Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 1999

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Tulsa, OK

March 5, 1999Franklin County, Arkansas

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at Mar 5, 1999, 5:10 PM CST for Franklin County, Arkansas. It was in force for 50 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
Mar 5, 1999, 5:10 PM CST (23:10 UTC)
Expired
Mar 5, 1999, 6:00 PM CST
In force
50 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Whole counties; the outline is the Mesonet’s reconstruction

County Franklin County, AR

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 5, 5:15 PM CSTHail 1Altus, ARLocation: Wiederkehr Winery Restaurant...no damage

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 5, 4:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 151 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 1999-03-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 1999-03-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 456 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1088 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
61 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
456 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
408 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.

999 
WFUS54 KTSA 052312 RRA
TORTUL
ARC047-060000-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
510 PM CST FRI MAR 5 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR
  EASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 600 PM CST

* AT 510 PM CST...RADAR INDICATED A DEVELOPING TORNADO OVER OZARK.
  THIS DANGEROUS STORM IS MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...  WIEDERKEHR
  VILLAGE...ALTUS...DENNING AND OZARK

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

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE NEAR ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR LARGE DAMAGING HAIL...VIOLENT STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND
POSSIBLY A TORNADO. IF NO UNDERGROUND SHELTER IS AVAILABLE TAKE COVER
ON THE LOWEST FLOOR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

MOTORISTS IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM SHOULD ABANDON VEHICLES
FOR MORE SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER TAKE COVER IN A NEARBY STURDY BUILDING.
AS A LAST RESORT...TAKE COVER IN A DITCH OR CULVERT. PROTECT YOUR
HEAD AND BODY FROM FLYING DEBRIS

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 3562 9387 3542 9386 3542 9371 3563 9369

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 Mar 5, 4:00 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 5, 4:00 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
400 PM CST FRI MAR 5 1999

PROBLEM(S) OF THE DAY:
WHAT TYPE(S) OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL OCCUR?
WILL THE CONVECTION BE SCATTERED OR NUMEROUS?

SEVERE TSRA ARE DEVELOPING ABOUT WHERE EARLIER EXPECTED...ALONG AND
EAST OF U.S. HWY 69. AS COLD FRONT AND UPPER DIVERGENCE SHIFT
EAST...SO WILL THE STORMS. ACTIVITY SHOULD CLEAR THE EASTERN EDGE OF
THE CWA AROUND 7-8 PM. SUBSIDENCE AND UPPER CONFLUENCE MOVES IN AFTER
THAT...SO LOOKS LIKE A MOSTLY CLEAR NIGHT AFTER STORMS MOVE OUT.
IN THE MEANTIME...AWIPS ANALYSIS SOFTWARE IS SHOWING LIFTED INDICES
AS LOW AS -7 IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA WITH INSTABILITY AXIS
STRETCHING FROM MIAMI TO HUGO. WOULD EXPECT TSRA TO DEVELOP SOUTH AS
CAP WEAKENS. LOW WET-BULB ZERO HEIGHTS INDICATE POSSIBILITY OF LARGE
HAIL. 18Z ETA SHOWS CAPES REACHING 1500-2400 J/KG ACROSS SE OK/NW AR
DUING NEXT THREE HOURS. DEQUEEN ARKANSAS WIND PROFILER SHOWS ONLY A
LITTLE DIRECTIONAL SHEAR IN THE LOWEST 3 KM...ALTHOUGH SPEED SHEAR
HAS INCREASED AS EARLIER EXPECTED. INCREASED SHEAR IN THE NEXT FEW
HOURS WILL SUPPORT SUPERCELLS. YOU GET THE IDEA...SEVERE WEATHER.

LARGE CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE FILTERS IN BEHIND THE FRONT...ALTHOUGH
THE CENTER OF THE AIR MASS WILL REMAIN WELL TO THE NORTH. THIS WILL
CAUSE WINDS TO GRADUALLY VEER FROM NORTH TO EAST FROM SATURDAY
THROUGH SUNDAY. MID-LEVEL CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY NEAR THE
TAIL OF THE WEAKENING SYSTEM NOW OVER SD/NEBRASKA.

ON SUNDAY...STRONG LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS OVER THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS
AND DEVELOPS A LOW-LEVEL JET BY LATE IN THE DAY. THIS WILL CAUSE A
RAPID INCREASE IN CLOUDS BY SUN NGT. STRONG ISENTROPIC
LIFT...APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...AND RAPID INCREASE IN
MOISTURE BRINGS HIGH CONFIDENCE IN RAIN CHANCES MON. AS FOR SNOW
CHANCES...LATEST 72HR AVN SHOWS A MORE OPEN 500 MB TROUGH THAN THE
00Z MRF...AND THE VORT MAX IS FURTHER NORTH THAN 00Z MRF. WILL
CONTINUE THE IDEA THAT SNOW IS LOOKING LESS AND LESS LIKELY ON MON
NGT. STILL BEARS WATCHING AND WILL CONTINUE THE SAME WORDING AS IN
THE PREVIOUS FORECAST FOR NOW. CLEARING OCCURS TUESDAY AS UPPER
TROUGH MOVES EAST. ANOTHER DISTURBANCE MAY CLIP NRN ZNS WED...BUT
LOOKS LIKE MORE CLOUDS THAN PRECIP AT THIS POINT.

FCSTID = 22
TUL   39  53  30  49 /   5   0  10  10
FSM   45  58  32  53 /  30   0   0   5
MLC   43  60  34  50 /  20   0   0  10
BVO   36  51  28  48 /   5   0  10  10
FYV   37  53  25  48 /  30   0   0  10
IDB   45  64  36  54 /  30   0   0  10
BYV   37  52  24  47 /  30   0   0  10
MIO   36  51  25  48 /  30   0   0  10
MKO   39  54  30  49 /   5   0  10  10
F10   40  56  32  49 /  10   0  10  10
HHW   44  63  36  53 /  30   0   0  10

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

--------------------
EXPERIMENTAL OUTPUT:

HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED NEXT 24 HOURS: CHANCE SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORMS
NGM CONFIDENCE:  7 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
ETA CONFIDENCE:  7 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
AVN CONFIDENCE:  8 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10
FCST CONFIDENCE: 8 ON A SCALE OF 0 TO 10

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 5, 1:00 PM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-061200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CST FRI MAR 5 1999

SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND THIS EVENING IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND PARTS OF EXTREME EASTERN
OKLAHOMA. THE THREAT WILL BE PRIMARILY EAST OF US-69...EAST AND
NORTH OF A LINE FROM MIAMI TO MCALESTER TO TALIHINA. PEOPLE IN THESE
AREAS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR
THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

.SYNOPSIS...
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE WAS LOCATED NEAR BARTLESVILLE
OKLAHOMA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. A COLD FRONT AND DRY LINE EXTENDED
SOUTHWARD FROM THE LOW PRESSURE INTO SOUTHCENTRAL OKLAHOMA. THIS LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST THIS AFTERNOON...REACHING
SOUTHWEST MISSOURI AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY SUNSET. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE LOW PRESSURE AREA
LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

.DISCUSSION...
ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND THIS EVENING EAST OF US-69. A CAPPING LAYER OF RELATIVELY WARM
AIR IN THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE HAS PROHIBITED THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. THIS CAP WILL CONTINUE TO
PERSIST...BUT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING MAINLY NORTH OF I-40. THE ATMOSPHERE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT
AND DRYLINE IS MODERATELY UNSTABLE WITH CAPE VALUES APPROACHING 1500
J/KG EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST AREAS OF LOCALIZED LIFT...
OR CONVERGENCE ...HAS BEEN AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO BE LOCATED
JUST NORTHEAST OF THE SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AREA. THIS AREA WILL BE
THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR INITIAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATE THIS
AFTERNOON. SUBSEQUENT THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO DEVELOP SOUTHWARD ALONG
THE DRY LINE.

ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND A FEW
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS EXPECTED.  GIVEN THE EXPECTED AMOUNT OF
INSTABILITY AND STORM-RELATIVE WIND PROFILE...SUPERCELL STORMS WILL
ALSO BE POSSIBLE. INSTABILITY IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN SUFFICIENTLY LOW
TO MAKE TORNADO DEVELOPMENT UNLIKELY...HOWEVER IF TEMPERATURES AND
MOISTURE INCREASE MORE THAN EXPECTED...THE THREAT OF TORNADOES WILL
INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY. MOVEMENT OF ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE
EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH WITH POSSIBLE SUPERCELL MOVEMENT SOUTHEAST AT
AROUND 20 MPH.

.EMERGENCY AGENCY AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND EXTREME
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AFTER 4PM TODAY.
Special weather statement, Mar 5, 1:00 PM CST, 4 hours 10 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-061200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CST FRI MAR 5 1999

SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND THIS EVENING IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND PARTS OF EXTREME EASTERN
OKLAHOMA. THE THREAT WILL BE PRIMARILY EAST OF US-69...EAST AND
NORTH OF A LINE FROM MIAMI TO MCALESTER TO TALIHINA. PEOPLE IN THESE
AREAS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR
THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

.SYNOPSIS...
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE WAS LOCATED NEAR BARTLESVILLE
OKLAHOMA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. A COLD FRONT AND DRY LINE EXTENDED
SOUTHWARD FROM THE LOW PRESSURE INTO SOUTHCENTRAL OKLAHOMA. THIS LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST THIS AFTERNOON...REACHING
SOUTHWEST MISSOURI AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY SUNSET. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE LOW PRESSURE AREA
LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

.DISCUSSION...
ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND THIS EVENING EAST OF US-69. A CAPPING LAYER OF RELATIVELY WARM
AIR IN THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE HAS PROHIBITED THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. THIS CAP WILL CONTINUE TO
PERSIST...BUT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING MAINLY NORTH OF I-40. THE ATMOSPHERE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT
AND DRYLINE IS MODERATELY UNSTABLE WITH CAPE VALUES APPROACHING 1500
J/KG EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST AREAS OF LOCALIZED LIFT...
OR CONVERGENCE ...HAS BEEN AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO BE LOCATED
JUST NORTHEAST OF THE SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AREA. THIS AREA WILL BE
THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR INITIAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATE THIS
AFTERNOON. SUBSEQUENT THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO DEVELOP SOUTHWARD ALONG
THE DRY LINE.

ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND A FEW
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS EXPECTED.  GIVEN THE EXPECTED AMOUNT OF
INSTABILITY AND STORM-RELATIVE WIND PROFILE...SUPERCELL STORMS WILL
ALSO BE POSSIBLE. INSTABILITY IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN SUFFICIENTLY LOW
TO MAKE TORNADO DEVELOPMENT UNLIKELY...HOWEVER IF TEMPERATURES AND
MOISTURE INCREASE MORE THAN EXPECTED...THE THREAT OF TORNADOES WILL
INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY. MOVEMENT OF ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE
EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH WITH POSSIBLE SUPERCELL MOVEMENT SOUTHEAST AT
AROUND 20 MPH.

.EMERGENCY AGENCY AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND EXTREME
EASTERN OKLAHOMA AFTER 4PM TODAY.
Local storm report, Mar 5, 5:03 PM CST, 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
503 PM CST FRI MAR 05 1999

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

0400 PM    LIBERTY                   OK   .75 INCH HAIL
03/05/99   SEQUOYAH

0403 PM    PARK HILL                 OK   .88 INCH HAIL
03/05/99   CHEROKEE

0410 PM    UNIONTOWN                 AR   1 INCH HAIL
03/05/99   CRAWFORD

0435 PM    ALMA                      AR   4.5 INCH HAIL
03/05/99   CRAWFORD

0436 PM    2 W ALMA                  AR   TORNADO
03/05/99   CRAWFORD
Local storm report, Mar 5, 5:03 PM CST, 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
503 PM CST FRI MAR 05 1999

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

0400 PM    LIBERTY                   OK   .75 INCH HAIL
03/05/99   SEQUOYAH

0403 PM    PARK HILL                 OK   .88 INCH HAIL
03/05/99   CHEROKEE

0410 PM    UNIONTOWN                 AR   1 INCH HAIL
03/05/99   CRAWFORD

0435 PM    ALMA                      AR   4.5 INCH HAIL
03/05/99   CRAWFORD

0436 PM    2 W ALMA                  AR   TORNADO
03/05/99   CRAWFORD
Local storm report, Mar 5, 5:06 PM CST, 4 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
506 PM CST FRI MAR 05 1999

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

0444 PM    JAY                       OK   1 INCH HAIL
03/05/99   DELAWARE

0445 PM    MULBERRY                  AR   2.75 INCH HAIL
03/05/99   CRAWFORD

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 5, 3:51 PM CSTTornado WarningTSACrawford39 min
Mar 5, 4:27 PM CSTTornado WarningTSACrawford48 min
Mar 5, 4:37 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSABenton53 min
Mar 5, 4:42 PM CSTTornado WarningTSAFranklin33 min
Mar 5, 5:16 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Sebastian29 min
Mar 5, 5:46 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Franklin44 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.