Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Watches in 2003
Tornado Watch 161
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Apr 24, 2003, 7:50 PM CDT for Ashley County, Chicot County, Drew County, Arkansas; 8 parishes in Louisiana; 41 counties in Mississippi. It was in force for 4 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 24, 2003, 7:50 PM CDT (00:50 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 25, 2003, 12:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 52 counties
Ashley County, AR, Chicot County, AR, Drew County, AR, Concordia Parish, LA, East Carroll Parish, LA, Franklin Parish, LA, Madison Parish, LA, Morehouse Parish, LA, Richland Parish, LA, Tensas Parish, LA, West Carroll Parish, LA, Adams County, MS, Attala County, MS, Carroll County, MS, Choctaw County, MS, Claiborne County, MS, Clarke County, MS, Copiah County, MS, Covington County, MS, Franklin County, MS, Hinds County, MS, Holmes County, MS, Humphreys County, MS, Issaquena County, MS, Jasper County, MS, Jefferson County, MS, Jefferson Davis County, MS, Jones County, MS, Kemper County, MS, Lauderdale County, MS, Lawrence County, MS, Leake County, MS, Leflore County, MS, Lincoln County, MS, Madison County, MS, Montgomery County, MS, Neshoba County, MS, Newton County, MS, Noxubee County, MS, Oktibbeha County, MS, Rankin County, MS, Scott County, MS, Sharkey County, MS, Simpson County, MS, Smith County, MS, Sunflower County, MS, Warren County, MS, Washington County, MS, Wayne County, MS, Webster County, MS, Winston County, MS, Yazoo County, MS
Warnings issued inside it
35 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 7:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Newton | 43 min |
| Apr 24, 8:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Hinds | 30 min |
| Apr 24, 8:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Copiah, Jefferson, Lincoln | 50 min |
| Apr 24, 8:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Lauderdale | 37 min |
| Apr 24, 8:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Jasper, Jones | 41 min |
| Apr 24, 8:24 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | JAN | Attala, Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Jefferson, Kemper and 10 more | 6 hr |
| Apr 24, 8:25 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Madison | 30 min |
| Apr 24, 8:39 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Ashley | 101 min |
| Apr 24, 8:45 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Leake | 45 min |
| Apr 24, 8:49 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Kemper, Neshoba | 41 min |
| Apr 24, 8:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Lawrence, Lincoln | 43 min |
| Apr 24, 9:05 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Hinds | 40 min |
| Apr 24, 9:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Madison | 30 min |
| Apr 24, 9:19 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Rankin | 61 min |
| Apr 24, 9:31 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Leake, Neshoba | 44 min |
| Apr 24, 9:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Lauderdale, Newton | 46 min |
| Apr 24, 9:57 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Lauderdale | 43 min |
| Apr 24, 10:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Ashley, Chicot | 39 min |
| Apr 24, 10:14 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Scott | 61 min |
| Apr 24, 10:21 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Rankin | 9 min |
| Apr 24, 10:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Smith | 32 min |
| Apr 24, 10:32 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Washington | 43 min |
| Apr 24, 10:34 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Kemper | 31 min |
| Apr 24, 10:41 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Chicot | 44 min |
| Apr 24, 10:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Neshoba, Newton | 45 min |
| Apr 24, 11:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Newton | 40 min |
| Apr 24, 11:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Sharkey | 44 min |
| Apr 24, 11:11 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Humphreys, Sunflower, Washington | 44 min |
| Apr 24, 11:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Jasper, Smith | 31 min |
| Apr 24, 11:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | East Carroll, West Carroll | 43 min |
| Apr 24, 11:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Lauderdale | 44 min |
| Apr 24, 11:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Jasper, Newton | 28 min |
| Apr 24, 11:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Issaquena | 46 min |
| Apr 24, 11:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Clarke | 28 min |
| Apr 24, 11:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Humphreys, Sharkey | 79 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 40 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
- 1927 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -8 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 649 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 59 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 293 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 370 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 4.7
- Supercell composite
- 18.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 250050
SEL1
SPC WW 250050
ARZ000-LAZ000-MSZ000-250500-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 161
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
750 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY NIGHT FROM 750 PM UNTIL
MIDNIGHT CDT.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 95 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 10 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF GREENWOOD MISSISSIPPI
TO 65 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF LAUREL MISSISSIPPI.
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO
WATCH NUMBER 157. WATCH NUMBER 157... WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER
750 PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 158...WW 160...
DISCUSSION...BAND OF STRONG/SEVERE STORMS FROM NEAR HEZ INTO CENTRAL
MS IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS...WITH POTENTIAL FOR
NEW STORMS TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND SPREAD EWD ALONG/EAST OF DRY
LINE OVER SRN AR NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. 00Z JAN SOUNDING SHOWS WINDS
VEERING AND INCREASING WITH HEIGHT RESULTING IN SUFFICIENT LOW AND
DEEP LAYER SHEAR TO SUPPORT SUPERCELLS STORMS...WITH THREAT FOR
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND A FEW TORNADOES. STORMS SHOULD BECOME
INCREASINGLY ELEVATED OVER EAST CENTRAL MS SUGGESTING SEVERE THREAT
SHOULD DIMINISH BY THE TIME STORMS REACH THE AL BORDER.
AVIATION...TORDADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.
...WEISS
333,0883 311,0883 311,0914 333,0914SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 9:03 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Arkansas, Baxter, Clay, Cleburne, Cleveland, Conway and 33 more | 117 min |
| Apr 24, 10:51 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Ashley, Chicot, Drew | 84 min |
| Apr 24, 11:45 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Lawrence, Lee and 4 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 25, 1:15 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Crittenden, Mississippi | 90 min |
| Apr 25, 3:05 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Mississippi | 85 min |
| Apr 25, 2:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Saint Helena and 3 more | 5 hr |
| Apr 25, 11:04 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alcorn, Itawamba, Lee, Prentiss, Tishomingo | 116 min |
| Apr 25, 12:59 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clarke, Covington, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar and 5 more | 2 hr |
| Apr 25, 5:40 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Jefferson Davis, Jones and 6 more | 5 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2003Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 2003Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2003Every tornado watch 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.