Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 313, NWS Tulsa, OK

July 13, 2003Benton County, Arkansas

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 13, 2003, 8:48 AM CDT for Benton County, Arkansas. It was in force for 42 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: Jul 13, 2003, 8:48 AM CDT (13:48 UTC)
Expired: Jul 13, 2003, 9:30 AM CDT
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Benton County, AR

The radar

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:52 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 nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 60 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: 1689 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -38 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 835 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 116 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 181 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.1
Supercell composite: 6.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

921 
WUUS54 KTSA 131348
SVRTUL
ARC007-131430-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
848 AM CDT SUN JUL 13 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN BENTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 930 AM CDT

* AT 848 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 6
  MILES WEST OF GARFIELD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...ROGERS...
  GATEWAY...WAR EAGLE AND GARFIELD.

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

LAT...LON 3651 9406 3639 9413 3622 9413 3624 9387
          3648 9385

$$

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 Jul 13, 6:05 AM CDT, 2 hours 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 13, 6:05 AM CDT, 2 hours 43 minutes before

EASTERN OKLAHOMA/NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
605 AM CDT SUN JUL 13 2003

UPDATING ZONES TO PUSH POPS IN NW AR COUNTIES FOR THUNDERSTORMS IN
THAT AREA THIS AM. SHOULD ONLY CONTINUE FOR A FEW HOURS BEFORE
WEAKENING. BUT SEVERAL GROUND TRUTH REPORTS OF 3/4 TO 1.5 INCH HAIL
FROM THESE STORMS.

FORECAST ID= 15

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 13, 5:59 AM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-141100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
600 AM CDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK

...CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY...

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ONGOING THIS MORNING ACROSS PORTIONS OF
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AS THE LOW LEVEL JET
REMAINS ACTIVE ACROSS THE AREA. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE
SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH POSSIBLE AS THE
ELEVATED INSTABILITIES REMAIN HIGH. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO
DIMINISH BY MID-MORNING AS THE LOW LEVEL JET WEAKENS.

A FEW ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AS
THE AIRMASS ACROSS THE AREA DESTABILIZES DURING THE HEAT OF THE DAY
AND A WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH EASTERN OKLAHOMA.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE AS WELL WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE.

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...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE HOT AND DRY MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
AS HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS ALOFT AND AT THE SURFACE.

.SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...SPOTTER
ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

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

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 13, 4:05 AM CDT, 4 hours 43 minutes before

OKZ069-130930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
405 AM CDT SUN JUL 13 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 430 AM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTY:

IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
     SOUTHERN ADAIR

AT 405 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES
NORTHWEST OF BUNCH...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT
WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...STILWELL AND BUNCH.

THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO
40 MPH.

Local storm report, Jul 13, 5:45 AM CDT, 3 hours 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0545 AM CDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

0535 AM    SILOAM SPRINGS            AR   1.50 IN HAIL
07/13/03   BENTON                         COUNTY 911 OPERATOR
                                          REPORTED POLICE REPORTING
                                          1.5 INCH HAIL

MB

Local storm report, Jul 13, 6:20 AM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0620 AM CDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

0619 AM    FAYETTEVILLE              AR   1.75 IN HAIL
07/13/03   WASHINGTON                     HAIL INCREASED TO GOLF
                                          BALL SIZE

0615 AM    FAYETTEVILLE              AR   1.25 IN HAIL
07/13/03   WASHINGTON                     HAIL INCREASED TO HALF
                                          DOLLAR SIZE

0610 AM    FAYETTEVILLE              AR   1.00 IN HAIL
07/13/03   WASHINGTON                     HAIL FALLING FROM 6:10 TO
                                          6:15 QUARTER SIZE

MB

Special weather statement, Jul 13, 7:37 AM CDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before

ARZ029-131330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
737 AM CDT SUN JUL 13 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 AM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTY:

IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS
     SEBASTIAN

AT 737 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES
WEST OF FORT SMITH...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL
BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...MILL CREEK...URSULA...FORT
SMITH...GREENWOOD...BARLING...LAVACA...WASHBURN...BURNVILLE...
EXCELSIOR...BONANZA...JENNY LIND...RYE HILL...BLOOMER AND CENTRAL
CITY.

THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO
40 MPH. RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE THE
ADVISORY IS UPGRADED TO A WARNING.

Local storm report, Jul 13, 8:00 AM CDT, 48 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0800 AM CDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

0750 AM    NATURAL DAM               AR   1.75 IN HAIL
07/13/03   CRAWFORD                       REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT

0735 AM    N WEDINGTON               AR   0.88 IN HAIL
07/13/03   WASHINGTON                     NEAR BENTON/WASHINGTON
                                          COUNTY LINE RELAYED THROUGH
                                          BENTON COUNTY EMERGENCY
                                          SERVICES

0620 AM    FAYETTEVILLE              AR   2.75 IN HAIL
07/13/03   WASHINGTON                     BASEBALL SIZE HAIL
                                          REPORTED IN FAYETTEVILLE AT
                                          620 AM

0620 AM    FAYETTEVILLE              AR   2.00 IN HAIL
07/13/03   WASHINGTON                     LARGEST HAIL STONE
                                          MEASURED IN THE YARD WAS 2
                                          AND 1/4 INCH DIAMETER FROM
                                          STORM.

MB

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 13, 5:17 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Benton	58 min
Jul 13, 5:36 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Washington	69 min
Jul 13, 6:05 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Benton	55 min
Jul 13, 6:32 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Madison	43 min
Jul 13, 6:43 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Washington	62 min
Jul 13, 6:57 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Benton	48 min
Jul 13, 7:08 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Crawford	67 min
Jul 13, 7:41 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Washington	64 min
Jul 13, 7:44 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Benton	61 min
Jul 13, 8:15 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Crawford, Sebastian	60 min
Jul 13, 8:42 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Washington	33 min
Jul 13, 10:24 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Carroll	51 min
Jul 13, 12:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Carroll, Madison	66 min
Jul 13, 1:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Carroll	62 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arkansas, 2003 Every 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.