Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Watches in 2003
Tornado Watch 256
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 5, 2003, 3:25 PM CDT for 5 states. It was in force for 7 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 5, 2003, 3:25 PM CDT (20:25 UTC)
- Expired
- May 5, 2003, 10:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 7 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 85 counties
Arkansas County, AR, Ashley County, AR, Baxter County, AR, Boone County, AR, Bradley County, AR, Calhoun County, AR, Carroll County, AR, Chicot County, AR, Clark County, AR, Cleburne County, AR, Cleveland County, AR, Columbia County, AR, Conway County, AR, Craighead County, AR, Crittenden County, AR, Cross County, AR, Dallas County, AR, Desha County, AR, Drew County, AR, Faulkner County, AR, Franklin County, AR, Garland County, AR, Grant County, AR, Greene County, AR, Hempstead County, AR, Hot Spring County, AR, Howard County, AR, Independence County, AR, Izard County, AR, Jackson County, AR, Jefferson County, AR, Johnson County, AR, Lafayette County, AR, Lawrence County, AR, Lee County, AR, Lincoln County, AR, Little River County, AR, Logan County, AR, Lonoke County, AR, Marion County, AR, Miller County, AR, Mississippi County, AR, Monroe County, AR, Montgomery County, AR, Nevada County, AR, Newton County, AR, Ouachita County, AR, Perry County, AR, Phillips County, AR, Pike County, AR, Poinsett County, AR, Polk County, AR, Pope County, AR, Prairie County, AR, Pulaski County, AR, Randolph County, AR, Saline County, AR, Scott County, AR, Searcy County, AR, Sevier County, AR, Sharp County, AR, St. Francis County, AR, Stone County, AR, Union County, AR, Van Buren County, AR, White County, AR, Woodruff County, AR, Yell County, AR, Bossier Parish, LA, Claiborne Parish, LA, East Carroll Parish, LA, Morehouse Parish, LA, Union Parish, LA, Webster Parish, LA, West Carroll Parish, LA, Dunklin County, MO, Pemiscot County, MO, Bolivar County, MS, Coahoma County, MS, Tunica County, MS, Bowie County, TX, Cass County, TX, Marion County, TX, Morris County, TX, Upshur County, TX
The radar
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:27 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
66 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| May 5, 4:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Bolivar, Sunflower | 41 min |
| May 5, 4:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Lincoln | 38 min |
| May 5, 4:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Clark, Dallas | 42 min |
| May 5, 4:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Hempstead, Lafayette | 50 min |
| May 5, 4:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleveland, Jefferson | 44 min |
| May 5, 4:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Morris | 24 min |
| May 5, 4:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Cass | 65 min |
| May 5, 4:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Greene | 47 min |
| May 5, 4:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Bolivar | 26 min |
| May 5, 4:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Lincoln | 45 min |
| May 5, 4:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Coahoma | 28 min |
| May 5, 4:48 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Bolivar | 22 min |
| May 5, 4:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Dallas, Grant | 43 min |
| May 5, 4:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Miller | 38 min |
| May 5, 4:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Pemiscot | 46 min |
| May 5, 5:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha | 30 min |
| May 5, 5:05 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Coahoma, Quitman | 25 min |
| May 5, 5:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Craighead | 23 min |
| May 5, 5:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleveland | 25 min |
| May 5, 5:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Ouachita | 30 min |
| May 5, 5:15 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Mississippi | 30 min |
| May 5, 5:19 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Mississippi | 26 min |
| May 5, 5:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Bolivar | 30 min |
| May 5, 5:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Jefferson | 38 min |
| May 5, 5:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Columbia, Lafayette | 53 min |
| May 5, 5:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Coahoma, Quitman | 48 min |
| May 5, 5:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleveland | 27 min |
| May 5, 5:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Pemiscot | 48 min |
| May 5, 5:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Ouachita | 47 min |
| May 5, 5:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Calhoun | 32 min |
| May 5, 5:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha | 41 min |
| May 5, 6:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleveland, Jefferson, Lincoln | 29 min |
| May 5, 6:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas | 34 min |
| May 5, 6:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Bolivar | 46 min |
| May 5, 6:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Bolivar | 44 min |
| May 5, 6:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley | 31 min |
| May 5, 6:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Union | 56 min |
| May 5, 6:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Greene | 52 min |
| May 5, 6:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Phillips | 49 min |
| May 5, 6:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Desha | 37 min |
| May 5, 6:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Drew | 47 min |
| May 5, 6:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Bradley | 30 min |
| May 5, 7:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Bolivar | 59 min |
| May 5, 7:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Coahoma | 27 min |
| May 5, 7:07 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | JAN | Bolivar | 3 hr |
| May 5, 7:22 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Greene | 113 min |
| May 5, 7:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha, Drew | 45 min |
| May 5, 7:30 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Bolivar | 40 min |
| May 5, 7:41 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Calhoun, Chickasaw, Coahoma, Lafayette, Monroe, Panola and 4 more | 3 hr |
| May 5, 7:48 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Desha | 32 min |
| May 5, 8:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Bolivar | 60 min |
| May 5, 8:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha | 30 min |
| May 5, 8:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Desha | 28 min |
| May 5, 9:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Bolivar | 25 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, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 199 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 052026
SEL6
SPC WW 052025
ARZ000-LAZ000-MOZ000-OKZ000-TXZ000-060300-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 256
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
325 PM CDT MON MAY 5 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
ARKANSAS
EXTREME NORTHWEST LOUISIANA
MISSOURI BOOTHEEL
EXTREME SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
FAR NORTHEAST TEXAS
EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 325 PM UNTIL 1000
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 110 STATUTE MILES EAST AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF WALNUT RIDGE
ARKANSAS TO 45 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF EL DORADO 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 252...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 254. WATCH NUMBER 252 254
WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 325 PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 253...WW
255...
DISCUSSION...EXPLOSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCELLS IS EXPECTED INTO
CENTRAL AR OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. VORT MAX/SHORTWAVE TROUGH NOW
LIFTING ACROSS NERN TX WILL CONTINUE NE THROUGH THE EVENING...AND
ENHANCE LARGE SCALE ASCENT ACROSS EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AND WEAKLY
CAPPED AIR MASS. TORNADIC SUPERCELLS ARE LIKELY...GIVEN THE SHEAR
IN PLACE...WITH AN ATTENDANT THREAT OF STRONG/VIOLENT TORNADOES.
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 25045.
...EVANS
361,0893 323,0911 323,0950 361,0933SPC 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, 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, 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 5, 9:05 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw and 32 more | 115 min |
| May 5, 9:35 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw and 31 more | 5 hr |
| May 5, 11:06 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw and 31 more | 114 min |
| May 5, 2:13 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw and 31 more | 62 min |
| May 5, 2:35 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw and 29 more | 7 hr |
| May 4, 8:05 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Audrain, Bollinger, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Clark, Crawford and 27 more | 85 min |
| May 4, 9:05 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bates, Benton, Boone, Caldwell, Carroll, Cass and 23 more | 85 min |
| May 4, 10:40 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Franklin, Iron, Jefferson, Madison and 5 more | 5 hr |
| May 4, 11:05 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Franklin, Gasconade and 17 more | 5 hr |
| May 5, 1:30 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Iron, Jefferson, Madison, Perry and 3 more | 90 min |
| May 5, 1:46 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | City of Saint Louis | 89 min |
| May 5, 3:41 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Iron, Madison, Mississippi and 8 more | 34 min |
| May 5, 3:50 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Iron, Jefferson, Madison and 9 more | 6 hr |
| May 5, 6:32 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid and 4 more | 88 min |
| May 5, 9:19 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Mississippi, Perry and 5 more | 56 min |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2003Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 2003Tornado Watches in Texas, 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.