Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 43, NWS Tulsa, OK

March 25, 2002Franklin County, Arkansas

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 25, 2002, 10:11 AM CST for Franklin County, Arkansas. It was in force for 19 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Mar 25, 2002, 10:11 AM CST (16:11 UTC)
Expired
Mar 25, 2002, 10:30 AM CST
In force
19 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Franklin County, AR

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:14 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 25, 10:14 AM CSTHail 0.88Alix, AR
Mar 25, 10:25 AM CSTHail 1.25Clarksville, ARHail up to the size of half dollars damaged several cars and stripped the leaves from many trees just south of Clarksville.
Mar 25, 10:32 AM CSTHail 0.88Coal Hill, ARNickel size hail covered the ground at Coal Hill.

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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 164 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 2002-03-25Temperature 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 2002-03-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 218 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
448 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
85 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
218 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
206 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 
WUUS54 KTSA 251611
SVRTUL
ARC047-251630-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1011 AM CST MON MAR 25 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEAST FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 1030 AM CST

* AT 1011 AM CST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 7
  MILES SOUTHWEST OF DENNING...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

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

HAIL TO THE SIZE OF DIMES AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE  
IN THE WARNED AREA. STAY INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE 
STORM HAS PASSED.


LAT...LON 3538 9393 3523 9380 3550 9332 3567 9347

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at Mar 25, 7:18 AM CST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 25, 7:18 AM CST, 2 hours 53 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
718 AM CST MON MAR 25 2002

UPDATED ZONES SENT TO INCLUDE MENTION OF THUNDER MOST LOCATIONS.
ONGOING ACTIVITY INDICATING PRESENCE OF ENOUGH ELEVATED INSTABILITY
TO SUPPORT THUNDERSTORMS AND THIS SHOULD PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY AS
LARGE SCALE ASCENT OVERSPREADS THE AREA.

FCSTID = 07

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 25, 6:00 AM CST, 4 hours 11 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-261200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
600 AM CST MON MAR 25 2002

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...

EARLY THIS MORNING...A COLD FRONT STRETCHED FROM NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. THIS BOUNDARY SHOULD REMAIN NEARLY
STATIONARY FOR MUCH OF THE DAY AS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT THIS MORNING AND INTO THE EARLY
AFTERNOON.

GIVEN THE VERY COLD TEMPERATURES ALOFT...ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH LARGE
HAIL BEING THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AFTER 2 PM.

.DISCUSSION...
INCREASING UPWARD VERTICAL VELOCITIES ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL SPREAD INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS MORNING.
AN AREA OF ELEVATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN AREAL
COVERAGE AND SPREAD EAST ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA BY MID TO LATE
MORNING AND MOVE INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY THE EARLY AFTERNOON.
THE COMBINATION OF COLD TEMPERATURES ALOFT...STEEPENING LAPSE RATES
AND STRONG WINDS ALOFT MAY RESULT IN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

THE THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL END BY LATE EVENING AS
THE COLD FRONT PUSHES EAST OF THE AREA.

THREAT TABLE
VALID THROUGH 1200 UTC TUESDAY

THREAT AREA 1...GENERALLY EAST OF A HUNTSVILLE TO SALLISAW TO
WILBURTON TO HUGO LINE
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...50
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...25
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...20

THREAT AREAS DEFINE THE GREATEST RISK. PROBABILITIES ARE IN PERCENT.
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER IS DEFINED AS F1 OR GREATER WIND/TORNADO
DAMAGE AND/OR GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL OR LARGER.

.OTHER HAZARDS...
AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS
EVENING...TEMPERATURES MAY COOL ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A MIX OF RAIN AND
SLEET IN AREAS TO THE NORTHWEST OF TULSA. HOWEVER...SIGNIFICANT
WINTRY PRECIPITATION IS NOT EXPECTED.

RELATED GRAPHICAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA.

AN UPDATED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 1 PM
TODAY.
Special weather statement, Mar 25, 7:45 AM CST, 2 hours 26 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-261200-

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
745 AM CST MON MAR 25 2002

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY ACROSS
SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...

EARLY THIS MORNING...A COLD FRONT STRETCHED FROM NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA. THIS BOUNDARY SHOULD REMAIN NEARLY
STATIONARY FOR MUCH OF THE DAY AS A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
TO EXPAND IN COVERAGE ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS MORNING AND
SPREAD INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG AND
BEHIND THE FRONT THIS MORNING AND INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON.

GIVEN THE VERY COLD TEMPERATURES ALOFT...ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON.
MARGINALLY HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THIS MORNING...BUT MAY BE
NEEDED ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY THIS
AFTERNOON.

.DISCUSSION...
INCREASING UPWARD VERTICAL VELOCITIES ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL SPREAD INTO SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS MORNING.
AN AREA OF ELEVATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO
INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE AND SPREAD EAST ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
THIS MORNING AND MOVE INTO NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BY THIS AFTERNOON.
THE COMBINATION OF COLD TEMPERATURES ALOFT...STEEPENING LAPSE RATES
AND STRONG WINDS ALOFT MAY RESULT IN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

THE THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL END BY LATE EVENING AS
THE COLD FRONT PUSHES EAST OF THE AREA.

THREAT TABLE
VALID THROUGH 1200 UTC TUESDAY

THREAT AREA 1...GENERALLY EAST OF A OKEMAH TO FAYTEVILLE LINE
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...50
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...25
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...20

THREAT AREAS DEFINE THE GREATEST RISK. PROBABILITIES ARE IN PERCENT.
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER IS DEFINED AS F1 OR GREATER WIND/TORNADO
DAMAGE AND/OR GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL OR LARGER.

.OTHER HAZARDS...
AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA THIS
EVENING...TEMPERATURES MAY COOL ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A MIX OF RAIN AND
SLEET IN AREAS TO THE NORTHWEST OF TULSA. HOWEVER...SIGNIFICANT
WINTRY PRECIPITATION IS NOT EXPECTED.

RELATED GRAPHICAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA.

AN UPDATED HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 1 PM
TODAY.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 24, 11:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford49 min
Mar 25, 1:16 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAMadison, Washington59 min
Mar 25, 7:41 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Franklin, Sebastian34 min
Mar 25, 1:17 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Sebastian43 min
Mar 25, 1:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAFranklin45 min
Mar 25, 4:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSASebastian30 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arkansas, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.