Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Watches in 2003
Tornado Watch 252
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 5, 2003, 10:40 AM CDT for 4 states. It was in force for 5 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 5, 2003, 10:40 AM CDT (15:40 UTC)
- Expired
- May 5, 2003, 4:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 5 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 55 counties
Arkansas County, AR, Ashley County, AR, Bradley County, AR, Calhoun County, AR, Chicot County, AR, Clark County, AR, Cleveland County, AR, Columbia County, AR, Dallas County, AR, Desha County, AR, Drew County, AR, Garland County, AR, Grant County, AR, Hempstead County, AR, Hot Spring County, AR, Howard County, AR, Jefferson County, AR, Lafayette County, AR, Lincoln County, AR, Little River County, AR, Miller County, AR, Monroe County, AR, Nevada County, AR, Ouachita County, AR, Pike County, AR, Sevier County, AR, Union County, AR, Bossier Parish, LA, Caddo Parish, LA, Claiborne Parish, LA, Morehouse Parish, LA, Union Parish, LA, Webster Parish, LA, West Carroll Parish, LA, Choctaw County, OK, McCurtain County, OK, Bowie County, TX, Camp County, TX, Cass County, TX, Delta County, TX, Franklin County, TX, Gregg County, TX, Harrison County, TX, Henderson County, TX, Hopkins County, TX, Lamar County, TX, Marion County, TX, Morris County, TX, Rains County, TX, Red River County, TX, Smith County, TX, Titus County, TX, Upshur County, TX, Van Zandt County, TX, Wood County, TX
The radar
The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 134 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:40 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
37 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 11:22 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Morris | 23 min |
| May 5, 11:23 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Miller | 52 min |
| May 5, 11:41 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Hempstead, Lafayette | 49 min |
| May 5, 12:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Columbia, Nevada | 60 min |
| May 5, 12:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Ouachita | 32 min |
| May 5, 12:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun | 40 min |
| May 5, 12:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley | 36 min |
| May 5, 1:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Drew | 39 min |
| May 5, 1:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Lafayette, Nevada | 37 min |
| May 5, 1:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Ouachita | 28 min |
| May 5, 1:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha | 29 min |
| May 5, 1:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Drew | 31 min |
| May 5, 1:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun, Drew | 32 min |
| May 5, 2:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun | 30 min |
| May 5, 2:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Drew | 31 min |
| May 5, 2:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley | 30 min |
| May 5, 2:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun | 29 min |
| May 5, 2:44 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Bradley | 31 min |
| May 5, 2:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Drew | 32 min |
| May 5, 2:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha | 37 min |
| May 5, 2:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | FWD | Hopkins | 66 min |
| May 5, 2:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Franklin, Titus | 36 min |
| May 5, 2:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Drew | 39 min |
| May 5, 3:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Wood | 46 min |
| May 5, 3:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Howard, Sevier | 41 min |
| May 5, 3:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Ouachita | 29 min |
| May 5, 3:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Desha | 41 min |
| May 5, 3:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Morris, Titus | 46 min |
| May 5, 3:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun | 30 min |
| May 5, 3:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Pike | 43 min |
| May 5, 3:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Little River | 48 min |
| May 5, 3:45 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | SHV | Howard | 30 min |
| May 5, 3:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Bowie | 60 min |
| May 5, 3:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Camp, Upshur | 43 min |
| May 5, 3:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleveland | 29 min |
| May 5, 3:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Miller | 63 min |
| May 5, 3:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Cass | 48 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
Shreveport, LA (KSHV), launched 12:00Z, 3.7 hours before the alert went out and 132 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
- 3415 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -39 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 619 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 65 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 298 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 264 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 5.2
- Supercell composite
- 18.9
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 051517
SEL2
SPC WW 051520
ARZ000-LAZ000-OKZ000-TXZ000-052100-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 252
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1020 AM CDT MON MAY 5 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
FAR NORTHERN LOUISIANA
EXTREME SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
NORTHEAST TEXAS
EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 1020 AM UNTIL 400
PM CDT.
...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 55 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF PINE BLUFF
ARKANSAS TO 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PARIS TEXAS.
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...CONTINUE...WW 249...WW 250...WW 251...
DISCUSSION...VIGOROUS CONVECTION NOW JUST EAST OF DAL WILL CONTINUE
INCREASING AND WILL LIKELY BEGIN TAPPING EXTREMELY UNSTABLE BOUNDARY
LAYER IN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. VWP/S AND PROFILER DATA INDICATE
CONDITIONS ARE VERY FAVORABLE FOR TORNADIC SUPERCELLS...ONCE
SURFACE-BASED PARCELS ARE TAPPED...WITH DEVELOPMENT SPREADING/MOVING
ENEWD ACROSS SRN AR/FAR NRN LA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. ANY RESULTANT
TORNADO WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME QUITE STRONG.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26030.
...EVANS
325,0910 320,0960 341,0960 345,0910SPC 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, 1:20 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Arkansas, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene and 7 more | 6 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, 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 |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2003Tornado Watches in Texas, 2003Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 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.