Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2003
Tornado Warning 28, NWS Little Rock, AR
NWS Little Rock, AR issued this tornado warning at May 4, 2003, 9:05 PM CDT for Jackson County, Arkansas. It was in force for 40 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 4, 2003, 9:05 PM CDT (02:05 UTC)
- Expired
- May 4, 2003, 9:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 40 min
- Issued by
- NWS Little Rock, AR
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Jackson County, AR
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 4, 6:55 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 2.1 hours before the alert went out and 127 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2245 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -12 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 658 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 55 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 254 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 313 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 4.4
- Supercell composite
- 14.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
743 WFUS54 KLZK 050205 TORLIT ARC067-050245- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 904 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LITTLE ROCK HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... SOUTHEAST JACKSON COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS * UNTIL 945 PM CDT * AT 858 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TUPELO...OR JUST SOUTH OF AUGUSTA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH. * THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR... TUPELO AROUND 910 PM CDT BEEDEVILLE AROUND 915 PM CDT && IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...HEAD INDOORS NOW. GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM AWAY FROM WINDOWS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. PUT AS MANY WALLS BETWEEN YOURSELF AND THE OUTDOORS AS YOU CAN. ABANDON MOBILE HOMES NOW. MOVE TO A STRONG BUILDING OR UNDERGROUND SHELTER. IF THERE ARE NO BUILDINGS NEARBY...LIE IN A DITCH TO AVOID FLYING DEBRIS. BUT BEWARE OF RISING WATER. REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN LITTLE ROCK. LAT...LON 3554 9105 3536 9104 3536 9124 3544 9124 $$ 46
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 Little Rock, AR wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 4, 3:45 PM CDT, 5 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 4, 3:45 PM CDT, 5 hours 20 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 345 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003 SEVERE WEATHER LOOKS TO BE A GOOD POSSIBILITY IN THE FORECAST AREA OVERNIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE WEST THIS EVENING AND SHOULD STALL MAINLY OVER THE CENTRAL SECTIONS ON MONDAY. EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY OVERNIGHT...WITH BEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVER THE WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWESTERN SECTIONS. WILL CONTINUE CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON MONDAY...BUT BEST CHANCES OVER THE CENTRAL...EASTERN...AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS WHICH WILL BE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL MEANDER IN THE STATE THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK...SO WILL KEEP CHANCE POPS IN THROUGH THURSDAY...THEN SLIGHT CHANCE FRIDAY. SATURDAY LOOKS GENERALLY RAIN-FREE...BUT NEW FRONT WILL APPROACH WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ON SUNDAY. HRO 62 80 57 76 / 60 20 30 40 LIT 65 82 61 80 / 60 30 40 50 HOT 65 82 61 80 / 60 30 40 50 PBF 68 83 65 82 / 60 50 40 50 .LZK...NONE. 22
Hazardous weather outlook, May 4, 1:51 PM CDT, 7 hours 14 minutes before
ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-051000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR 151 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WARM FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL ARKANSAS CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTH THIS AFTERNOON. BEHIND THE FRONT...WARM...MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR WAS NOTED ACROSS THE REGION. MEANWHILE...A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WAS IN NORTH KANSAS WITH A TRAILING COLD FRONT INTO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. AS THE FRONT APPROACHES LATER TODAY...IT WILL MOVE INTO THE UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WITH THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL BEGIN FORMING IN WESTERN ARKANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL PUSH ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. IT APPEARS THAT SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LIKELY. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. HOWEVER...THE WINDS WILL BE CHANGING WITH HEIGHT...WITH A SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WIND NEAR THE GROUND AND A WEST TO SOUTHWEST WIND ALOFT. THIS WILL CREATE A TURNING MOTION IN THE ATMOSPHERE...WITH TORNADOES POSSIBLE IN SOME STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE COLD FRONT IN THE PLAINS WILL BE SLOW TO MOVE ACROSS ARKANSAS. BY MONDAY AFTERNOON...THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM AROUND MOUNTAIN HOME TO TEXARKANA. AFTER SOME LEFTOVER MORNING PRECIPITATION... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REDEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON ACROSS MAINLY THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE STATE. SEVERE WEATHER IS AGAIN POSSIBLE. THE FRONT WILL STALL ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH MUCH OF THE UPCOMING WEEK. SEVERAL SYSTEMS FROM THE PLAINS WILL INTERACT WITH THE FRONT TO TRIGGER A FEW ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF ARKANSAS TODAY... ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. 51
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 4, 6:53 PM CDT, 2 hours 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
653 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0620 PM 3 SE PERRYVILLE AR 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/04/03 PERRY OCCURRED AT HARRIS BRAKE.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
0620 PM LONDON AR 1.75 INCH HAIL
05/04/03 POPE WINDSHIELD BROKEN BY HAIL.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
28Local storm report, May 4, 7:26 PM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
726 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0650 PM BEE BRANCH AR .88 INCH HAIL
05/04/03 VAN BUREN REPORTED BY PUBLIC
28Local storm report, May 4, 8:09 PM CDT, 56 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK, AR
809 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0646 PM FORMOSA AR WIND DAMAGE
05/04/03 VAN BUREN TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT
0700 PM 5 N MORRILTON AR WIND DAMAGE
05/04/03 CONWAY TREES DOWN ON HIGHWAY 95
AND MANY POWER OUTAGES.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
28Local storm report, May 4, 8:20 PM CDT, 45 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
820 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0720 PM 6 N WALDRON AR .88 INCH HAIL
05/04/03 SCOTT REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT
0730 PM PERRY AR WIND DAMAGE
05/04/03 PERRY TREE DOWN. REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT
28Local storm report, May 4, 8:26 PM CDT, 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
826 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0800 PM ROSE BUD AR WIND DAMAGE
05/04/03 WHITE TREES DOWN ON HIGHWAY
124 WEST. REPORTED BY
HAM RADIO OPERATOR
28Local storm report, May 4, 8:42 PM CDT, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
842 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0800 PM VILONIA AR WIND DAMAGE
05/04/03 FAULKNER PORCHES OFF HOUSES.
OUTBUILDINGS DESTROYED.
POWER LINES DOWN. REPORTED
BY HAM RADIO OPERATOR
0800 PM VILONIA AR .75 INCH HAIL
05/04/03 FAULKNER REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
OPERATOR
28The office that day
Everything else NWS Little Rock, AR issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 7:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Scott | 44 min |
| May 4, 7:06 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Stone, Van Buren | 29 min |
| May 4, 7:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Jackson | 30 min |
| May 4, 7:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Jackson | 27 min |
| May 4, 7:27 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Faulkner | 28 min |
| May 4, 7:35 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Faulkner | 20 min |
| May 4, 7:43 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Cleburne | 42 min |
| May 4, 7:54 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Faulkner | 31 min |
| May 4, 8:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Lonoke, White | 45 min |
| May 4, 8:48 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | White, Woodruff | 52 min |
| May 4, 11:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Scott, Yell | 47 min |
| May 4, 11:58 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Yell | 27 min |
| May 5, 12:22 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Perry | 43 min |
| May 5, 12:47 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Saline | 28 min |
| May 5, 12:59 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Faulkner, Pulaski | 46 min |
| May 5, 1:32 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Lonoke | 43 min |
| May 5, 1:41 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | White | 34 min |
| May 5, 1:53 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Prairie | 32 min |
| May 5, 2:07 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Prairie | 23 min |
| May 5, 2:17 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Monroe, Woodruff | 28 min |
| May 5, 2:48 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Searcy | 27 min |
| May 5, 3:06 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Stone | 39 min |
| May 5, 3:25 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Izard | 30 min |
| May 5, 3:41 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Sharp | 29 min |
| May 5, 12:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Ouachita | 32 min |
| May 5, 12:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun | 40 min |
| May 5, 12:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley | 36 min |
| May 5, 1:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Drew | 39 min |
| May 5, 1:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Ouachita | 28 min |
| May 5, 1:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha | 29 min |
| May 5, 1:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Drew | 31 min |
| May 5, 1:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun, Drew | 32 min |
| May 5, 2:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun | 30 min |
| May 5, 2:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Drew | 31 min |
| May 5, 2:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley | 30 min |
| May 5, 2:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun | 29 min |
| May 5, 2:44 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Bradley | 31 min |
| May 5, 2:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Drew | 32 min |
| May 5, 2:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha | 37 min |
| May 5, 2:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Drew | 39 min |
| May 5, 3:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Ouachita | 29 min |
| May 5, 3:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Desha | 41 min |
| May 5, 3:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun | 30 min |
| May 5, 3:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Pike | 43 min |
| May 5, 3:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleveland | 29 min |
| May 5, 4:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Lincoln | 38 min |
| May 5, 4:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Clark, Dallas | 42 min |
| May 5, 4:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleveland, Jefferson | 44 min |
| May 5, 4:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Lincoln | 45 min |
| May 5, 4:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Dallas, Grant | 43 min |
| May 5, 5:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha | 30 min |
| May 5, 5:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleveland | 25 min |
| May 5, 5:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Ouachita | 30 min |
| May 5, 5:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Jefferson | 38 min |
| May 5, 5:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleveland | 27 min |
| May 5, 5:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Ouachita | 47 min |
| May 5, 5:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun | 32 min |
| May 5, 5:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha | 41 min |
| May 5, 6:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleveland, Jefferson, Lincoln | 29 min |
| May 5, 6:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas | 34 min |
| May 5, 6:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley | 31 min |
| May 5, 6:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Desha | 37 min |
| May 5, 6:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Drew | 47 min |
| May 5, 6:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley | 30 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 2003Every tornado warning in 2003Tornadoes 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.