   .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

830 PM     5 W BOONEVILLE            AR   WIND DAMAGE
02/20/97   LOGAN                          ROW OF HOUSES DESTROYED
                                          *** 1 INJURY ***

836 PM     DRIGGS                    AR   WIND DAMAGE
02/20/97   LOGAN                          LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN
                                          TREES DOWN
                                          POWER LINES DOWN
                                          STRUCTURAL DAMAGE
                           8               *** INJURIES ***

910 PM     5 WEST ARKADELPHIA        AR   WIND DAMAGE
02/20/97   CLARK                          TREES DOWN

48
Local storm report, Feb 20, 9:27 PM CST, 33 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
925 PM CST THU FEB 20 1996

TIME CDT   .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

91H6 PM     HOT SPRINGS               AR   WIND DAMAGE
02/20/97   GARLAND                        TREES DOWN
                                          POWER LINES DOWN
                                          MINOR STREET FLOODING

48
Local storm report, Feb 20, 10:00 PM CST, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
955 PM CST THU FEB 20 1996

TIME CDT   .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

830 PM     5 WEST BOONEVILLE         AR   WIND DAMAGE
02/20/97   LOGAN                          ROW OF HOUSES DESTROYED
                                          *** 1 DEAD ***

48

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 20, 7:46 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningLZKPolk3 hr
Feb 20, 8:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKLogan64 min
Feb 20, 8:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKFranklin66 min
Feb 20, 8:48 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKJohnson52 min
Feb 20, 8:51 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKYell49 min
Feb 20, 9:03 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKGarland, Hot Spring47 min
Feb 20, 9:36 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKDallas64 min
Feb 20, 10:03 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKFaulkner62 min
Feb 20, 10:09 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKPulaski61 min
Feb 20, 10:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKCleburne65 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arkansas, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.