Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 52, NWS Tulsa, OK
NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 27, 1997, 6:46 PM CST for Crawford County, Washington County, Arkansas. It was in force for 29 min. 1 report 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
- Mar 27, 1997, 6:46 PM CST (00:46 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 27, 1997, 7:15 PM CST
- In force
- 29 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tulsa, OK
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Crawford County, AR, Washington County, AR
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 6:55 PM CST | Hail 0.88 | Brentwood, AR | A severe thunderstorm produced nickel size hail at Brentwood. |
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 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 130 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 2598 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 37 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 145 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 276 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
281 WUUS1 KTUL 280048 RRA SVRTUL ARC033-143-280115- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 646 PM CST THU MAR 27 1997 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 715 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS ...NORTHERN CRAWFORD COUNTY...SOUTHERN WASHINGTON COUNTY AT 645 PM...RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR NATURAL DAM TO NEAR LINCOLN. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL PASS CLOSE TO WEST FORK...CHESTER...DURHAM...AND GREENLAND. HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 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 Mar 27, 3:25 PM CST, 3 hours 21 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 27, 3:25 PM CST, 3 hours 21 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 320 PM CST THU MAR 27 1997 BAND OF SHRA HAS FORMED OVR CNTRL OK...APPARENTLY ALG RIBBON OF UPR 40S SFC DWPTS. OTHER HIGH-BASED SHRA/TSRA ONGOING OVR FAR NW OK IN RESPONSE TO UPR LOW SPINNING EWD THRU THE OK PANHANDLE. MDLS FAIRLY SIMILAR IN MVG UPR LOW INTO NW OK/SW KS BY 00Z THEN INTO SW MO BY 06Z. THIS IS A VIGOROUS UPR SYSTEM...BUT THE LIMITING FACTOR FOR WIDESPREAD PCPN WILL BE AVAILABLE LLVL MSTR. MESONET SHOWS DWPTS MAINLY IN THE 40S ACRS THE FA...ALTHO LWR/MID 50S DWPTS HAVE WORKED INTO NRN TX AND FAR SRN OK. GRIDDED DATA SHOWS BEST INCREASE IN LLVL MSTR FM 00Z-06Z...MAINLY OVR ERN ZNS. 15Z MESOETA ALSO SHOWS CAPE VALUES FM 500 TO NEAR 1000 J/KG OVR SE OK/WCNTRL AR BY 06Z...ALTHO QPF STAYS OVR SW KS/NE OK IN ASSOCIATION WITH UPR LOW. WILL WORD HIGHEST POPS OVR ERN ZNS WHERE BEST MSTR IS EXPECTED AND TRIM BACK TO 20/30 POPS OVR WRN ZNS. CUD SEE AN ISOLD ISOLD SVR STORM OR TWO OVR NE OK ASSOCD WITH THE UPR LOW...AND OVR SE OK/WCNTRL AR WITH BEST LLVL MSTR. LEAD UPR LOW SHUD SWEEP MOST OF THE LLVL MSTR E OF THE FA LTR TNGT...WITH NEXT UPR LOW QUICKLY DROPPING INTO SRN KS BY MORNING. THIS DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE A PAC CD FNT THRU THE AREA EARLY FRI MRNG. MDLS SHOW SOME MID/LLVL MSTR WITH THIS SYSTEM...SO WILL GO WITH PARTLY CLDY SKIES OVR NRN SECTIONS FOR FRI. GRIDDED DATA SHOWS SOME LLVL CCA...BUT EXPECTED SUN AND BREEZY WLY WNDS SHUD OFFSET COOLING SOME. FWC GUIDANCE A BIT WARMER THAN PREVIOUS RUN...AND PLAN ON GOING JUST A FEW DEGREES BLO GUIDANCE. SFC WNDS SHUD DECREASE LATE IN THE DAY AND OVERNGT AS SFC RDG WORKS INTO THE AREA. WITH MO CLR SKIES...LGT WNDS AND DRY LLVL AIR...XPCT GD RADIATIONAL COOLING. PLAN ON GOING A BIT BLO GUIDANCE. NEXT SHRTWV DROPS THRU THE ROCKIES SAT...WITH WK SFC LOW FORMING OVR THE TX PANHANDLE. LLVL WINDS BACK IN RESPONSE TO UPR SYSTEM...WITH AVN SHOWING SOME INCREASE IN H85 DWPTS OVR SRN AND SE OK. WILL HV SLGT CHC POPS FOR FAR SE OK...BUT WILL KP POPS OUT OF THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. PRELIM NUMBERS: TUL 50/68 39/70 2001 FSM 48/72 40/71 4101 MLC 49/70 41/71 2001 BVO 46/69 37/70 3001 FYV 47/65 35/68 4101 IDB 50/72 44/72 4102 BYV 46/65 35/68 4101 HODGES .TUL... OK...NONE. AR...NONE.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 1:00 PM CST, 5 hours 46 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-029-OKZ054>076-281200- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CST THU MAR 27 1997 ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY BETWEEN 8 PM AND 3 AM OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. AN UPPER LEVEL STORM CURRENTLY OVER THE TEXAS PANHANDLE CONTINUES TO MOVE EASTWARD TOWARDS THE AREA. THE COLD AIR IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS UPPER LOW IS SOMEWHAT COLDER THAN TYPICALLY SEEN THIS TIME OF YEAR. WITH THE APPROACHING COLD AIR ALOFT AND INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA. THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS WOULD BE AFTER 5 PM ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND AFTER 8 PM OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY AND THE EXPECTED VERTICAL WIND PROFILE SUGGEST THAT THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL. WITH SOMEWHAT DRIER AIR IN THE LOW LEVELS THAN IN THE MID LEVELS... STRONG AND DAMAGING WINDS MAY ALSO BE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT. A NEGATIVE FACTOR FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE LIMITED MOISTURE IN THE LOW LEVELS. MOISTURE WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT BUT SHOULD NOT BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER. ANOTHER NEGATIVE FACTOR FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE A LACK OF A STRONG LIFTING MECHANISM...SUCH AS A COLD FRONT OR DRY LINE...AT THE SURFACE. THE AFFECTS OF THE UPPER LEVEL STORM SHOULD BE EAST OF THE AREA LATER TONIGHT. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL ALSO RAPIDLY DECREASE AS WINDS SWITCH TO THE WEST. THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD END BY AROUND 11 PM OVER EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND BY 3 AM OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS EVENING. 26
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 1:01 PM CST, 5 hours 45 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-029-OKZ054>076-281200- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CST THU MAR 27 1997 ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY BETWEEN 8 PM AND 3 AM OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. AN UPPER LEVEL STORM CURRENTLY OVER THE TEXAS PANHANDLE CONTINUES TO MOVE EASTWARD TOWARDS THE AREA. THE COLD AIR IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS UPPER LOW IS SOMEWHAT COLDER THAN TYPICALLY SEEN THIS TIME OF YEAR. WITH THE APPROACHING COLD AIR ALOFT AND INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA. THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS WOULD BE AFTER 5 PM ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND AFTER 8 PM OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY AND THE EXPECTED VERTICAL WIND PROFILE SUGGEST THAT THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL. WITH SOMEWHAT DRIER AIR IN THE LOW LEVELS THAN IN THE MID LEVELS... STRONG AND DAMAGING WINDS MAY ALSO BE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT. A NEGATIVE FACTOR FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE LIMITED MOISTURE IN THE LOW LEVELS. MOISTURE WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT BUT SHOULD NOT BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER. ANOTHER NEGATIVE FACTOR FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE A LACK OF A STRONG LIFTING MECHANISM...SUCH AS A COLD FRONT OR DRY LINE...AT THE SURFACE. THE AFFECTS OF THE UPPER LEVEL STORM SHOULD BE EAST OF THE AREA LATER TONIGHT. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL ALSO RAPIDLY DECREASE AS WINDS SWITCH TO THE WEST. THE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD END BY AROUND 11 PM OVER EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND BY 3 AM OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND STORM SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS EVENING. 26
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 9:43 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Benton | 62 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.