Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 1999
Tornado Warning 72, NWS Tulsa, OK
NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at May 17, 1999, 10:55 AM CDT for Washington County, Arkansas. It was in force for 35 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, 10:55 AM CDT (15:55 UTC)
- Expired
- May 17, 1999, 11:30 AM CDT
- In force
- 35 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tulsa, OK
- Area
- Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction
County Washington County, AR
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 11:00 AM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind | Fayetteville, AR | Siding was blown off several houses in Fayetteville. Tree limbs were also blown down. |
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, 3.9 hours before the alert went out and 94 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 WFUS54 KTSA 171557 RRA TORTUL ARC143-171630- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 1055 AM CDT MON MAY 17 1999 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS * UNTIL 1130 AM CDT * AT 1055 AM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION OVER FAYETTEVILLE. MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH...THIS DANGEROUS STORM COULD PRODUCE A TORNADO AT ANY TIME. * SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... GREENLAND... FARMINGTON...ELKINS AND FAYETTEVILLE IF YOU ARE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM...TAKE COVER NOW IF NO UNDERGROUND SHELTER IS AVAILABLE MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR MORE SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. AVOID WINDOWS IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF A TORNADO...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. GO TO A SAFE PLACE NOW LAT...LON 3613 9428 3596 9421 3602 9395 3624 9395
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.
NWS Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 17, 7:36 AM CDT, 3 hours 19 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 17, 7:36 AM CDT, 3 hours 19 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION...RETRAN NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 420 AM CDT MON MAY 17 1999 PROBLEM(S) OF THE DAY: WILL THE CONVECTION BE SCATTERED OR NUMEROUS? POPS WHAT TYPE(S) OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL OCCUR? LOTS OF WIND REPORTS TONIGHT WITH BOW ECHO. SFC ANALYSIS AT 3AM SHOWED FRONT WAS STILL NORTH OF THE AREA...WILL NEED PRETTY HIGH POPS TODAY FOR ONGOING PRECIP OVER NC/NE OK AND REDEVELOPMENT TODAY. MODELS STILL SHOW FROPA AROUND 15-18Z IN NE OK AND THIS AFTERNOON ALL BUT FAR SE ZONES. HAVE A FEELING THAT FRONT WILL SLOW DOWN ACROSS SRN ZONES AS S/W ZIPS OFF TO THE E LEAVING COMMA TAIL PRECIP TO FIRE ALONG FRONT. CONDITIONS MAY NOT BE OPTIMAL FOR SUPERCELLS TODAY...BUT COULD EASILY CHANGE BASED ON NEAR-TERM CONVECTION AND HOW MUCH MUCH ATMOSPHERE IN LOW LEVELS CAN RECOVER. WILL MENTION SVR POSSIBLE ACROSS SE ZONES TODAY AND FAR SE THIS EVENING. RAINFALL REPORTS HAVE BEEN FAIRLY LOW CONSIDERING HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT...MAINLY TO DUE RAPID PROGREESION OF BOW ECHO. WILL NOT ISSUE ANY FFA DUE TO UNCERTAINTY ON HOW MUCH WIDESPREAD PRECIP WILL OCCUR TODAY OR TONIGHT. MODELS GENERALLY IN AGREEMENT WITH TIMING OF FRONT SO HAVE NOT FOLLOWED ANY PATICULAR MODEL TO THE LETTER. GENERALLY WENT A LITTLE COOLER THAN FWC WITH COOLER H8 TEMPS AND NORTH WINDS. SHOULD SEE SOME OVERRUNNING CLOUDS UNTIL LATER TONIGHT WHEN CLEARING WILL OCCUR FROM THE NORTH. EXTD FCST IN SOME DOUBT AS MRF AND ECMWF SHOWING GOOD SWLY FLOW OVER SRN PLAINS THURS. THINK STORMS WILL STAY WEST ON DRYLINE. OTHER MODELS STARTING TO LOOK LIKE LAST 2 RUNS OF MRF SHOWING CUTOFF LOW OVER SW US AND RETROGRADING UPR LOW INTO FLORIDA FOR FRI/SAT. VERY STRANGE PATTERN FOR MAY IF THIS VERIFIES...BUT SEEMS REASONABLE BASED ON HEMISPHERIC PATTERN AND INTER-/INTRA-MODEL AND RUN-TO-RUN CONSISTENCY. WITH CUTOFF TO THE WEST WILL KEEP EXT FCST DRY. FCSTID = 26 NELSON TUL 76 53 78 53 / 90 10 0 0 FSM 80 57 78 51 / 60 20 0 0 MLC 79 55 80 52 / 50 20 0 0 BVO 75 50 76 50 / 90 5 0 0 FYV 77 52 73 45 / 70 10 0 0 IDB 82 58 82 54 / 40 60 0 0 BYV 77 52 73 45 / 70 10 0 0 MIO 76 51 75 48 / 70 10 0 0 MKO 78 55 78 52 / 70 10 0 0 F10 76 53 78 53 / 90 10 0 0 HHW 82 58 82 54 / 40 60 0 0 .TUL... AR...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 600 AM CDT MONDAY FOR ZONES ARZ001...ARZ010...ARZ019...ARZ029. OK...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 600 AM CDT MONDAY FOR ZONES OKZ049...OKZ053...OKZ055>058...OKZ060>076. -------------------- EXPERIMENTAL OUTPUT: HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED NEXT 24 HOURS: CHANCE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS NGM CONFIDENCE: 7 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10 ETA CONFIDENCE: 8 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10 AVN CONFIDENCE: 7 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10 FCST CONFIDENCE: 8 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 17, 5:00 AM CDT, 5 hours 55 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053-055>058-060>077-171300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 500 AM CDT MON MAY 17 1999 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 283 AND 285 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS DIMINISHED ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...THUS THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING MAINLY ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA. STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR FURTHER INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
Special weather statement, May 17, 5:00 AM CDT, 5 hours 55 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053-055>058-060>077-171300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 500 AM CDT MON MAY 17 1999 SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 283 AND 285 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS DIMINISHED ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...THUS THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING MAINLY ACROSS EASTERN OKLAHOMA. STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR FURTHER INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
Special weather statement, May 17, 6:00 AM CDT, 4 hours 55 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 600 AM CDT MON MAY 17 1999 ...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY IN SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...WITH ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS MORNING... .SYNOPSIS... EARLY THIS MORNING...A COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM LOW PRESSURE IN NORTHERN MISSOURI TO ANOTHER LOW IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE AND HAD ENTERED OSAGE AND PAWNEE COUNTIES. AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE LIFTS INTO THE PLAINS TODAY...THE COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTHEASTWARD AND BY THIS EVENING IS EXPECTED TO BE EXITING SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. .DISCUSSION... THE AIRMASS OVER THE AREA IS EXPECTED TO RECOVER FROM THE OVERNIGHT CONVECTION AND AGAIN BECOME UNSTABLE AHEAD AND NEAR THE FRONT. THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOPED JUST BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WERE ENTERING NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA EARLY THIS MORNING AND ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED DURING THE MORNING IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS...BUT AN ISOLATED SHORT LIVED SEVERE STORM COULD DEVELOP. WITH SOME SUNSHINE...TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO WARM TO NEAR 80 DEGREES IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP ON OR JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT AS IT MOVES INTO THIS AREA. GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY...A FEW SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THESE STORMS SHOULD EXIT SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA BY EVENING. .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 FROM LATE MORNING UNTIL EARLY EVENING.
Special weather statement, May 17, 6:00 AM CDT, 4 hours 55 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 600 AM CDT MON MAY 17 1999 ...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY IN SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...WITH ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS MORNING... .SYNOPSIS... EARLY THIS MORNING...A COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM LOW PRESSURE IN NORTHERN MISSOURI TO ANOTHER LOW IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE AND HAD ENTERED OSAGE AND PAWNEE COUNTIES. AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE LIFTS INTO THE PLAINS TODAY...THE COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTHEASTWARD AND BY THIS EVENING IS EXPECTED TO BE EXITING SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. .DISCUSSION... THE AIRMASS OVER THE AREA IS EXPECTED TO RECOVER FROM THE OVERNIGHT CONVECTION AND AGAIN BECOME UNSTABLE AHEAD AND NEAR THE FRONT. THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOPED JUST BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WERE ENTERING NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA EARLY THIS MORNING AND ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED DURING THE MORNING IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS...BUT AN ISOLATED SHORT LIVED SEVERE STORM COULD DEVELOP. WITH SOME SUNSHINE...TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO WARM TO NEAR 80 DEGREES IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP ON OR JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT AS IT MOVES INTO THIS AREA. GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY...A FEW SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THESE STORMS SHOULD EXIT SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA BY EVENING. .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 FROM LATE MORNING UNTIL EARLY EVENING.
Local storm report, May 17, 8:23 AM CDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
823 AM CDT MON MAY 17 1999
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0821 AM KELLYVILLE OK .88 INCH HAIL
05/17/99 CREEKLocal storm report, May 17, 8:23 AM CDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
823 AM CDT MON MAY 17 1999
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0821 AM KELLYVILLE OK .88 INCH HAIL
05/17/99 CREEKThe 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, 11:02 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Madison | 28 min |
| May 17, 3:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Crawford, Franklin, Sebastian | 38 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
Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 1999Every tornado warning in 1999Tornadoes 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.