Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 239, NWS Tulsa, OK

July 8, 1997Sebastian County, Arkansas

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 8, 1997, 1:08 PM CDT for Sebastian County, Arkansas. It was in force for 52 min. 2 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
Jul 8, 1997, 1:08 PM CDT (18:08 UTC)
Expired
Jul 8, 1997, 2:00 PM CDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties

County Sebastian County, AR

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 8, 1:10 PM CDTThunderstorm WindGreenwood, AR
Jul 8, 1:15 PM CDTThunderstorm WindGreenwood, ARA severe thunderstorm produced strong winds which downed numerous large tree limbs in Greenwood.

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.

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 6.1 hours before the alert went out and 194 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 12:00Z on 1997-07-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 959 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 1997-07-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 116 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
959 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-114 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
804 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
116 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
214 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 KTUL 081808 RRA
SVRTUL
ARC131-081900-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
108 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  200 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS
 
   ...SEBASTIAN COUNTY
 
AT 105 PM...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR GREENWOOD...
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 15 MPH. BURNVILLE IS IN THE PATH OF THIS
STORM.
 
HAIL TO THE SIZE OF DIMES AND WIND GUSTS TO 65 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED
IN THE WARNED AREA.
 
KEEP TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER BULLETINS.

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.

NWS Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 8, 10:36 AM CDT, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 8, 10:36 AM CDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1030 AM CDT TUE JUL 8 1997

THE MCS MOVG SWD ACRS XTRM ERN OK AND NW AR HAS PRODUCED A SGFNT
OUTFLOW BNDRY.  THIS BNDRY IS MOVING THRU RATHER UNSTABLE AIR AND
THE RESULT IS DVLPMT OF NEW TSTMS JUST BEHIND THE BNDRY.  XPC THESE
TSTMS TO CONT DVLPG AND MOVG SOUTH.  THESE SHD AFFECT ONLY THE XTRM
ERN OK COUNTIES AND CRAWFORD AND SEBASTIAN COUNTIES IN AR.  SINCE
THE AMS IS UNSTABLE...THESE TSTMS COULD EVENTUALLY REACH MCCURTAIN
COUNTY.  STLT SHOWS THE MCS APRS TO BE DVLPG INTO A NEDDY EDDY JUST
SE OF MKC...AND IS MOVING ESE. IT SHD NOT ENHANCE ANY PCPN IN ERN
OK OR NW AR THIS AFTN.  BUT THE OUTFLOW BNDRY WILL PROVIDE A FOCUS
FOR RW/TRW DURG THE AFTN...SO WILL INCR POPS A LITTLE AND GENLY
GIVE ALL AREAS A CHC OR SLGT CHC OF PCPN.

IN SHORT...WILL UPDATE THE CURRENT ZONES TO REFLECT THE RW/TRW CHCS
FOR LATE THIS MORNING...AND XPC TO UPDATE( AGAIN EARLY THIS AFTN
AFTER THE PCPN ENDS. /02

.TUL...
OK...NONE.
AR...NONE.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 8, 1:00 PM CDT, 8 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-029-OKZ054>076-091200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 1997

A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM MORNING THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED ACROSS
WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON. AT 100
PM...THE BOUNDARY HAD BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY FROM SOUTH OF FORT
SMITH ARKANSAS TO NEAR OKEMAH TO NEAR STILLWATER. THE BOUNDARY IS
EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY WEAKEN THIS AFTERNOON.

MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIR AND LIFTING NEAR THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY WILL
ALLOW WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA
THIS AFTERNOON. THE MOST LIKELY AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT WILL BE ALONG
AND NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AND EXTREME
EASTERN OKLAHOMA. THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY SUGGESTS THAT PULSE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE DESPITE WEAK WIND FIELDS.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE LESS LIKELY SOUTH OF THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY WHERE
A LAYER OF WARM AIR ALOFT SHOULD LIMIT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED NEAR A COLD FRONT
ACROSS KANSAS OR MISSOURI LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ANY
STORMS THAT FORM IN THAT AREA WILL SPREAD TO THE SOUTH DURING THE
NIGHT...AND COULD AFFECT NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
AFTER MIDNIGHT. ALTHOUGH ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED
IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA OR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...SOME OF THE STORMS
COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND NICKEL SIZE HAIL.

SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES ACROSS NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS ARE URGED TO LISTEN TO THE LATEST
FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED FOR ACTIVATION THROUGH TONIGHT.
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 1:03 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-029-OKZ054>076-091200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT TUE JUL 8 1997

A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM MORNING THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED ACROSS
WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AND EASTERN OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON. AT 100
PM...THE BOUNDARY HAD BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY FROM SOUTH OF FORT
SMITH ARKANSAS TO NEAR OKEMAH TO NEAR STILLWATER. THE BOUNDARY IS
EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY WEAKEN THIS AFTERNOON.

MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIR AND LIFTING NEAR THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY WILL
ALLOW WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA
THIS AFTERNOON. THE MOST LIKELY AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT WILL BE ALONG
AND NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY ACROSS WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AND EXTREME
EASTERN OKLAHOMA. THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY SUGGESTS THAT PULSE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE DESPITE WEAK WIND FIELDS.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE LESS LIKELY SOUTH OF THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY WHERE
A LAYER OF WARM AIR ALOFT SHOULD LIMIT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED NEAR A COLD FRONT
ACROSS KANSAS OR MISSOURI LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ANY
STORMS THAT FORM IN THAT AREA WILL SPREAD TO THE SOUTH DURING THE
NIGHT...AND COULD AFFECT NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
AFTER MIDNIGHT. ALTHOUGH ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED
IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA OR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...SOME OF THE STORMS
COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND NICKEL SIZE HAIL.

SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES ACROSS NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS ARE URGED TO LISTEN TO THE LA~TEST
FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED FOR ACTIVATION THROUGH TONIGHT.

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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.