Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 119, NWS Memphis, TN

May 16, 2003Crittenden County, Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at May 16, 2003, 10:01 PM CDT for Crittenden County, Arkansas. It was in force for 59 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 16, 2003, 10:01 PM CDT (03:01 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 2003, 11:00 PM CDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Crittenden County, AR

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 16, 9:35 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 00:00Z, 3.0 hours before the alert went out and 315 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, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 2003-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2424 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Jackson, MS at 00:00Z on 2003-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 141 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
2424 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-22 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1112 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
141 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
216 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.7
Supercell composite
11.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

017 
WFUS54 KMEG 170301
TORMEM
ARC035-170400-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1001 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CRITTENDEN COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 1100 PM CDT.

* AT 958 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 10 MILES WEST OF
  PINCKNEY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO THROUGH 1100 PM CDT INCLUDE...
  PINCKNEY...
  EDMONDSON...
  CRAWFORDSVILLE...WEST MEMPHIS...
  MARION...
  SUNSET...
  JERICHO...

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

.IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT.

.STAY TUNED TO THIS BROADCAST FOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND INFORMATION.
TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER ONLY...CALL 1 800 4 3 2 0 8 7 5.

LAT...LON 3513 9039 3484 9041 3518 9007 3544 9037

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 7:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCrittenden28 min
May 16, 8:05 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGCrittenden115 min
May 16, 8:13 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGMississippi2 hr
May 16, 8:32 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGCraighead, Cross, Poinsett118 min
May 16, 8:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCrittenden33 min
May 16, 9:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCross, St. Francis48 min
May 16, 9:47 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLee, St. Francis28 min
May 16, 10:00 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGCrittenden, St. Francis2 hr
May 16, 10:30 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGCraighead, Crittenden, Cross, Poinsett2 hr
May 17, 2:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGPhillips48 min
May 17, 4:07 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGPhillips113 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.