Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 1997
Tornado Warning 24, NWS Little Rock, AR
NWS Little Rock, AR issued this tornado warning at Apr 5, 1997, 2:29 AM CST for Jefferson County, Arkansas. It was in force for 36 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
- Apr 5, 1997, 2:29 AM CST (08:29 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 5, 1997, 3:05 AM CST
- In force
- 36 min
- Issued by
- NWS Little Rock, AR
- Area
- Whole counties
County Jefferson County, AR
The radar
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 70 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:32 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 nearest sounding before it
Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 8.5 hours before the alert went out and 192 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
- 189 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -10 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 522 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 37 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 350 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 443 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KLIT 050830 RRA TORLIT ARC069-050905- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 229 AM CST SAT APR 5 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LITTLE ROCK AR HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 305 AM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTHEASTERN ARKANSAS ...NORTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY AT 228 AM CST...A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS DETECTED BY DOPPLER RADAR 11 MILES NORTH OF PINE BLUFF OR IN THE VICINITY OF PASTORIA MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO INCLUDE... SHERRILL AROUND 235 AM CST ... TUCKER AROUND 235 AM CST ... GETHSEMANE AROUND 245 AM CST ... A DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED TORNADO MEANS THAT THERE IS STRONG ROTATION WITHIN A STORM. THE STORM MAY NOT BE PRODUCING A TORNADO AT THE MOMENT...BUT IS EXPECTED TO DURING THE WARNING PERIOD. THE STORM MAY ALSO BE ACCOMPANIED BY HAIL AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WIND. THOSE IN THE PATH OF THE STORM ARE ADVISED TO SEEK SHELTER RIGHT AWAY. 46
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 4, 10:48 PM CST, 3 hours 41 minutes before
ARZ060>073-050545- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1048 PM CST FRI APR 4 1997 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTH ARKANSAS UNTIL 400 AM CST... A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF SOUTH ARKANSAS UNTIL 400 AM INCLUDES THE CITIES OF TEXARKANA...HOPE...CAMDEN...EL DORADO...AND MONTICELLO. THIS AREA IS GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM PRESCOTT TO FORDYCE TO DUMAS. WITH WARM MOIST AIR IN PLACE...THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS QUITE UNSTABLE ACROSS MUCH OF ARKANSAS. ANOTHER BATCH OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE IN FROM EAST TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. 31
Special weather statement, Apr 4, 10:50 PM CST, 3 hours 39 minutes before
ARZ060>073-050545- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 1048 PM CST FRI APR 4 1997 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTH ARKANSAS UNTIL 400 AM CST... A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF SOUTH ARKANSAS UNTIL 400 AM INCLUDES THE CITIES OF TEXARKANA...HOPE...CAMDEN...EL DORADO...AND MONTICELLO. THIS AREA IS GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM PRESCOTT TO FORDYCE TO DUMAS. WITH WARM MOIST AIR IN PLACE...THE ATMOSPHERE REMAINS QUITE UNSTABLE ACROSS MUCH OF ARKANSAS. ANOTHER BATCH OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE IN FROM EAST TEXAS AND SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. 31
The office that day
Everything else NWS Little Rock, AR issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 7:44 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Faulkner, Perry | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 8:23 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley | 47 min |
| Apr 4, 8:32 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Cleburne | 2 hr |
| Apr 4, 9:17 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Bradley, Calhoun, Cleveland | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 9:17 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Desha, Jefferson, Lincoln, Monroe, Prairie | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 9:17 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Independence, Izard, Stone | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 9:17 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Jackson, White, Woodruff | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 9:17 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Fulton, Sharp | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 9:17 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Drew | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 10:49 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Polk | 36 min |
| Apr 4, 10:51 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Franklin | 34 min |
| Apr 4, 11:28 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Dallas, Ouachita | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 11:28 PM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Grant | 3 hr |
| Apr 4, 11:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Grant, Jefferson | 63 min |
| Apr 5, 12:13 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Lonoke | 32 min |
| Apr 5, 12:32 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Prairie | 58 min |
| Apr 5, 12:36 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Jackson, Monroe, Prairie, White, Woodruff | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 12:36 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Jefferson, Lincoln, Lonoke | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 12:36 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Independence | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 12:36 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Fulton, Izard, Sharp | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 12:36 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Bradley, Cleveland, Drew | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 12:36 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Calhoun | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 2:00 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Pulaski | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 2:20 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Jefferson | 50 min |
| Apr 5, 2:35 AM CST | Tornado Warning | LZK | Lonoke | 35 min |
| Apr 5, 2:40 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Dallas, Grant, Ouachita | 2 hr |
| Apr 5, 3:40 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Cleveland, Drew, Jefferson, Lincoln | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 3:40 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Monroe, Prairie, Woodruff | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 3:40 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Lonoke, White | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 3:40 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Independence, Jackson | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 3:40 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Fulton, Izard, Sharp | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 3:40 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Stone | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 3:40 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Bradley, Calhoun | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 4:08 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Grant | 62 min |
| Apr 5, 4:22 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Jefferson | 33 min |
| Apr 5, 4:51 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Lonoke | 64 min |
| Apr 5, 4:58 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Dallas, Ouachita | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 4:58 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Grant, Pulaski, Saline | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 4:58 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Faulkner | 3 hr |
| Apr 5, 6:30 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Independence, Sharp | 2 hr |
| Apr 5, 6:30 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Jefferson, Lincoln, Lonoke | 2 hr |
| Apr 5, 6:30 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Jackson, Monroe, Prairie, Woodruff | 2 hr |
| Apr 5, 6:30 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Drew | 2 hr |
| Apr 5, 8:32 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Desha, Monroe, Prairie | 2 hr |
| Apr 5, 8:32 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Independence, Jackson, Sharp, White | 2 hr |
| Apr 5, 8:32 AM CST | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Woodruff | 2 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 1997Every tornado warning in 1997Tornadoes 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.