Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 24, NWS Memphis, TN

May 4, 2003Crittenden County, Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at May 4, 2003, 9:53 PM CDT for Crittenden County, Arkansas. It was in force for 52 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, 9:53 PM CDT (02:53 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2003, 10:45 PM CDT
In force
52 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 4, 6:55 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 2.9 hours before the alert went out and 71 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2003-05-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2245 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, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2003-05-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 254 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

236 
WFUS54 KMEG 050253
TORMEM
ARC035-050345-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
953 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 1045 PM CDT.

* AT 949 PM CDT...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 7 MILES WEST OF  
EARLE...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. A TORNADO WAS REPORTED IN CROSS 
COUNTY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THIS STORM.

* CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO THROUGH 1045 PM CDT INCLUDE...
  EARLE...
  JERICHO...TURRELL...

.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.

.A TORNADO HAS BEEN CONFIRMED. DO NOT RUN OUTSIDE TO FIND THE
TORNADO...TAKE COVER IN A STURDY BUILDING NOW

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

LAT...LON 3545 9051 3522 9052 3524 9020 3544 9020

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 7:09 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGMississippi51 min
May 4, 7:12 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGPoinsett48 min
May 4, 7:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCraighead36 min
May 4, 7:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGRandolph36 min
May 4, 7:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGGreene35 min
May 4, 7:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCraighead47 min
May 4, 8:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGMississippi25 min
May 4, 9:18 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGCross42 min
May 4, 9:29 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGMississippi46 min
May 5, 2:37 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLee, St. Francis53 min
May 5, 3:23 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCrittenden52 min
May 5, 4:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLawrence28 min
May 5, 6:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLee29 min
May 5, 6:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCrittenden28 min
May 5, 1:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCrittenden45 min
May 5, 3:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGMississippi43 min
May 5, 4:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGGreene47 min
May 5, 5:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCraighead23 min
May 5, 5:15 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGMississippi30 min
May 5, 5:19 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGMississippi26 min
May 5, 6:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGGreene52 min
May 5, 6:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGPhillips49 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.