Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 50, NWS Tulsa, OK

March 25, 2002Franklin County, Arkansas

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 25, 2002, 1:30 PM CST for Franklin County, Arkansas. It was in force for 45 min. 1 report 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, 1:30 PM CST (19:30 UTC)
Expired
Mar 25, 2002, 2:15 PM CST
In force
45 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), 50 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:30 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, 2:00 PM CSTHail 0.75Ozark, AR

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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 25, 11:00 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 7.5 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 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°0°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 251930
SVRTUL
ARC047-252015-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 215 PM CST

* AT 129 PM CST...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 19
  MILES WEST OF OZARK...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

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

HAIL TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WARNED AREA. STAY
INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

LAT...LON 3555 9405 3540 9407 3547 9370 3577 9369

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, 11:10 AM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 25, 11:10 AM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes before
EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1110 AM CST MON MAR 25 2002

COLD FRONT HAS MADE IT THROUGH THE ENTIRE AREA AND WILL SEE STEADY
OR FALLING TEMPERATURES AT MOST LOCATIONS THE REST OF THE DAY.
CURRENT TRENDS SUGGEST THAT MOST SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
THE REST OF THE DAY WILL REMAIN SOUTHEAST OF INTERSTATE 44 AND WILL
LOWER POPS IN PARTS OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AS A RESULT. WILL MENTION
SEVERE IN PARTS OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WITH
VERY INTENSE SEVERE STORM MOVING INTO LATIMER COUNTY NOW AND NEW
WATCH JUST OUT. LIKE YESTERDAY...VERY LARGE HAIL TO GOLFBALL SIZE
AND LARGER LOOKS LIKELY WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS GIVEN THE
ENVIRONMENT THE STORMS ARE IN.

UPDATE WILL BE OUT SHORTLY.

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

PLATE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 25, 11:01 AM CST, 2 hours 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
1101 AM CST MON MAR 25 2002

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

1040 PM    MARBLE CITY               OK   .75 INCH HAIL
03/25/02   SEQUOYAH                       REPORTED BY
PUBLIC

1015 PM    MUSKOGEE                  OK   .75 INCH HAIL
03/25/02   MUSKOGEE                       REPORTED BY
PUBLIC

1041 PM    CLAREMORE                 OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
03/25/02   ROGERS                         REPORTED BY
SPOTTERS
Local storm report, Mar 25, 11:08 AM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
1108 AM CST MON MAR 25 2002

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

0835 PM    OOLOGAH                   OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
03/24/02   ROGERS                         REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT
Local storm report, Mar 25, 11:10 AM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED DATES
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA, OK
1110 AM CST MON MAR 25 2002

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

1040 PM    MARBLE CITY               OK   .75 INCH HAIL
03/24/02   SEQUOYAH                       REPORTED BY PUBLIC

1015 PM    MUSKOGEE                  OK   .75 INCH HAIL
03/24/02   MUSKOGEE                       REPORTED BY PUBLIC

1041 PM    CLAREMORE                 OK   1.00 INCH HAIL
03/24/02   ROGERS                         REPORTED BY SPOTTERS
Local storm report, Mar 25, 11:28 AM CST, 2 hours 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1128 AM CST MON MAR 25 2002

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

0854 PM    BROKEN ARROW              OK   .75 INCH HAIL
03/25/02   TULSA                          REPORTED BY CO-OP
                                          OBSERVERS
Special weather statement, Mar 25, 12:05 PM CST, 1 hour 25 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
1205 PM CST MON MAR 25 2002

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST
   OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS UNTIL 4 PM...

AT MID DAY A FRONT LIED NEARLY STATIONARY FROM NORTH CENTRAL
ARKANSAS INTO THE FAR SOUTHEAST CORNER OF OKLAHOMA.  LOW PRESSURE
WILL FORM ALONG THIS FRONT IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AS A
POTENT UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM LIFTS NORTHEAST INTO THE PLAINS FROM NEW
MEXICO.  THE LOW PRESSURE WILL ACT AS A KICKER AS INTO MOVES
NORTHEAST PUSHING THE FRONT SOUTHEAST AS A COLD FRONT.  UNTIL THIS
HAPPENS A HIGH DEGREE OF INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN OVER SOUTHEAST
OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.  ONGOING STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THIS AREA WILL CONTINUE UNTIL AT LEAST 4 PM AND
POSSIBLY INTO THIS EVENING.  THE MAIN THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL
BE LARGE HAIL.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED ACROSS SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND POSSIBLY THIS EVENING.

.DISCUSSION...
STEEP LAPSE RATES...ABUNDANT MOISTURE A STRONG FORCING WITH THE
FRONT IN THE AREA AND THE APPROACH OF THE STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM
WILL RESULT IN A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO THE SOUTHEAST OF A
FAYETTEVILLE TO MCALESTER LINE.  ALTHOUGH WIND FIELD ABOVE THE FRONT
WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR SUPERCELLS...THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE STORMS
WILL BE LARGE HAIL DUE TO THE ELEVATED NATURE OF THE STORMS.

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

THREAT TABLE
VALID THROUGH 1200 UTC TUESDAY

THREAT AREA 1...GENERALLY SOUTH OF A MCLEASTER TO FAYTEVILLE LINE
THUNDERSTORM PROBABILITY...100
SEVERE PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...100
SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER PROBABILITY IF STORMS OCCUR...40

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.
Local storm report, Mar 25, 1:30 PM CST, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
130 PM CST MON MAR 25 2002

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

1113 AM    DAMON                     OK   1.75 INCH HAIL
03/25/02   LATIMER                        REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT

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, 10:11 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAFranklin19 min
Mar 25, 1:17 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Sebastian43 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.