Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 209, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 9, 1998Franklin County, Arkansas

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 9, 1998, 1:24 PM CDT for Franklin County, Arkansas. It was in force for 21 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: May 9, 1998, 1:24 PM CDT (18:24 UTC)
Expired: May 9, 1998, 1:45 PM CDT
In force: 21 min
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Whole counties

County Franklin County, AR

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 49 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:25 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 9, 1:30 PM CDT	Hail 0.75	Altus, AR

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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 9, 12:00 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 6.4 hours before the alert went out and 155 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1409 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 73 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 118 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 25 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 091824 RRA
SVRTUL
ARC047-091845-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
124 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...

  SOUTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY - NORTHWESTERN ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 145 PM CDT

* AT 124 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR DETECTED A
  CLUSTER OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF OZARK TO
  BRANCH...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...
  ALTUS
  WIEDERKEHR VILLAGE

  HAIL TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH CAN BE
  EXPECTED IN THE WARNED AREA.

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT. TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP SUDDENLY
FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER
CONDITIONS.

BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS STORMS APPROACH.

WHEN THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH...TAKE COVER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING.
STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM LIGHTNING STAY OFF
THE PHONE AND DON'T USE HAND HELD ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES. MOTORISTS
SHOULD NEVER DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

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 May 9, 10:50 AM CDT, 2 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 10:50 AM CDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before

FPUS3 KTUL 091554
AFDTUL

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1050 AM CDT SAT MAY 9 1998

COMPLEX SFC PATTERN THIS MRNG WITH ONE LOW ACRS NW OK...TRIPLE PT LOW
ALG RED RVR WITH WM FNT EXTENDING E THRU NE TX.  BAND OF TSRA
CONTINUE ACRS ERN OK...WITH ADDITIONAL DVLPMT THE PAST HR ALG LEAD
GUST FNT.  UPR LOW AND ASSOCD COLD POOL OVR WRN OK WL MV INTO NW AR
BY 00Z...SO COULD SEE MORE CONVECTION DVLP LTR THIS AFTN.  WL KP
HIGHEST POPS AND MENTION OF HVY RN ALG AND N OF TRACK OF H5 LOW.

UPDATE SHUD BE OUT BY 1130 AM.

18

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

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 9, 9:40 AM CDT, 3 hours 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
940 AM CDT SAT MAY 9 1998

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

0905 AM    OAK GROVE                 AR   1 INCH HAIL
05/09/98   CARROLL                        QUARTER SIZE HAIL
                                          COVERING THE GROUND

0915 AM    15 S HUNSTVILLE           AR   .75 INCH HAIL
05/09/98   MADISON

Local storm report, May 9, 10:46 AM CDT, 2 hours 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1046 AM CDT SAT MAY 09 1998

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

0856 AMv    BERRYVILLE                AR   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/09/98   CARROLL

0945 AM    METALTON                  AR   .75 INCH HAIL
05/09/98   CARROLL

Local storm report, May 9, 10:46 AM CDT, 2 hours 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1046 AM CDT SAT MAY 09 1998

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

0856 AMv    BERRYVILLE                AR   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/09/98   CARROLL

0945 AM    METALTON                  AR   .75 INCH HAIL
05/09/98   CARROLL

Special weather statement, May 9, 1:00 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-101200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 1998

A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS
AFTERNOON.

AT MIDDAY...SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
WITH A COLD FRONT TO ITS SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS AND AND WARM FRONT
TO ITS SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTHEAST TEXAS AND LOUISIANA.  MEANWHILE...AN
UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS LOCATED OVER NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.
THESE SURFACE AND UPPER LEVEL SYSTEMS WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA
AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TO THE EAST OF THE AREA THIS
EVENING.

ALTHOUGH THE SURFACE INSTABILITY ACROSS THE AREA WILL BE MEAGER...COLD
AIR ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO
PRODUCE CONSIDERABLE MID LEVEL INSTABILITY.  THE MID LEVEL INSTABILITY
WILL BE THE GREATEST OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON.  THE RESULT
WILL BE A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.  HOWEVER...ENOUGH
FORCING AND MID LEVEL INSTABILITY MAY BE PRESENT FOR AN ISOLATED
SUPERCELL WHICH MAY PRODUCE A TORNADO.

CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCIES AND SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR ACTIVATION THIS AFTERNOON.

Special weather statement, May 9, 1:00 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-101200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 1998

A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS
AFTERNOON.

AT MIDDAY...SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
WITH A COLD FRONT TO ITS SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS AND AND WARM FRONT
TO ITS SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTHEAST TEXAS AND LOUISIANA.  MEANWHILE...AN
UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS LOCATED OVER NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA.
THESE SURFACE AND UPPER LEVEL SYSTEMS WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA
AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TO THE EAST OF THE AREA THIS
EVENING.

ALTHOUGH THE SURFACE INSTABILITY ACROSS THE AREA WILL BE MEAGER...COLD
AIR ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO
PRODUCE CONSIDERABLE MID LEVEL INSTABILITY.  THE MID LEVEL INSTABILITY
WILL BE THE GREATEST OVER NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON.  THE RESULT
WILL BE A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.  HOWEVER...ENOUGH
FORCING AND MID LEVEL INSTABILITY MAY BE PRESENT FOR AN ISOLATED
SUPERCELL WHICH MAY PRODUCE A TORNADO.

CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCIES AND SPOTTER GROUPS ACROSS NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR ACTIVATION THIS AFTERNOON.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 9, 8:22 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Carroll	23 min
May 9, 8:52 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Carroll	38 min
May 9, 9:22 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Madison	38 min
May 9, 9:34 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Carroll	41 min
May 9, 12:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Benton	34 min
May 9, 1:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Franklin	20 min
May 9, 4:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Sebastian	51 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arkansas, 1998 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.