Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Watches in 2003
Tornado Watch 244
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 5, 2003, 1:20 AM CDT for 6 states. It was in force for 6 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 5, 2003, 1:20 AM CDT (06:20 UTC)
- Expired
- May 5, 2003, 7:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 6 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 84 counties
Arkansas County, AR, Clay County, AR, Craighead County, AR, Crittenden County, AR, Cross County, AR, Greene County, AR, Lee County, AR, Mississippi County, AR, Monroe County, AR, Phillips County, AR, Poinsett County, AR, St. Francis County, AR, Woodruff County, AR, Alexander County, IL, Massac County, IL, Pulaski County, IL, Ballard County, KY, Caldwell County, KY, Calloway County, KY, Carlisle County, KY, Christian County, KY, Fulton County, KY, Graves County, KY, Hickman County, KY, Livingston County, KY, Lyon County, KY, Marshall County, KY, McCracken County, KY, Trigg County, KY, Butler County, MO, Dunklin County, MO, Mississippi County, MO, New Madrid County, MO, Pemiscot County, MO, Ripley County, MO, Scott County, MO, Stoddard County, MO, Wayne County, MO, Alcorn County, MS, Benton County, MS, Calhoun County, MS, Chickasaw County, MS, Coahoma County, MS, DeSoto County, MS, Itawamba County, MS, Lafayette County, MS, Lee County, MS, Marshall County, MS, Panola County, MS, Pontotoc County, MS, Prentiss County, MS, Quitman County, MS, Tallahatchie County, MS, Tate County, MS, Tippah County, MS, Tishomingo County, MS, Tunica County, MS, Union County, MS, Yalobusha County, MS, Benton County, TN, Carroll County, TN, Chester County, TN, Crockett County, TN, Decatur County, TN, Dyer County, TN, Fayette County, TN, Gibson County, TN, Hardeman County, TN, Hardin County, TN, Haywood County, TN, Henderson County, TN, Henry County, TN, Houston County, TN, Humphreys County, TN, Lake County, TN, Lauderdale County, TN, Madison County, TN, McNairy County, TN, Obion County, TN, Perry County, TN, Shelby County, TN, Stewart County, TN, Tipton County, TN, Weakley County, TN
Warnings issued inside it
13 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 1:25 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | PAH | Christian, Todd | 3 hr |
| May 5, 1:36 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Carroll, Henderson, Madison | 114 min |
| May 5, 2:17 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Monroe, Woodruff | 28 min |
| May 5, 2:37 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Lee, St. Francis | 53 min |
| May 5, 3:23 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Crittenden | 52 min |
| May 5, 3:47 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Tipton | 43 min |
| May 5, 3:59 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | DeSoto | 31 min |
| May 5, 4:17 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Marshall | 43 min |
| May 5, 4:51 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Benton | 39 min |
| May 5, 5:08 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Hardeman | 37 min |
| May 5, 6:01 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Lee | 29 min |
| May 5, 6:17 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Crittenden | 28 min |
| May 5, 6:32 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | DeSoto | 43 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
Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 46 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
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 050615
SEL4
SPC WW 050620
ARZ000-KYZ000-MOZ000-MSZ000-TNZ000-051200-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 244
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
120 AM CDT MON MAY 5 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
EASTERN ARKANSAS
SOUTHWEST KENTUCKY
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI
WEST TENNESSEE
EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY MORNING FROM 120 AM UNTIL 700 AM CDT.
...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE 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 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF PADUCAH KENTUCKY TO 45 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF OXFORD 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 239. WATCH NUMBER 239 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 120
AM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 240...WW 241...WW 242...WW 243...WW 244...
DISCUSSION...SUPERCELLS EXPECTED TO PERSIST ACROSS WW AREA THIS
MORNING...WHERE VERY STRONG LOW LEVEL JET AND RICH MOISTURE INFLOW
WILL MAINTAIN THREAT FOR POSSIBLY STRONG TORNADOES.
AVIATION...TORNADOES 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 24040.
...CORFIDI
371,0871 335,0882 335,0914 371,0904SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 7:19 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Cleburne, Conway and 21 more | 86 min |
| May 4, 7:34 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Jackson and 7 more | 116 min |
| May 4, 9:26 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Jackson and 7 more | 2 hr |
| May 4, 9:42 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Cleburne, Conway and 29 more | 93 min |
| May 5, 12:50 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clark, Cleburne and 34 more | 5 hr |
| May 5, 4:18 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Independence and 14 more | 57 min |
| May 5, 4:55 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Jackson and 9 more | 6 hr |
| May 5, 7:11 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Crittenden, Cross, Lee, Mississippi, St. Francis | 2 hr |
| May 5, 9:56 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clark and 33 more | 2 hr |
| May 5, 10:38 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clark and 19 more | 3 hr |
| May 5, 10:40 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Clark and 21 more | 5 hr |
| May 5, 1:05 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Cleburne, Conway, Craighead, Crawford, Crittenden, Cross and 21 more | 3 hr |
| May 5, 1:13 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Cleveland and 17 more | 2 hr |
| May 5, 3:25 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Arkansas, Ashley, Baxter, Boone, Bradley, Calhoun and 62 more | 7 hr |
| May 5, 5:18 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Clark, Cleveland, Columbia and 24 more | 117 min |
| May 5, 5:40 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha, Drew | 2 hr |
| May 4, 8:05 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Bond, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Cass and 73 more | 85 min |
| May 4, 10:40 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson and 14 more | 5 hr |
| May 4, 11:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Adams, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Christian and 33 more | 5 hr |
| May 5, 1:30 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson and 16 more | 90 min |
| May 5, 1:46 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bond, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Coles and 25 more | 89 min |
| May 5, 3:41 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin and 13 more | 34 min |
| May 5, 3:50 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson and 13 more | 6 hr |
| May 5, 6:32 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson and 10 more | 88 min |
| May 5, 9:19 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson and 13 more | 56 min |
| May 5, 12:20 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Hardin | 7 hr |
| May 4, 11:37 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Boyle, Breckinridge and 38 more | 23 min |
| May 4, 11:45 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bourbon, Boyle and 44 more | 5 hr |
| May 5, 2:31 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Bourbon and 55 more | 89 min |
| May 5, 7:35 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Bell and 69 more | 5 hr |
| May 5, 9:35 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Calloway, Fulton | 5 hr |
| May 5, 10:12 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bell, Boyle and 58 more | 93 min |
| May 5, 11:06 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Fulton | 114 min |
| May 5, 11:59 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bell, Boyle and 65 more | 61 min |
| May 5, 2:13 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Fulton | 62 min |
| May 5, 2:35 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Fulton | 7 hr |
| May 5, 2:47 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Bourbon and 68 more | 118 min |
| May 5, 4:42 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Boone, Boyd, Bracken, Campbell, Carter, Fleming and 12 more | 3 hr |
| May 5, 5:15 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Bracken, Campbell, Grant, Greenup, Kenton, Lewis and 4 more | 5 hr |
| May 5, 6:33 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Bourbon and 69 more | 57 min |
| May 5, 6:47 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bath, Bourbon, Boyd, Bracken, Campbell, Carter and 15 more | 88 min |
| May 5, 9:05 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw and 32 more | 115 min |
| May 4, 9:05 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bates, Benton, Boone, Caldwell, Carroll, Cass and 23 more | 85 min |
| May 5, 3:15 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Claiborne and 25 more | 6 hr |
| May 5, 6:07 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Anderson, Bledsoe, Bradley, Cumberland, Fentress, Grundy and 15 more | 83 min |
| May 5, 8:50 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Grundy, Hamilton, Loudon and 8 more | 6 hr |
| May 5, 12:52 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Hamilton, McMinn, Marion and 5 more | 113 min |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 2003Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 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.