Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1999
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 261, NWS Tulsa, OK
NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 17, 1999, 3:07 PM CDT for Crawford County, Franklin County, Sebastian County, Arkansas. It was in force for 38 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline the Iowa Environmental Mesonet reconstructed for it; the warning itself named whole counties, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 17, 1999, 3:07 PM CDT (20:07 UTC)
- Expired
- May 17, 1999, 3:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 38 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tulsa, OK
- Area
- Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction
Counties Crawford County, AR, Franklin County, AR, Sebastian County, AR
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 3:38 PM CDT | Hail 0.75 | Branch, 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 17, 11:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 8.1 hours before the alert went out and 161 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
- 1332 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 56 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -88 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -53 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
999 WUUS54 KTSA 172011 RRA SVRTUL ARC033-047-131-172045- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 307 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... SOUTHEASTERN CRAWFORD COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FRANKLIN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS EASTERN SEBASTIAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS * UNTIL 345 PM CDT * AT 307 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR DEAN SPRINGS IN SOUTHEAST CRAWFORD COUNTY TO NEAR GREENWOOD IN EASTERN SEBASTIAN COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. * LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE DYER...LAVACA...VESTA AND OZARK. HAIL TO THE SIZE OF DIMES AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WARNED AREA. LAT...LON 3555 9428 3517 9426 3534 9385 3573 9374
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 17, 11:10 AM CDT, 3 hours 57 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 17, 11:10 AM CDT, 3 hours 57 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...RETRAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 1110 AM CDT MON MAY 17 1999 WILL WAIT TO BETWEEN 1130 AM AND NOON TO UPDATE AS DO NOT KNOW WHEN OR IF SPC IS GOING TO ISSUE WATCH. UPDATE WILL TRY TO CURB THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON WORDING IN CURRENT ZONES. UPDATE WILL ALSO INCORPORATE CURRENT RADAR TRENDS. BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM NORTHWEST ARKANSAS INTO EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA AND CONTINUES TO PUSH EAST. THINK THERE IS SOME CHANCE OF REDEVELOPMENT TO THE WEST AS LOCATION OF THE COLD FRONT IS MUDDLED DUE TO THE THUNDERSTORMS. WIND SHIFTED TO THE NORTH WITH THE LINE OF STORMS BUT HAS VEERED AROUND TO THE SOUTHEAST BEHIND THE LINE. CLOUD COVER ALSO A PROBLEM AS BREAKS OCCURRING TO THE SOUTH OF AND TO THE WEST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COMPLEX WILL PROBABLY GO WITH PARTLY CLOUDY WHERE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ARE LESS THAN LIKELY. TEMPERATURES SHOULD REBOUND WITH A LITTLE SUN AND SHOULD ONLY NEED MINOR TWEEKS. .TUL... AR...NONE. OK...NONE. ABBAS
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 17, 1:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-181100- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999 ...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING IN SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS... .SYNOPSIS... AT 100 PM...A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AREA WAS CENTERED IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS WITH ANOTHER LOW LOCATED IN IOWA. A COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED BETWEEN THE TWO SYSTEMS MOVING THROUGH SOUTHWEST MISSOURI INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA THEN INTO NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WAS ALSO LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST KANSAS AND WILL MOVE INTO MISSOURI BY LATE TONIGHT. .DISCUSSION... THE AIRMASS OVER SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS REMAINS UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON. THE SURFACE COLD FRONT JUST NOW MOVING INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON. AS IT DOES...A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ALONG IT ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA WHERE TEMPERATURES HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO WARM TO AROUND 80 DEGREES. THESE STORMS SHOULD MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. IF STORMS MOVE ACROSS AREAS OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THAT RECEIVED HEAVY RAINS THIS MORNING... ADDITIONAL RAINS MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY IN PLACE ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND SLIGHTLY VEERING WIND PROFILES...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT FOR THIS AFTERNOON MAINLY SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM OKMULGEE OKLAHOMA TO FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS. HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED TORNADO REMAINS POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL LIKELY ACCOMPANY SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION... EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION...MAINLY IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS UNTIL EARLY EVENING.
Special weather statement, May 17, 1:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-181100- EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999 ...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING IN SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS... .SYNOPSIS... AT 100 PM...A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AREA WAS CENTERED IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS WITH ANOTHER LOW LOCATED IN IOWA. A COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED BETWEEN THE TWO SYSTEMS MOVING THROUGH SOUTHWEST MISSOURI INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA THEN INTO NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WAS ALSO LOCATED OVER NORTHWEST KANSAS AND WILL MOVE INTO MISSOURI BY LATE TONIGHT. .DISCUSSION... THE AIRMASS OVER SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS REMAINS UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON. THE SURFACE COLD FRONT JUST NOW MOVING INTO NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON. AS IT DOES...A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ALONG IT ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA WHERE TEMPERATURES HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO WARM TO AROUND 80 DEGREES. THESE STORMS SHOULD MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. IF STORMS MOVE ACROSS AREAS OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THAT RECEIVED HEAVY RAINS THIS MORNING... ADDITIONAL RAINS MAY CAUSE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY IN PLACE ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND SLIGHTLY VEERING WIND PROFILES...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT FOR THIS AFTERNOON MAINLY SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM OKMULGEE OKLAHOMA TO FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS. HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED TORNADO REMAINS POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL LIKELY ACCOMPANY SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION... EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION...MAINLY IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS UNTIL EARLY EVENING.
Local storm report, May 17, 1:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
159 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0325 AM CINCINNATI AR WIND DAMAGE
05/17/99 WASHINGTON SEVERAL LARGE TREES
UPROOTED
1047 AM 3 SW FARMINGTON AR TORNADO
05/17/99 WASHINGTONLocal storm report, May 17, 1:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
159 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0325 AM CINCINNATI AR WIND DAMAGE
05/17/99 WASHINGTON SEVERAL LARGE TREES
UPROOTED
1047 AM 3 SW FARMINGTON AR TORNADO
05/17/99 WASHINGTONLocal storm report, May 17, 2:22 PM CDT, 45 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
222 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0205 PM FAIRLAND OK 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/17/99 OTTAWA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
REPORTLocal storm report, May 17, 2:22 PM CDT, 45 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
222 PM CDT MON MAY 17 1999
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0205 PM FAIRLAND OK 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/17/99 OTTAWA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
REPORTThe office that day
Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2:50 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Benton, Washington | 55 min |
| May 17, 2:50 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Crawford, Sebastian | 55 min |
| May 17, 3:36 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Franklin, Madison | 54 min |
| May 17, 3:36 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Carroll | 54 min |
| May 17, 3:45 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Crawford, Washington | 15 min |
| May 17, 3:45 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Benton | 15 min |
| May 17, 10:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Crawford, Washington | 45 min |
| May 17, 10:54 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Carroll | 51 min |
| May 17, 10:55 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | TSA | Washington | 35 min |
| May 17, 11:02 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Madison | 28 min |
| May 17, 3:11 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TSA | Franklin, Sebastian | 2 hr |
| May 17, 3:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Sebastian | 48 min |
| May 17, 3:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Madison | 17 min |
| May 17, 4:56 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TSA | Franklin, Sebastian | 3 hr |
| May 17, 5:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Sebastian | 51 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arkansas, 1999Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1999
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.