Alert archive / Mississippi / Severe Thunderstorm Watches in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 52

March 29, 200213 counties in Alabama; Lee County, Arkansas; 22 counties in Mississippi

The Storm Prediction Center issued this severe thunderstorm watch at Mar 29, 2002, 8:00 PM CST for 13 counties in Alabama; Lee County, Arkansas; 22 counties in Mississippi. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Mar 29, 2002, 8:00 PM CST (02:00 UTC)
Expired
Mar 30, 2002, 1:00 AM CST
In force
5 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 36 counties

Blount County, AL, Colbert County, AL, Cullman County, AL, Franklin County, AL, Lamar County, AL, Lauderdale County, AL, Lawrence County, AL, Limestone County, AL, Madison County, AL, Marion County, AL, Morgan County, AL, Walker County, AL, Winston County, AL, Lee County, AR, Alcorn County, MS, Benton County, MS, Calhoun County, MS, Chickasaw County, MS, Coahoma County, MS, DeSoto County, MS, Itawamba County, MS, Lafayette County, MS, Lee County, MS, Marshall County, MS, Monroe County, MS, Panola County, MS, Pontotoc County, MS, Prentiss County, MS, Quitman County, MS, Tallahatchie County, MS, Tate County, MS, Tippah County, MS, Tishomingo County, MS, Tunica County, MS, Union County, MS, Yalobusha County, MS

Warnings issued inside it

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 29, 8:13 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGMarshall47 min
Mar 29, 8:41 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFranklin34 min
Mar 29, 8:56 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLawrence64 min
Mar 29, 9:09 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGBenton36 min
Mar 29, 9:18 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMorgan57 min
Mar 29, 9:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXFranklin45 min
Mar 29, 9:38 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXMorgan52 min
Mar 29, 9:39 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLimestone36 min
Mar 29, 9:59 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXLawrence46 min
Mar 29, 10:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMadison45 min
Mar 29, 10:06 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCoahoma39 min
Mar 29, 10:08 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXLawrence37 min
Mar 29, 10:19 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXMadison41 min
Mar 29, 10:28 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXMorgan47 min
Mar 29, 11:10 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXCullman20 min
Mar 30, 12:15 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGTallahatchie30 min
Mar 30, 12:34 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGYalobusha26 min
Mar 30, 12:38 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGPontotoc37 min
Mar 30, 12:50 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCalhoun25 min

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 89 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 00:00Z on 2002-03-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1435 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 00:00Z on 2002-03-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 18 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
1435 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-26 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1436 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
18 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
60 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 300200
SEL2  
SPC WW 300155
ALZ000-ARZ000-MSZ000-300700-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 52
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
855 PM EST FRI MAR 29 2002

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

   NORTHERN ALABAMA                            
   EXTREME EASTERN ARKANSAS                           
   NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI                        

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING FROM 900 PM UNTIL
200 AM EST.

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 40 STATUTE MILES
NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 75 MILES WEST OF OXFORD MISSISSIPPI
TO 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA.

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...  CONTINUE...WW 49...WW 50...WW 51...

DISCUSSION...LINE OF STRONG/SEVERE STORMS OVER WESTERN/MIDDLE TN
WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD SOUTHEASTWARD INTO NORTHERN MS/AL DURING
THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.  RELATIVELY HIGH CAPE VALUES AND STRONG
WIND FIELDS INDICATE THE THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS...ESPECIALLY IF SMALL BOW/LEWP SEGMENTS CAN DEVELOP.

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 500.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 27035.

...HART

345,0905 345,0862 334,0862 334,0905

WWUS20 KWNS 300200
SEL2  
SPC WW 300155
ALZ000-ARZ000-MSZ000-300700-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 52
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
855 PM EST FRI MAR 29 2002

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

   NORTHERN ALABAMA                            
   EXTREME EASTERN ARKANSAS                           
   NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI                        

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING FROM 900 PM UNTIL
200 AM EST.

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 40 STATUTE MILES
NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 75 MILES WEST OF OXFORD MISSISSIPPI
TO 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA.

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...  CONTINUE...WW 49...WW 50...WW 51...

DISCUSSION...LINE OF STRONG/SEVERE STORMS OVER WESTERN/MIDDLE TN
WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD SOUTHEASTWARD INTO NORTHERN MS/AL DURING
THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.  RELATIVELY HIGH CAPE VALUES AND STRONG
WIND FIELDS INDICATE THE THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS...ESPECIALLY IF SMALL BOW/LEWP SEGMENTS CAN DEVELOP.

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 500.  MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 27035.

...HART

345,0905 345,0862 334,0862 334,0905

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 30, 1:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBlount, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin and 10 more4 hr
Mar 30, 3:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCLittle River5 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Mississippi, 2002Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Alabama, 2002Severe Thunderstorm Watches in Arkansas, 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.