Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Watches in 2003
Tornado Watch 349
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 10, 2003, 8:45 PM CDT for 6 states. It was in force for 5 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 10, 2003, 8:45 PM CDT (01:45 UTC)
- Expired
- May 11, 2003, 2:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 5 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 79 counties
Baxter County, AR, Clay County, AR, Cleburne County, AR, Conway County, AR, Craighead County, AR, Crittenden County, AR, Cross County, AR, Faulkner County, AR, Fulton County, AR, Greene County, AR, Independence County, AR, Izard County, AR, Jackson County, AR, Lawrence County, AR, Mississippi County, AR, Poinsett County, AR, Pope County, AR, Randolph County, AR, Searcy County, AR, Sharp County, AR, Stone County, AR, Van Buren County, AR, White County, AR, Woodruff County, AR, Alexander County, IL, Franklin County, IL, Gallatin County, IL, Hamilton County, IL, Hardin County, IL, Jackson County, IL, Johnson County, IL, Massac County, IL, Perry County, IL, Pope County, IL, Pulaski County, IL, Randolph County, IL, Saline County, IL, Union County, IL, White County, IL, Williamson County, IL, Posey County, IN, Ballard County, KY, Carlisle County, KY, Fulton County, KY, Graves County, KY, Hickman County, KY, Livingston County, KY, McCracken County, KY, Union County, KY, Bollinger County, MO, Butler County, MO, Cape Girardeau County, MO, Carter County, MO, Crawford County, MO, Dent County, MO, Dunklin County, MO, Howell County, MO, Iron County, MO, Madison County, MO, Mississippi County, MO, New Madrid County, MO, Oregon County, MO, Pemiscot County, MO, Perry County, MO, Reynolds County, MO, Ripley County, MO, Saint Francois County, MO, Sainte Genevieve County, MO, Scott County, MO, Shannon County, MO, Stoddard County, MO, Washington County, MO, Wayne County, MO, Dyer County, TN, Lake County, TN, Lauderdale County, TN, Obion County, TN, Shelby County, TN, Tipton County, TN
Warnings issued inside it
19 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 9:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Alexander | 35 min |
| May 10, 9:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Faulkner, White | 44 min |
| May 10, 10:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Pulaski | 28 min |
| May 10, 10:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Johnson | 31 min |
| May 10, 10:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Greene, Lawrence | 44 min |
| May 10, 10:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Jackson | 31 min |
| May 10, 10:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Cross, Poinsett | 44 min |
| May 10, 10:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Woodruff | 30 min |
| May 10, 10:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Scott, Stoddard | 46 min |
| May 10, 11:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Dunklin, Pemiscot | 43 min |
| May 10, 11:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Alexander | 23 min |
| May 10, 11:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Dyer, Lake, Obion | 30 min |
| May 10, 11:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Pulaski | 29 min |
| May 10, 11:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Mississippi | 34 min |
| May 10, 11:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | White, Woodruff | 37 min |
| May 10, 11:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Tipton | 32 min |
| May 11, 12:01 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Dyer, Gibson, Obion, Weakley | 44 min |
| May 11, 12:26 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Livingston | 34 min |
| May 11, 1:11 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Fayette, Shelby | 34 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, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 191 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
- 1530 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -23 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1136 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 46 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 165 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 215 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.5
- Supercell composite
- 9.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 110143
SEL9
SPC WW 110145
ARZ000-ILZ000-INZ000-KYZ000-MOZ000-TNZ000-110700-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 349
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
845 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHERN ARKANSAS
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
SOUTHWEST INDIANA
WESTERN KENTUCKY
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
WESTERN TENNESSEE
EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING FROM 845 PM UNTIL
200 AM CDT.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 100 STATUTE MILES EAST AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF CARBONDALE
ILLINOIS TO 75 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JONESBORO 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 342. WATCH NUMBER 342 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 845
PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 341...WW 342...WW 343...WW 344...WW 345...WW
346...WW 347...WW 348...
DISCUSSION...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING
EWD ACROSS ID MS VALLEY AHEAD OF STRONG S/WV TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED
MID/UPPER JET. WITH THE AIRMASS REMAINING UNSTABLE AND DEEP LAYER
SHEAR FAVORABLE...SUPERCELLS WILL BE LIKELY WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES
ALONG WITH DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS AS WELL AS LARGE HAIL
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24040.
...HALES
380,0873 350,0894 350,0932 380,0911
WWUS20 KWNS 110143
SEL9
SPC WW 110145
ARZ000-ILZ000-INZ000-KYZ000-MOZ000-TNZ000-110700-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 349
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
845 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHERN ARKANSAS
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
SOUTHWEST INDIANA
WESTERN KENTUCKY
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
WESTERN TENNESSEE
EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING FROM 845 PM UNTIL
200 AM CDT.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 100 STATUTE MILES EAST AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF CARBONDALE
ILLINOIS TO 75 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JONESBORO 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 342. WATCH NUMBER 342 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 845
PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 341...WW 342...WW 343...WW 344...WW 345...WW
346...WW 347...WW 348...
DISCUSSION...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING
EWD ACROSS ID MS VALLEY AHEAD OF STRONG S/WV TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED
MID/UPPER JET. WITH THE AIRMASS REMAINING UNSTABLE AND DEEP LAYER
SHEAR FAVORABLE...SUPERCELLS WILL BE LIKELY WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES
ALONG WITH DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS AS WELL AS LARGE HAIL
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24040.
...HALES
380,0873 350,0894 350,0932 380,0911SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 7:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Arkansas, Clark, Cleveland, Dallas, Garland, Grant and 18 more | 5 hr |
| May 10, 7:06 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Baxter, Boone, Clay, Cleburne, Conway, Craighead and 22 more | 54 min |
| May 10, 10:29 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Arkansas, Clark, Cleveland, Dallas, Garland, Grant and 15 more | 91 min |
| May 10, 8:05 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford, Grundy and 12 more | 6 hr |
| May 10, 8:18 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bureau, Carroll, Henderson, Henry, Jo Daviess, Knox and 8 more | 117 min |
| May 10, 8:41 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Crawford, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash | 2 hr |
| May 10, 9:10 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Adams, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign and 45 more | 5 hr |
| May 10, 9:35 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Bureau, Carroll, Henderson, Henry, Jo Daviess, Knox and 11 more | 3 hr |
| May 10, 10:56 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Boone, Bureau, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford and 19 more | 94 min |
| May 11, 1:46 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adams, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign and 42 more | 89 min |
| May 10, 10:40 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | DeKalb, Elkhart, Kosciusko, LaGrange, LaPorte, Marshall and 5 more | 2 hr |
| May 10, 11:00 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Adams, Allen, Cass, DeKalb, Elkhart, Fulton and 15 more | 6 hr |
| May 10, 11:20 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Harrison, Perry, Spencer | 6 hr |
| May 10, 11:28 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Dearborn, Fayette, Franklin, Jay, Ohio, Randolph and 4 more | 2 hr |
| May 10, 8:28 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Breathitt, Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Magoffin, Martin and 1 more | 62 min |
| May 10, 10:04 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Allen, Barren, Breckinridge, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway and 23 more | 116 min |
| May 11, 4:16 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Bell, Bourbon and 68 more | 59 min |
| May 11, 5:05 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Boyle, Breathitt, Casey and 38 more | 4 hr |
| May 11, 5:55 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bell, Harlan | 5 hr |
| May 11, 3:10 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bedford, Bledsoe, Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland and 18 more | 95 min |
| May 11, 3:20 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bedford, Bledsoe, Campbell, Cannon, Clay, Coffee and 25 more | 5 hr |
| May 11, 5:22 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bedford, Bledsoe, Campbell, Cannon, Coffee, Cumberland and 24 more | 83 min |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2003Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2003Tornado Watches in Illinois, 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.