Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Watches in 2003

Tornado Watch 958

November 18, 20034 states

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Nov 18, 2003, 6:55 AM CST for 4 states. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Nov 18, 2003, 6:55 AM CST (12:55 UTC)
Expired: Nov 18, 2003, 12:00 PM CST
In force: 5 hr
Issued by: the Storm Prediction Center

All 129 counties

Choctaw County, AL, Colbert County, AL, Fayette County, AL, Franklin County, AL, Greene County, AL, Lamar County, AL, Lauderdale County, AL, Lawrence County, AL, Limestone County, AL, Marion County, AL, Pickens County, AL, Sumter County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL, Washington County, AL, Winston County, AL, Ascension Parish, LA, Assumption Parish, LA, East Baton Rouge Parish, LA, Jefferson Parish, LA, Lafourche Parish, LA, Livingston Parish, LA, Orleans Parish, LA, Plaquemines Parish, LA, Saint Bernard Parish, LA, Saint Charles Parish, LA, Saint Helena Parish, LA, Saint James Parish, LA, Saint John the Baptist Parish, LA, Saint Tammany Parish, LA, Tangipahoa Parish, LA, Terrebonne Parish, LA, Washington Parish, LA, Alcorn County, MS, Amite County, MS, Attala County, MS, Benton County, MS, Calhoun County, MS, Carroll County, MS, Chickasaw County, MS, Choctaw County, MS, Clarke County, MS, Clay County, MS, Copiah County, MS, Covington County, MS, Forrest County, MS, George County, MS, Greene County, MS, Grenada County, MS, Hancock County, MS, Harrison County, MS, Hinds County, MS, Holmes County, MS, Itawamba County, MS, Jackson County, MS, Jasper County, MS, Jefferson Davis County, MS, Jones County, MS, Kemper County, MS, Lafayette County, MS, Lamar County, MS, Lauderdale County, MS, Lawrence County, MS, Leake County, MS, Lee County, MS, Lincoln County, MS, Lowndes County, MS, Madison County, MS, Marion County, MS, Marshall County, MS, Monroe County, MS, Montgomery County, MS, Neshoba County, MS, Newton County, MS, Noxubee County, MS, Oktibbeha County, MS, Pearl River County, MS, Perry County, MS, Pike County, MS, Pontotoc County, MS, Prentiss County, MS, Rankin County, MS, Scott County, MS, Simpson County, MS, Smith County, MS, Stone County, MS, Tippah County, MS, Tishomingo County, MS, Union County, MS, Walthall County, MS, Wayne County, MS, Webster County, MS, Winston County, MS, Yalobusha County, MS, Yazoo County, MS, Benton County, TN, Carroll County, TN, Cheatham County, TN, Chester County, TN, Crockett County, TN, Davidson County, TN, Decatur County, TN, Dickson County, TN, Dyer County, TN, Fayette County, TN, Gibson County, TN, Giles County, TN, Hardeman County, TN, Hardin County, TN, Haywood County, TN, Henderson County, TN, Henry County, TN, Hickman County, TN, Houston County, TN, Humphreys County, TN, Lawrence County, TN, Lewis County, TN, Madison County, TN, Marshall County, TN, Maury County, TN, McNairy County, TN, Montgomery County, TN, Obion County, TN, Perry County, TN, Robertson County, TN, Stewart County, TN, Sumner County, TN, Wayne County, TN, Weakley County, TN, Williamson County, TN

Warnings issued inside it

70 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Nov 18, 7:04 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Holmes, Yazoo	46 min
Nov 18, 7:05 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LIX	Saint Helena	40 min
Nov 18, 7:08 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Lafayette, Marshall	37 min
Nov 18, 7:15 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Hinds, Rankin	60 min
Nov 18, 7:17 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Attala, Madison	58 min
Nov 18, 7:18 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LIX	East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston	42 min
Nov 18, 7:25 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LIX	Ascension, Assumption	35 min
Nov 18, 7:45 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LIX	Livingston, Saint Helena, Tangipahoa, Washington	45 min
Nov 18, 7:46 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Benton	44 min
Nov 18, 7:55 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LIX	Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, Lafourche, Saint James, Terrebonne	50 min
Nov 18, 8:10 AM CST	Tornado Warning	MOB	Washington	35 min
Nov 18, 8:20 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Simpson, Smith	45 min
Nov 18, 8:23 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Henry, Weakley	37 min
Nov 18, 8:25 AM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Simpson, Smith	45 min
Nov 18, 8:28 AM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Simpson, Smith	42 min
Nov 18, 8:29 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LIX	Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington	46 min
Nov 18, 8:32 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Jefferson Davis	18 min
Nov 18, 8:32 AM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Henry, Weakley	28 min
Nov 18, 8:39 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LIX	Lafourche, Livingston, Saint Charles, Saint James, Saint John the Baptist, Terrebonne	51 min
Nov 18, 8:39 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Choctaw	26 min
Nov 18, 8:44 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Oktibbeha, Winston	46 min
Nov 18, 8:49 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Marion	61 min
Nov 18, 8:50 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Webster	30 min
Nov 18, 8:51 AM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Jasper, Newton, Scott	59 min
Nov 18, 8:54 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Covington	61 min
Nov 18, 9:01 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Clay	49 min
Nov 18, 9:02 AM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Marion	58 min
Nov 18, 9:07 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Neshoba	43 min
Nov 18, 9:08 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LIX	Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles and 1 more	52 min
Nov 18, 9:10 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LIX	Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington	65 min
Nov 18, 9:11 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Choctaw	29 min
Nov 18, 9:12 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Jones	58 min
Nov 18, 9:13 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OHX	Benton	62 min
Nov 18, 9:17 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Lamar	58 min
Nov 18, 9:24 AM CST	Tornado Warning	LIX	Jefferson, Orleans, Saint Bernard	21 min
Nov 18, 9:26 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OHX	Stewart	64 min
Nov 18, 9:29 AM CST	Tornado Warning	LIX	Saint Tammany, Washington	46 min
Nov 18, 9:30 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Oktibbeha, Winston	45 min
Nov 18, 9:32 AM CST	Tornado Warning	LIX	Saint Tammany	43 min
Nov 18, 9:33 AM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Kemper, Lauderdale	57 min
Nov 18, 9:38 AM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Forrest, Lamar	62 min
Nov 18, 9:41 AM CST	Tornado Warning	LIX	Orleans, Saint Bernard	34 min
Nov 18, 9:41 AM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Covington, Jones	59 min
Nov 18, 9:46 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Clay	44 min
Nov 18, 9:51 AM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Clarke, Jasper, Newton	59 min
Nov 18, 9:55 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Noxubee	45 min
Nov 18, 10:04 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Lowndes	46 min
Nov 18, 10:06 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Sumter	54 min
Nov 18, 10:11 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LIX	Saint Tammany	49 min
Nov 18, 10:11 AM CST	Flash Flood Warning	OHX	Benton	3 hr
Nov 18, 10:18 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens	57 min
Nov 18, 10:29 AM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Lauderdale	61 min
Nov 18, 10:36 AM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Lowndes, Noxubee	24 min
Nov 18, 10:36 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Perry, Wayne	54 min
Nov 18, 10:38 AM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Forrest	62 min
Nov 18, 10:41 AM CST	Tornado Warning	JAN	Jones	59 min
Nov 18, 10:42 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Sumter	63 min
Nov 18, 10:46 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LIX	Plaquemines	44 min
Nov 18, 10:48 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Lamar	42 min
Nov 18, 10:50 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	JAN	Clarke	40 min
Nov 18, 10:52 AM CST	Tornado Warning	LIX	Hancock, Harrison	23 min
Nov 18, 10:56 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Stone	49 min
Nov 18, 10:59 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Greene	46 min
Nov 18, 11:07 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	Choctaw	53 min
Nov 18, 11:13 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Pickens	32 min
Nov 18, 11:14 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LIX	Harrison, Jackson	61 min
Nov 18, 11:23 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	BMX	Fayette	52 min
Nov 18, 11:48 AM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MOB	George, Greene	27 min
Nov 18, 11:53 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Tuscaloosa	52 min
Nov 18, 11:58 AM CST	Tornado Warning	BMX	Fayette, Walker	47 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

Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 12:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 58 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.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 211 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 701 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 295 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 385 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.3
Supercell composite: 1.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 181259
SEL8  
SPC WW 181255
ALZ000-LAZ000-MSZ000-TNZ000-CWZ000-181800-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 958 
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 
655 AM CST TUE NOV 18 2003

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 

       WESTERN ALABAMA
       EASTERN LOUISIANA
       MISSISSIPPI
       WEST AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE
       COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY MORNING FROM 655 AM UNTIL 1200 PM CST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 0.5 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 80 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 70 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF NASHVILLE TENNESSEE TO
40 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HOUMA LOUISIANA.

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 956...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 957. WATCH NUMBER 956 957
WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 655 AM CST. 


DISCUSSION...CONVECTIVE BAND NOW EXTENDING FROM W TN SSW TO NEAR LFT
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE E AT ABOUT 30 KT THROUGH NOON CST.  DEEP SHEAR
EXPECTED TO REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS...WITH RICH LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE INFLOW/LOW LCLS LIKELY TO SUPPORT A CONTINUED THREAT
FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES IN CNTRL/SRN MS AND SE LA.  SOMEWHAT GREATER
LOW LEVEL DIRECTIONAL SHEAR/STRONGER PRESSURE FALLS MAY COMPENSATE
FOR MORE LIMITED MOISTURE INFLOW TO SUPPORT BOWING STRUCTURES AND
POSSIBLY ISOLATED TORNADOES IN NRN MS/TN.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 0.5 INCH. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22030.


...CORFIDI

362,0862 290,0885 290,0913 362,0891

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Nov 18, 6:08 AM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Choctaw, Colbert, Franklin, Lamar, Marion, Pickens and 1 more	2 hr
Nov 18, 8:58 AM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Baldwin, Butler, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw and 4 more	92 min
Nov 18, 10:30 AM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Baldwin, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Chilton, Choctaw and 26 more	90 min
Nov 18, 11:25 AM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Calhoun and 38 more	6 hr
Nov 18, 1:33 PM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	DeKalb, Jackson, Madison	57 min
Nov 18, 1:55 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	DeKalb, Jackson	5 hr
Nov 18, 1:59 PM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers and 23 more	91 min
Nov 18, 4:31 PM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Clay, Cleburne and 16 more	29 min
Nov 18, 4:55 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Barbour, Bullock, Chambers, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw and 11 more	5 hr
Nov 17, 7:48 PM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, Webster	87 min
Nov 17, 8:10 PM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Beauregard, Calcasieu, Natchitoches, Sabine, Vernon	95 min
Nov 17, 9:25 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, De Soto and 12 more	7 hr
Nov 17, 10:53 PM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Beauregard, Calcasieu	97 min
Nov 17, 11:44 PM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Bienville, Bossier, Caldwell, Claiborne, De Soto, Grant and 11 more	91 min
Nov 17, 11:50 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Evangeline and 2 more	5 hr
Nov 18, 2:08 AM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, East Baton Rouge and 25 more	97 min
Nov 18, 2:25 AM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard and 32 more	6 hr
Nov 18, 4:48 AM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Ascension, Assumption, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville and 17 more	117 min
Nov 18, 1:29 AM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Bolivar, Coahoma, DeSoto, Leflore, Marshall, Panola and 5 more	3 hr
Nov 18, 1:55 AM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	Bolivar, Coahoma, DeSoto, Holmes, Humphreys, Leflore and 7 more	6 hr
Nov 18, 2:50 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	Bolivar, Washington	5 hr
Nov 18, 3:26 PM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Anderson, Bradley, Campbell, Cumberland, Fentress, Loudon and 8 more	94 min
Nov 18, 4:58 PM CST	Mesoscale Discussion	SPC	Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Cocke, Cumberland and 20 more	32 min

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2003 Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 2003 Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 2003 Every 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.