Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 163, NWS Jackson, MS

May 17, 2003Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi

NWS Jackson, MS issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2003, 4:23 PM CDT for Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi. It was in force for 32 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: May 17, 2003, 4:23 PM CDT (21:23 UTC)
Expired: May 17, 2003, 4:55 PM CDT
In force: 32 min
Issued by: NWS Jackson, MS
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Jefferson Davis County, MS

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 17, 3:00 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 77 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: 1346 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -41 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 648 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 345 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 339 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 2.3
Supercell composite: 14.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KJAN 172123
TORJAN
MSC065-172155-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
423 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  JEFFERSON DAVIS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI

* UNTIL 455 PM CDT

* AT 423 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  TORNADO 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF PRENTISS...OR ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTHWEST
  OF MAGEE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO...
  BE NEAR CLEM AT 435 PM CDT

THIS TORNADO IS WRAPPED IN RAIN - IF YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE OR HEAR
IT COMING IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE. TAKE COVER NOW

IF YOU ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...TAKE COVER IN AN INTERIOR
ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. PROTECT YOUR HEAD AND BODY FROM FLYING
DEBRIS.

LAT...LON 3173 8996 3150 8995 3158 8983 3161 8976
          3178 8976

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 17, 3:35 PM CDT, 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 3:35 PM CDT, 48 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
335 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003

MID LEVEL LOW CENTER RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTIVE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE TO
DRIFT SOUTHEAST AND WEAKEN AS IT HEADS INTO THE NRN GULF. DECREASING
WIND FIELDS WILL LEND TO LESSER CHANCES FOR SEVERE STORMS. STRONGEST
CONVERGENCE ASSOC WITH WEAKENING LOW LEVEL JET AND THETAE ADVECTION
ON EAST SIDE OF THE LOW WILL BRING HIGHEST PRECIP CHANCES TO EASTERN
AND SRN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. DIURNAL
ACTIVITY WILL DEVELOP UNDER COLD CORE ASSOC WITH LOW CENTER...
HOWEVER...AS SYSTEM WEAKENS MODELS INDICATE CORRESPONDING INCREASE
IN MID LEVEL TEMPS. SO EXPECT CONVECTIVE PRECIP CHANCES TO DWINDLE
FOR MONDAY WITH PATTERN BECOMING RATHER STAGNANT...I.E. WEAK UPPER
FLOW AND DIFFUSE SURFACE BOUNDARIES TO FOCUS ANY CONVECTION.

ATTENTION WILL TURN QUICKLY TO AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT TUESDAY
THAT WILL APPROACH QUICKLY FROM THE NORTH. AHEAD OF THIS FRONT...THE
MODELS INDICATE CONSIDERABLE POOLING OF MOISTURE WITH PRECIP WATER
VALUES RISING TO AROUND 2 INCHES. EXPECT THERE WILL BE STRONG LOW
LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WITH MODELS INDICATING
STRONG PUSH OF DRY/RELATIVELY COOL AIRMASS INTO THE LOWER MS VALLEY
REGION. GFS INDICATES THE PRIMARY RISK FOR THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD
EXIST IN THE LATE TUES TO WED AFTN TIME FRAME...WITH 80-90 KT
UPPER JET STREAKS NEAR LOWER MS VALLEY REGION THAT COULD SUPPORT
RATHER STRONG CONVECTION...THIS WORDED IN AFTN HWO.

MUCH DRIER/MILDER WEATHER LOOKS ON TAP AFTER PASSAGE OF THE FRONT
THURSDAY INTO THE WEEKEND AND INDICATED THIS IN THE EXTENDED FOR
NOW.

.JAN...
AR...NONE.
LA...NONE.
MS...NONE.

43

Hazardous weather outlook, May 17, 3:13 PM CDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before

ARZ074-075-LAZ007>009-015-016-023>026-MSZ018-019-025>066-072>074-
181200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
313 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI...
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA...AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY...

...THUNDERSTORMS...
ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUNDAY
AFTERNOON OVER MAINLY EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
MISSISSIPPI...GENERALLY EAST OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE.  THIS INCLUDES
THE MERIDIAN...HATTIESBURG...COLUMBUS...AND METRO JACKSON AREAS.
ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES AN HOUR AND HAIL THREE QUARTERS OF AN
INCH OR LARGER.  A FEW TORNADOES CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

NON-SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE REMAINDER OF
EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...EAST LOUISIANA...AND NORTHWEST
MISSISSIPPI.

A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL COMBINE WITH A SLOWLY
APPROACHING COLD FRONT TO RESULT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE REGION THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON.  A STORM
SYSTEM...IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE...IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN AS IT
MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THROUGH
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.  AS THIS STORM SYSTEM MOVES OVER THE AREA...THE
INSTABILITY SHOULD BE ENHANCED.  ALL OF THESE FEATURES SUGGEST
THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY
AFTERNOON.

...FLOODING...
HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON OVER
AREAS EAST OF THE NATCHEZ TRACE.

WITH THE VERY MOIST AIRMASS IN PLACE...THERE WILL BE A POTENTIAL
FOR VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...ESPECIALLY WHERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE
REPEATEDLY OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS FOR A FEW HOURS. PONDING OF
WATER ON ROADWAYS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS MAY OCCUR WITH RAINFALL
OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IN SHORT BURSTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...

...DAYS TWO AND THREE...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

...DAYS FOUR THROUGH SEVEN...
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER EXTREME SOUTHEAST
ARKANSAS...EAST LOUISIANA...AND MUCH OF MISSISSIPPI TUESDAY NIGHT
AND WEDNESDAY.

A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST...AND
WILL COMBINE WITH STRONG JET STREAM DYNAMICS IN A MOIST AND
UNSTABLE AIRMASS.  THESE FEATURES ARE EXPECTED TO YIELD THE
POSSIBILITY OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE REGION.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS...HAVE BEEN REQUESTED THROUGH AT LEAST EARLY TONIGHT.
ACTIVATION MAY ALSO BE NEEDED BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/JAN. THIS INCLUDES THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OUTLOOK.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 17, 10:30 AM CDT, 5 hours 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1030 AM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003

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

1018 AM    FANNIN                    MS   WIND DAMAGE
05/17/03   RANKIN                         A FEW TREES DOWN.
                                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

Local storm report, May 17, 10:45 AM CDT, 5 hours 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1045 AM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003

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

1015 AM                              MS   WIND DAMAGE
05/17/03   CLAIBORNE                      NUMEROUS TREES DOWN
                                          COUNRY WIDE. REPORTED BY
                                          CLAIBORNE COUNTY SHERIFFS
                                          OFFICE.

Local storm report, May 17, 11:44 AM CDT, 4 hours 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1144 AM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003

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

0505 AM    LAKE VILLAGE              AR   WIND DAMAGE
05/17/03   CHICOT                         2 MOBILE HOME EXTENSIONS
                                          DESTROYED ON LAKE HALL
                                          RD. REPORTED BY CHICOT
                                          COUNTY EMA.

Local storm report, May 17, 12:36 PM CDT, 3 hours 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1236 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003

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

1204 AM    MCCALL CREEK              MS   0.75 INCH HAIL
05/17/03   FRANKLIN                       REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

Local storm report, May 17, 12:47 PM CDT, 3 hours 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1247 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003

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

1205 PM    PHILADELPHIA              MS   WIND DAMAGE
05/17/03   NESHOBA                        A FEW TREES DOWN.
                                          REPORTED BY NESHOBA
                                          COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE.

Local storm report, May 17, 12:54 PM CDT, 3 hours 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
1254 PM CDT SAT MAY 17 2003

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

1240 PM    1 N BROOKHAVEN            MS   TORNADO
05/17/03   LINCOLN                        BRIEF TOUCHDOWN CONFIRMED
                                          BY BROOKHAVEN POLICE.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Jackson, MS issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 16, 11:48 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Bolivar	57 min
May 17, 12:41 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Bolivar	59 min
May 17, 12:47 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Washington	58 min
May 17, 12:57 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Sunflower	58 min
May 17, 5:07 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Washington	43 min
May 17, 5:37 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Sunflower	43 min
May 17, 6:17 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Issaquena	58 min
May 17, 6:48 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Sharkey	42 min
May 17, 7:08 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Humphreys	42 min
May 17, 8:18 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Warren	32 min
May 17, 9:10 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	JAN	Adams, Jefferson	3 hr
May 17, 9:49 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Attala, Leake	41 min
May 17, 10:01 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Claiborne, Copiah	44 min
May 17, 10:12 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Choctaw	28 min
May 17, 10:23 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Rankin, Scott	62 min
May 17, 10:32 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Hinds	58 min
May 17, 10:49 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Winston	41 min
May 17, 10:51 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Neshoba	44 min
May 17, 11:03 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Franklin, Lincoln	62 min
May 17, 11:10 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Kemper	45 min
May 17, 11:24 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Scott	41 min
May 17, 11:32 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Scott	38 min
May 17, 12:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Franklin, Lincoln	38 min
May 17, 12:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Lincoln	45 min
May 17, 12:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Clarke	28 min
May 17, 2:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln	42 min
May 17, 3:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Kemper, Lauderdale	56 min
May 17, 3:46 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Scott	44 min
May 17, 3:56 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Lawrence	29 min
May 17, 4:06 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Simpson, Smith	39 min
May 17, 4:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Lauderdale, Newton	45 min
May 17, 4:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN		40 min
May 17, 4:19 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Kemper	61 min
May 17, 4:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Covington	47 min
May 17, 4:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Lauderdale	61 min
May 17, 4:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Jefferson Davis	13 min
May 17, 5:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Kemper	29 min
May 17, 5:35 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Covington, Jones	60 min
May 17, 5:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Lamar	25 min
May 17, 6:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Kemper, Lauderdale	45 min
May 17, 6:23 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Jasper	37 min
May 17, 6:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Forrest, Jones	42 min
May 17, 6:41 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	JAN	Clarke	44 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Mississippi, 2003 Every tornado warning in 2003 Tornadoes in 2003

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.