Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 169, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 10, 2003Sebastian County, Arkansas

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 10, 2003, 3:43 PM CDT for Sebastian County, Arkansas. It was in force for 47 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 10, 2003, 3:43 PM CDT (20:43 UTC)
Expired
May 10, 2003, 4:30 PM CDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Sebastian County, AR

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 15 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:44 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 10, 11:55 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 175 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2003-05-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1867 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2003-05-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 296 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
1867 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
689 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
296 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
300 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.5
Supercell composite
12.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

923 
WUUS54 KTSA 102043
SVRTUL
ARC131-102130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
343 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN SEBASTIAN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 430 PM CDT

* AT 343 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 5
  MILES WEST OF FORT SMITH...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...FORT SMITH...
  HACKETT...BARLING...LAVACA...EXCELSIOR...BONANZA...JENNY LIND AND
  BLOOMER.

HAIL TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS TO 65 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED 
IN THE WARNED AREA. STAY INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE 
STORM HAS PASSED.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. TORNADOES CAN
DEVELOP SUDDENLY FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS STORMS APPROACH.

LAT...LON 3540 9408 3526 9410 3515 9442 3540 9443
          3542 9435 3538 9434 3535 9429 3535 9422
          3538 9418 3538 9414 3544 9414 3544 9407

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 10, 3:42 PM CDT, 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 10, 3:42 PM CDT, 1 minute before
MESOSCALE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
342 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

LARGE SEVERE STORM MOVING INTO CRAWFORD COUNTY ARKANSAS SHOULD HAVE
INCREASING WIND DAMAGE POTENTIAL TO ACCOMPNAY THE GIANT HAIL THAT
HAS BEEN OCCURRING.  RECENT RADAR IMAGES SHOW A DRY AIR CHANNEL
DEVELOPING INTO THE BACK SIDE OF THE REFLECTIVITY...INDICATING A
PROLONG DAMAGGING WIND EVENING MAY BE ABOUT TO START.

FORECAST ID=08

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE
Hazardous weather outlook, May 10, 1:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 43 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-111100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK

...NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND
   EVENING...

EARLY THIS AFTERNOON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE FORMING ALONG A WIND
SHIFT LINE FROM NEAR BARTLESVILLE TO JUST EAST OF OKLAHOMA CITY TO
WITCHITA FALLS.  THIS LINE WILL PROGRESS EASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AS A POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM LIFTS NORTHEAST OUT OF THE
DESERT SOUTHWEST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS.  THIS UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM
WILL DRIVE A COLD FRONT SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING
BRINGING AN END TO THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

RICH MOISTURE...EXTREME INSTABILITY AND FAVORABLE WIND FIELDS WILL
LEAD TO SOME SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE
VERY LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES.  A SQUALL LINE WILL EVENTUALLY EVOLVE
FROM THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS AND IT WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ALSO
PRODUCE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS.

WARNING PROBABILITIES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES CAN BE
FOUND IN THE OUTLOOK SECTION AT: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA. GIVEN
PROBABILITIES REPRESENT THE POTENTIAL FOR A WARNING TO BE ISSUED AT
YOUR LOCATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
COOLER AND DRIER CONDITIONS WILL KEEP THE WEATHER QUIET FOR SUNDAY
AND MONDAY BEFORE THE NEXT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS BY AROUND
TUESDAY.  MOISTURE WILL ONCE AGAIN BE ON THE INCREASE WITH WARMER
TEMPERATURES AND A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING THROUGH AT
LEAST WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING.  SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY OFFICIALS SHOULD CONTINUE TO
MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS VERY CLOSELY TODAY.

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT...
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 10, 3:15 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0315 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0312 PM    3 W SALLISAW              OK   1.25 IN HAIL
05/10/03   SEQUOYAH

SP
Special weather statement, May 10, 3:19 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
ARZ001>002-010>011-019>020-029-OKZ049-053>076-110000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
319 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CLEARED A PORTION OF TORNADO WATCH
#338. AREAS CLEARED FROM THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDE:

IN OKLAHOMA THIS INCLUDES 4 COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

CREEK                 OSAGE                 PAWNEE
WASHINGTON

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BARTLESVILLE...BRISTOW...PAWHUSKA AND
PAWNEE.

TORNADO WATCH #182 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 700 PM CDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

IN ARKANSAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 7 COUNTIES...
IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS:

BENTON                CARROLL               CRAWFORD
MADISON               WASHINGTON

IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

FRANKLIN              SEBASTIAN

IN OKLAHOMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 21 COUNTIES...
IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA:

CHEROKEE              MUSKOGEE              OKFUSKEE
SEQUOYAH

IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

ADAIR                 CRAIG                 DELAWARE
MAYES                 NOWATA                OKMULGEE
OTTAWA                ROGERS                TULSA
WAGONER

IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

CHOCTAW               HASKELL               LATIMER
LE FLORE              MCINTOSH              PITTSBURG
PUSHMATAHA

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ANTLERS...BENTONVILLE...BERRYVILLE...
BROKEN ARROW...CEDARVILLE...CLAREMORE...CLAYTON...EUFAULA...EUREKA
SPRINGS...FAYETTEVILLE...FORT SMITH...HUGO...HUNTSVILLE...JAY...
MCALESTER...MIAMI...MOUNTAINBURG...MUSKOGEE...NATURAL DAM...NOWATA...
OKEMAH...OKMULGEE...OZARK...POTEAU...PRYOR...ROGERS...SALLISAW...SAND
SPRINGS...SILOAM SPRINGS...SPRINGDALE...STIGLER...STILWELL...
TAHLEQUAH...TULSA...VAN BUREN...VINITA...WAGONER AND WILBURTON.
Special weather statement, May 10, 3:19 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
ARZ001>002-010>011-019>020-029-OKZ049-053>076-110000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
319 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CLEARED A PORTION OF TORNADO WATCH
#338. AREAS CLEARED FROM THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDE:

IN OKLAHOMA THIS INCLUDES 4 COUNTIES...
IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

CREEK                 OSAGE                 PAWNEE
WASHINGTON

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BARTLESVILLE...BRISTOW...PAWHUSKA AND
PAWNEE.

TORNADO WATCH #338 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 700 PM CDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

IN ARKANSAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 7 COUNTIES...
IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS:

BENTON                CARROLL               CRAWFORD
MADISON               WASHINGTON

IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

FRANKLIN              SEBASTIAN

IN OKLAHOMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 21 COUNTIES...
IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA:

CHEROKEE              MUSKOGEE              OKFUSKEE
SEQUOYAH

IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

ADAIR                 CRAIG                 DELAWARE
MAYES                 NOWATA                OKMULGEE
OTTAWA                ROGERS                TULSA
WAGONER

IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

CHOCTAW               HASKELL               LATIMER
LE FLORE              MCINTOSH              PITTSBURG
PUSHMATAHA

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ANTLERS...BENTONVILLE...BERRYVILLE...
BROKEN ARROW...CEDARVILLE...CLAREMORE...CLAYTON...EUFAULA...EUREKA
SPRINGS...FAYETTEVILLE...FORT SMITH...HUGO...HUNTSVILLE...JAY...
MCALESTER...MIAMI...MOUNTAINBURG...MUSKOGEE...NATURAL DAM...NOWATA...
OKEMAH...OKMULGEE...OZARK...POTEAU...PRYOR...ROGERS...SALLISAW...SAND
SPRINGS...SILOAM SPRINGS...SPRINGDALE...STIGLER...STILWELL...
TAHLEQUAH...TULSA...VAN BUREN...VINITA...WAGONER AND WILBURTON.
Local storm report, May 10, 3:20 PM CDT, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0320 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0317 PM    SALLISAW                  OK   2.50 IN HAIL
05/10/03   SEQUOYAH

SP
Local storm report, May 10, 3:28 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0328 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0326 PM    12 N SALLISAW             OK   1.25 IN HAIL
05/10/03   SEQUOYAH

SP
Local storm report, May 10, 3:31 PM CDT, 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0331 PM CDT SAT MAY 10 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0330 PM    7 N MULDROW               OK   2.75 IN HAIL
05/10/03   SEQUOYAH

SP

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 10, 3:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Washington44 min
May 10, 3:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAFranklin, Madison51 min
May 10, 3:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Washington21 min
May 10, 4:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACarroll, Franklin, Madison56 min
May 10, 4:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Sebastian43 min
May 10, 5:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAFranklin33 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arkansas, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.