Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 2003

Tornado Warning 96, NWS Memphis, TN

May 6, 20034 counties in Tennessee

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at May 6, 2003, 11:59 PM CDT for 4 counties in Tennessee. It was in force for 46 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 6, 2003, 11:59 PM CDT (04:59 UTC)
Expired
May 7, 2003, 12:45 AM CDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Fayette County, TN, Haywood County, TN, Shelby County, TN, Tipton County, TN

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 6, 11:50 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 5.0 hours before the alert went out and 74 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 2003-05-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2657 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 2003-05-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 172 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
2657 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-55 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
897 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
172 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
158 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.6
Supercell composite
17.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

035 
WFUS54 KMEG 070459
TORMEM
TNC047-075-157-167-070545-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1158 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN FAYETTE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE
  SOUTHWEST HAYWOOD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE
  NORTHEASTERN SHELBY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE
  SOUTHEASTERN TIPTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE

* UNTIL 1245 AM CDT.

* AT 1152 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 4 MILES SOUTH OF
  DIXONVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

* CITIES IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO THROUGH 1245 AM CDT INCLUDE...
  GALLAWAY...
  BRADEN...
  MASON...
  STANTON...
  DANCYVILLE...BROWNSVILLE...

.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 3544 8981 3527 8975 3535 8918 3559 8925

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 6, 10:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHardeman33 min
May 6, 10:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGMcNairy29 min
May 6, 11:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGHardin, McNairy45 min
May 6, 11:23 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGHardin, McNairy52 min
May 6, 11:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGShelby, Tipton49 min
May 6, 11:29 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLake, Obion46 min
May 7, 12:13 AM CDTTornado WarningMEGHenry, Weakley47 min
May 7, 12:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGShelby42 min
May 7, 12:35 AM CDTTornado WarningMEGHaywood40 min
May 7, 12:40 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGTipton65 min
May 7, 12:46 AM CDTTornado WarningMEGTipton29 min
May 7, 12:51 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGDecatur, Henderson39 min
May 7, 4:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGShelby46 min
May 7, 6:52 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGShelby113 min
May 7, 7:25 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGDecatur, Henderson2 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 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.