Alert archive / Missouri / Tornado Watches in 2003
Tornado Watch 237
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 4, 2003, 6:05 PM CDT for 4 states. It was in force for 7 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 4, 2003, 6:05 PM CDT (23:05 UTC)
- Expired
- May 5, 2003, 1:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 7 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 85 counties
Baxter County, AR, Benton County, AR, Boone County, AR, Carroll County, AR, Cleburne County, AR, Conway County, AR, Crawford County, AR, Faulkner County, AR, Franklin County, AR, Fulton County, AR, Garland County, AR, Independence County, AR, Izard County, AR, Johnson County, AR, Logan County, AR, Lonoke County, AR, Madison County, AR, Marion County, AR, Montgomery County, AR, Newton County, AR, Perry County, AR, Polk County, AR, Pope County, AR, Prairie County, AR, Pulaski County, AR, Saline County, AR, Scott County, AR, Searcy County, AR, Sebastian County, AR, Sharp County, AR, Stone County, AR, Van Buren County, AR, Washington County, AR, White County, AR, Yell County, AR, Bourbon County, KS, Cherokee County, KS, Crawford County, KS, Barry County, MO, Barton County, MO, Camden County, MO, Carter County, MO, Cedar County, MO, Christian County, MO, Crawford County, MO, Dade County, MO, Dallas County, MO, Dent County, MO, Douglas County, MO, Greene County, MO, Hickory County, MO, Howell County, MO, Iron County, MO, Jasper County, MO, Laclede County, MO, Lawrence County, MO, Maries County, MO, McDonald County, MO, Newton County, MO, Oregon County, MO, Ozark County, MO, Phelps County, MO, Polk County, MO, Pulaski County, MO, Reynolds County, MO, Shannon County, MO, St. Clair County, MO, Stone County, MO, Taney County, MO, Texas County, MO, Vernon County, MO, Washington County, MO, Webster County, MO, Wright County, MO, Adair County, OK, Cherokee County, OK, Craig County, OK, Delaware County, OK, Haskell County, OK, Latimer County, OK, LeFlore County, OK, Mayes County, OK, Muskogee County, OK, Ottawa County, OK, Sequoyah County, OK
The radar
The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:09 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
Warnings issued inside it
53 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 6:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Conway, Faulkner, Perry | 60 min |
| May 4, 6:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Barton | 62 min |
| May 4, 6:28 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Polk | 62 min |
| May 4, 6:30 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TSA | Sebastian | 60 min |
| May 4, 6:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Van Buren | 32 min |
| May 4, 6:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Barton, Dade | 63 min |
| May 4, 6:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Hickory | 60 min |
| May 4, 6:46 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Lawrence | 59 min |
| May 4, 6:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Oregon | 40 min |
| May 4, 7:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Scott | 44 min |
| May 4, 7:05 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Hickory | 55 min |
| May 4, 7:06 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Stone, Van Buren | 29 min |
| May 4, 7:11 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Dallas | 64 min |
| May 4, 7:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Barton | 32 min |
| May 4, 7:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Cedar | 39 min |
| May 4, 7:24 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Christian, Greene, Stone | 66 min |
| May 4, 7:27 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Faulkner | 28 min |
| May 4, 7:27 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Camden | 63 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, 7:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Cedar | 40 min |
| May 4, 7:54 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Faulkner | 31 min |
| May 4, 7:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Webster | 64 min |
| May 4, 8:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Cedar | 44 min |
| May 4, 8:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Lonoke, White | 45 min |
| May 4, 8:18 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Polk | 57 min |
| May 4, 8:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Maries, Pulaski | 56 min |
| May 4, 8:33 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Wright | 42 min |
| May 4, 8:36 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Maries | 54 min |
| May 4, 8:40 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Dallas | 50 min |
| May 4, 8:48 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | White, Woodruff | 52 min |
| May 4, 9:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Laclede | 44 min |
| May 4, 9:21 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Camden, Pulaski | 54 min |
| May 4, 9:41 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Laclede | 19 min |
| May 4, 9:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Bourbon | 43 min |
| May 4, 9:53 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Phelps | 67 min |
| May 4, 10:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Crawford | 42 min |
| May 4, 10:17 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SGF | Dent | 58 min |
| May 4, 10:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | St. Clair | 57 min |
| May 4, 10:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Vernon | 46 min |
| May 4, 10:40 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Crawford | 50 min |
| May 4, 11:09 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LSX | Iron, Washington | 51 min |
| May 4, 11:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Jasper | 44 min |
| May 4, 11:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Scott, Yell | 47 min |
| May 4, 11:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Dade | 50 min |
| May 4, 11:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Polk | 51 min |
| May 4, 11:58 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Yell | 27 min |
| May 5, 12:04 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Lawrence | 56 min |
| May 5, 12:19 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Greene | 56 min |
| May 5, 12:22 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Perry | 43 min |
| May 5, 12:40 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SGF | Dallas, Laclede, Webster | 35 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 |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 103 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
- 50 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -362 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 735 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 62 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 282 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 474 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 4.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 042302
SEL7
SPC WW 042305
ARZ000-KSZ000-MOZ000-OKZ000-050600-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 237
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
605 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ARKANSAS
EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS
SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI
EASTERN OKLAHOMA
EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING FROM 605 PM UNTIL
100 AM CDT.
...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 120 STATUTE MILES EAST AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES NORTHWEST OF FORT LEONARD WOOD
MISSOURI TO 35 MILES WEST OF HOT SPRINGS ARKANSAS.
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 232. WATCH NUMBER 232 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 605
PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 231...WW 233...WW 234...WW 235...WW 236...
DISCUSSION...DANGEROUS TORNADO SITUATION WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE
EVENING FROM ERN OK/SW MO EWD ACROSS SRN MO INTO CENTRAL/NRN AR.
LOW-LEVEL AND DEEP LAYER PARAMETERS...ALONG WITH MODERATE/STRONG
INSTABILITY AND RICH BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE...ALL REMAIN VERY
FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELLS AND TORNADOES. THE MOST INTENSE STORMS
COULD PRODUCE LONG TRACKED STRONG OR VIOLENT TORNADOES.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26040.
...THOMPSON
381,0903 342,0913 342,0954 381,0945SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 12:35 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Benton, Crawford, Sebastian, Washington | 6 hr |
| May 4, 3:05 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Benton | 115 min |
| May 4, 5:01 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Jackson and 7 more | 3 hr |
| May 4, 5:20 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Cleburne, Conway and 21 more | 55 min |
| May 4, 6:55 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Jackson and 9 more | 6 hr |
| May 3, 11:07 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Barber, Barton, Butler, Chase, Clark, Clay and 43 more | 83 min |
| May 3, 11:46 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Bourbon, Brown, Clay and 30 more | 59 min |
| May 4, 12:10 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Anderson, Atchison, Brown, Chase, Clay, Coffey and 24 more | 6 hr |
| May 4, 2:58 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Anderson, Atchison, Brown, Coffey, Doniphan, Douglas and 13 more | 92 min |
| May 4, 4:50 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Doniphan, Wyandotte | 6 hr |
| May 4, 7:43 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Doniphan | 2 hr |
| May 4, 10:19 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Atchison, Butler, Chase, Clay, Coffey, Dickinson and 19 more | 116 min |
| May 4, 11:40 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Anderson, Chase, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Dickinson and 19 more | 6 hr |
| May 4, 11:44 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Chautauqua, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho and 1 more | 3 hr |
| May 4, 12:14 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson and 7 more | 2 hr |
| May 4, 12:45 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Douglas, Jefferson, Johnson and 4 more | 6 hr |
| May 4, 2:22 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Anderson, Atchison, Brown, Coffey, Doniphan, Douglas and 13 more | 113 min |
| May 4, 2:58 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Ellis, Gove, Jewell, Lane, Lincoln, Mitchell and 9 more | 92 min |
| May 4, 4:28 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Wyandotte | 62 min |
| May 4, 4:43 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Neosho | 2 hr |
| May 4, 6:20 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Doniphan, Wyandotte | 6 hr |
| May 4, 3:56 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Chariton, Grundy, Harrison, Linn, Livingston and 6 more | 2 hr |
| May 4, 5:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adair, Audrain, Bollinger, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Clark and 28 more | 6 hr |
| May 3, 8:05 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Comanche, Cotton and 14 more | 6 hr |
| May 3, 10:00 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Comanche, Cotton and 12 more | 2 hr |
| May 4, 2:16 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bryan, Johnston, Love, Marshall, Murray | 119 min |
| May 4, 3:00 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Atoka, Bryan, Carter, Choctaw, Coal, Garvin and 6 more | 6 hr |
| May 4, 6:28 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Atoka, Bryan, Carter, Choctaw, Coal, Johnston and 5 more | 2 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2003Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2003Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.