Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Watches in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 29

March 15, 200222 counties in Arkansas; 9 counties in Missouri; Lake County, Tennessee

The Storm Prediction Center issued this severe thunderstorm watch at Mar 15, 2002, 5:30 PM CST for 22 counties in Arkansas; 9 counties in Missouri; Lake County, Tennessee. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 15, 2002, 5:30 PM CST (23:30 UTC)
Expired
Mar 15, 2002, 10:00 PM CST
In force
5 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 32 counties

Clay County, AR, Cleburne County, AR, Conway County, AR, Craighead County, AR, Crittenden County, AR, Cross County, AR, Faulkner County, AR, Fulton County, AR, Greene County, AR, Independence County, AR, Izard County, AR, Jackson County, AR, Lawrence County, AR, Mississippi County, AR, Poinsett County, AR, Randolph County, AR, Sharp County, AR, St. Francis County, AR, Stone County, AR, Van Buren County, AR, White County, AR, Woodruff County, AR, Butler County, MO, Carter County, MO, Dunklin County, MO, Mississippi County, MO, New Madrid County, MO, Oregon County, MO, Pemiscot County, MO, Ripley County, MO, Stoddard County, MO, Lake County, TN

The radar

The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 132 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:33 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.

Warnings issued inside it

3 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 15, 5:43 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKFaulkner47 min
Mar 15, 7:54 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKWhite31 min
Mar 15, 8:06 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPAHStoddard24 min

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 170 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2002-03-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 580 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2002-03-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 235 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
580 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-38 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
551 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
235 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
222 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
4.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 152325
SEL9  
SPC WW 152322
ARZ000-MOZ000-160400-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 29
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
522 PM CST FRI MAR 15 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN ARKANSAS                        
   SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI                           

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 530 PM UNTIL 1000
PM CST.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 75 STATUTE MILES
EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 80 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JONESBORO
ARKANSAS TO 15 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF POPLAR BLUFF MISSOURI.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. 
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REPLACES
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 26.  WATCH NUMBER 26 WILL NOT BE
IN EFFECT AFTER 530 PM CST.  CONTINUE...WW 27...WW 28...

DISCUSSION...SURFACE FRONT WILL CONTINUE SHIFTING SLOWLY SEWD INTO
ERN AR THIS EVENING...WITH SURFACE WAVE LIFTING TOWARDS THE MO
BOOTHEEL.  CAPE AND SHEAR WILL REMAIN SUPPORTIVE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDING A FEW SUPERCELLS.  LARGE HAIL WILL REMAIN
PRIMARY THREAT.


AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 400.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 24035.


...EVANS

365,0890 350,0901 350,0925 365,0914

WWUS20 KWNS 152325
SEL9  
SPC WW 152322
ARZ000-MOZ000-160400-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 29
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
522 PM CST FRI MAR 15 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN ARKANSAS                        
   SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI                           

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 530 PM UNTIL 1000
PM CST.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 75 STATUTE MILES
EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 80 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JONESBORO
ARKANSAS TO 15 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF POPLAR BLUFF MISSOURI.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. 
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REPLACES
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 26.  WATCH NUMBER 26 WILL NOT BE
IN EFFECT AFTER 530 PM CST.  CONTINUE...WW 27...WW 28...

DISCUSSION...SURFACE FRONT WILL CONTINUE SHIFTING SLOWLY SEWD INTO
ERN AR THIS EVENING...WITH SURFACE WAVE LIFTING TOWARDS THE MO
BOOTHEEL.  CAPE AND SHEAR WILL REMAIN SUPPORTIVE OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDING A FEW SUPERCELLS.  LARGE HAIL WILL REMAIN
PRIMARY THREAT.


AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 400.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 24035.


...EVANS

365,0890 350,0901 350,0925 365,0914

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 15, 1:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBaxter, Boone, Cleburne, Conway, Crawford, Franklin and 17 more5 hr
Mar 15, 3:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBradley, Calhoun, Clark, Cleveland, Columbia, Dallas and 16 more6 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Arkansas, 2002Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Missouri, 2002Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Tennessee, 2002Every severe thunderstorm watch in 2002

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.