Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Watches in 2002

Tornado Watch 784

December 18, 20024 states

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Dec 18, 2002, 1:10 PM CST for 4 states. It was in force for 8 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Dec 18, 2002, 1:10 PM CST (19:10 UTC)
Expired: Dec 18, 2002, 9:00 PM CST
In force: 8 hr
Issued by: the Storm Prediction Center

All 67 counties

Arkansas County, AR, Ashley County, AR, Bradley County, AR, Calhoun County, AR, Clark County, AR, Cleveland County, AR, Columbia County, AR, Dallas County, AR, Drew County, AR, Garland County, AR, Grant County, AR, Hempstead County, AR, Hot Spring County, AR, Howard County, AR, Jefferson County, AR, Lafayette County, AR, Lincoln County, AR, Little River County, AR, Lonoke County, AR, Miller County, AR, Monroe County, AR, Montgomery County, AR, Nevada County, AR, Ouachita County, AR, Pike County, AR, Polk County, AR, Prairie County, AR, Pulaski County, AR, Saline County, AR, Scott County, AR, Sevier County, AR, Union County, AR, Bienville Parish, LA, Bossier Parish, LA, Caddo Parish, LA, Claiborne Parish, LA, De Soto Parish, LA, Grant Parish, LA, Jackson Parish, LA, Lincoln Parish, LA, Natchitoches Parish, LA, Ouachita Parish, LA, Red River Parish, LA, Sabine Parish, LA, Union Parish, LA, Webster Parish, LA, Winn Parish, LA, McCurtain County, OK, Anderson County, TX, Bowie County, TX, Camp County, TX, Cass County, TX, Cherokee County, TX, Franklin County, TX, Gregg County, TX, Harrison County, TX, Marion County, TX, Morris County, TX, Nacogdoches County, TX, Panola County, TX, Red River County, TX, Rusk County, TX, Shelby County, TX, Smith County, TX, Titus County, TX, Upshur County, TX, Wood County, TX

The radar

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 47 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:14 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

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 18, 1:42 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Garland	43 min
Dec 18, 2:08 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Perry, Saline	27 min
Dec 18, 2:35 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Perry, Pulaski, Saline	45 min
Dec 18, 3:01 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Garland	29 min
Dec 18, 3:17 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Perry, Pulaski, Saline	33 min
Dec 18, 3:21 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Perry, Pulaski, Saline	29 min
Dec 18, 3:31 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Clark, Garland, Hot Spring, Pike	44 min
Dec 18, 3:44 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Garland	31 min
Dec 18, 3:47 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Hot Spring	28 min
Dec 18, 3:51 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Pulaski, Saline	34 min
Dec 18, 3:58 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Saline	47 min
Dec 18, 4:10 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SHV	Lincoln	35 min
Dec 18, 4:15 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Grant	45 min
Dec 18, 4:18 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Garland	27 min
Dec 18, 4:19 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Arkansas, Jefferson	31 min
Dec 18, 4:24 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Pulaski	46 min
Dec 18, 4:34 PM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Ashley	46 min
Dec 18, 4:40 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Grant, Jefferson	30 min
Dec 18, 4:42 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SHV	Miller	33 min
Dec 18, 4:46 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SHV	Union	29 min
Dec 18, 4:54 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	LZK	Garland	3 hr
Dec 18, 4:55 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SHV	Bossier, Caddo	50 min
Dec 18, 4:58 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Lonoke	47 min
Dec 18, 5:00 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SHV	Union	30 min
Dec 18, 5:02 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Lonoke, White	43 min
Dec 18, 5:07 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SHV	Lafayette	23 min
Dec 18, 5:10 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	LZK	Saline	3 hr
Dec 18, 5:11 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Drew	44 min
Dec 18, 5:20 PM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Ashley	30 min
Dec 18, 5:21 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Clark, Pike	44 min
Dec 18, 5:22 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Prairie	58 min
Dec 18, 5:26 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SHV	Webster	19 min
Dec 18, 5:29 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	LZK	Clark, Pike	3 hr
Dec 18, 5:34 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Ouachita	46 min
Dec 18, 5:34 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SHV	Columbia	41 min
Dec 18, 5:41 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Ouachita	29 min
Dec 18, 5:51 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Garland, Hot Spring	44 min
Dec 18, 5:53 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Monroe	27 min
Dec 18, 6:01 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Dallas	29 min
Dec 18, 6:09 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Pulaski	46 min
Dec 18, 6:12 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Ouachita	43 min
Dec 18, 6:17 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	LZK	Pulaski	118 min
Dec 18, 6:33 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Lonoke	37 min
Dec 18, 6:42 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SHV	Caddo	33 min
Dec 18, 6:45 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Prairie, White	30 min
Dec 18, 6:56 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Calhoun	29 min
Dec 18, 6:59 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Calhoun	31 min
Dec 18, 7:12 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Cleveland, Jefferson	43 min
Dec 18, 7:15 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SHV	Bossier, Caddo	45 min
Dec 18, 7:17 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Prairie, White, Woodruff	43 min
Dec 18, 7:51 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Arkansas	44 min
Dec 18, 7:54 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Cleveland, Lincoln	46 min
Dec 18, 7:59 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Ouachita	41 min
Dec 18, 8:14 PM CST	Tornado Warning	SHV	Columbia	46 min
Dec 18, 8:15 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Jefferson	40 min
Dec 18, 8:18 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	LZK	Prairie	117 min
Dec 18, 8:33 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LZK	Monroe	32 min
Dec 18, 8:34 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Arkansas	41 min
Dec 18, 8:45 PM CST	Tornado Warning	LZK	Calhoun	30 min
Dec 18, 8:50 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SHV	Webster	25 min
Dec 18, 8:55 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	LZK	Arkansas, Jefferson, Monroe	3 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Shreveport, LA (KSHV), launched 12:00Z, 7.2 hours before the alert went out and 47 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 193 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -333 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 639 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 345 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 511 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.

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 181911
SEL4  
SPC WW 181910
ARZ000-LAZ000-OKZ000-TXZ000-190300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 784
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
110 PM CST WED DEC 18 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
NORTH AND NORTHWEST LOUISIANA
EXTREME SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
NORTHEAST TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 110 PM UNTIL
900 PM CST.

...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...

DAMAGING TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 105 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 65 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF LONGVIEW TEXAS TO 25
MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND 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.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...  CONTINUE...WW 783...

DISCUSSION...SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY 20-21Z ACROSS
NE TX/NW LA.  SPECIAL 18Z SOUNDINGS REVEAL A WEAKENING CAP AND
INCREASING INSTABILITY ACROSS NE TX/NW LA...AND THESE TRENDS WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AS A STRONG MID LEVEL TROUGH
APPROACHES FROM W TX.  SBCAPE VALUES SHOULD INCREASE TO 1500-2000
J/KG...WHILE WIND PROFILES WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY FAVORABLE FOR
SUPERCELLS WITH TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS.  A FEW
STRONG TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS N/NW LA AND CENTRAL/SRN
AR...ESPECIALLY LATER THIS EVENING.


AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24040.


...THOMPSON

345,0904 313,0923 313,0960 345,0942

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 17, 7:35 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Marion, Newton and 1 more	5 hr
Dec 17, 10:40 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Benton, Carroll, Washington	5 hr
Dec 18, 3:30 AM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Benton	5 hr
Dec 18, 7:20 AM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Baxter, Boone, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Fulton and 12 more	6 hr
Dec 18, 2:30 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Baxter, Clay, Cleburne, Conway, Craighead, Crittenden and 18 more	7 hr
Dec 18, 5:50 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Chicot, Crittenden, Desha, Lee, Mississippi, Phillips and 1 more	3 hr
Dec 18, 9:30 AM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Craig, Ottawa	6 hr

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2002 Tornado Watches in Texas, 2002 Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 2002 Every tornado 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.