Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 83, NWS Tulsa, OK
NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 1, 2003, 7:20 PM CDT for Franklin County, Arkansas. It was in force for 55 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 1, 2003, 7:20 PM CDT (00:20 UTC)
- Expired
- May 1, 2003, 8:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 55 min
- Issued by
- NWS Tulsa, OK
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Franklin County, AR
The radar
The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:24 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 3:45 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 5 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 142 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
- 1247 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -23 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 891 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 55 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 177 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.8
- Supercell composite
- 4.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
741 WUUS54 KTSA 020020 SVRTUL ARC047-020115- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 720 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... NORTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS * UNTIL 815 PM CDT * AT 720 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTH OF FERN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. * SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...FERN AND CASS. THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN THE CITY ALMA. HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WARNED AREA. STAY INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. LAT...LON 3560 9409 3543 9407 3574 9363 3579 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 May 1, 6:40 PM CDT, 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 1, 6:40 PM CDT, 40 minutes before
MESOSCALE FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA 640 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003 TORNADIC SUPERCELL OVER EASTERN MUSKOGEE AND SOUTHERN CHEROKEE WILL MOVE INTO SEQUOYAH COUNTY. THIS IS A RIGHT MOVING STORM AND IS MOVING INTO A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR CONTINUED TORNADIC ACTIVITY. AIRMASS IS STABLIZING SOME AS THE PEAK HEATING OF THE DAY HAS PASSED AND THE CANOPY OF CLOUDS HAS ALSO REDUCING HEATING. ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH EVEN FURTHER AFTER SUNSET. 10 .TSA... AR...NONE. OK...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, May 1, 1:00 PM CDT, 6 hours 20 minutes before
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-021100- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 100 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003 THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA. .DAY ONE...TODAY SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK ...CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AT MID DAY A COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED NORTH TO SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. TO THE EAST OF THIS FRONT THE ATMOSPHERE WAS QUITE MOIST. THIS MOISTURE WILL TRANSLATE INTO INSTABILITY THIS AFTERNOON AS TEMPERATURES WARM TO THE UPPER 70S TO MID 80S. AS TEMPERATURES WARM THE LID ON THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPMENT IMPOSED BY A WARM LAYER OF AIR OFF THE SURFACE MAY BE BROKEN AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY FORM. IN ADDITION...THE COLD FRONT COULD AID IN THIS PROCESS AS IT MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IF A THUNDERSTORM DOES FORM THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE IT WOULD BECOME SEVERE. THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS WHERE HEATING IS EXPECTED TO BE MAXIMIZED. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WARNING PROBABILITIES 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...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BEGIN MOVING SLOWLY NORTH LATE FRIDAY AND LIKELY SPAWN MORE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY NIGHT AND OVER THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS TODAY. ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT... WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 1, 5:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0500 PM CDT THU MAY 01 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0448 PM 10 S CHLOETA OK 1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 DELAWARE REPRTED BY TV STATION
BASLocal storm report, May 1, 6:07 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0607 PM CDT THU MAY 01 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0555 PM OKAY OK FX TORNADO
05/01/03 WAGONER MOBILE HOME DESTROYED,
OUTBUILDING DESTROYED,
POWERLINES DOWN. REPORTED
BY SPOTTER
0542 PM 4 W TAHLEQUAH OK 1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 CHEROKEE REPORTED BY SPOTTER
0521 PM HULBERT OK 2.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 CHEROKEE REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGER
0519 PM 3 N WAGONER OK 1.00 IN HAIL
05/01/03 WAGONER REPORTED BY SPOTTER
BASLocal storm report, May 1, 6:19 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0619 PM CDT THU MAY 01 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0611 PM 3 W PANAMA OK 0.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 LE FLORE REPORTED BY SEBASTIAN
COUNTY E.O.C.
0610 PM MUSKOGEE OK FX TORNADO
05/01/03 MUSKOGEE NORTH OF HIHWAY 62.
REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
MANAGER
0605 PM 3 N FORT GIBSON OK 1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 CHEROKEE REPORTED BY PUBLIC
0559 PM 3 N JAY OK 1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 DELAWARE REPORTED BY SPOTTER
BASLocal storm report, May 1, 6:37 PM CDT, 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0637 PM CDT THU MAY 01 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0634 PM FORT SMITH AR 0.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 SEBASTIAN WEST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN.
REPORTED BY SPOTTER
0631 PM 3 E PANAMA OK 0.88 IN HAIL
05/01/03 LE FLORE REPORTED BY SPOTTER
0630 PM 7 S FORT SMITH AR 1.00 IN HAIL
05/01/03 SEBASTIAN REPORTED BY SPOTTER
BASLocal storm report, May 1, 6:55 PM CDT, 25 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0655 PM CDT THU MAY 01 2003
TIME(CDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0648 PM 3 E PANAMA OK 1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03 LE FLORE REPORTED BY SPOTTER
0644 PM FORT SMITH AR 1.00 IN HAIL
05/01/03 SEBASTIAN NUMEROUS LOCATIONS
THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
REPORTED BY SPOTTERS
0640 PM FORT SMITH AR 1.00 IN HAIL
05/01/03 SEBASTIAN 3 MILES NORTH OF FORT
SMITH AIRPORT. REPORTED BY
RETIRED NWS EMPLOYEE.
BASSpecial weather statement, May 1, 7:12 PM CDT, 8 minutes before
ARZ001>002-010>011-019>020-029-OKZ049-053-060>063-066>076-020200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 712 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CLEARED A PORTION OF TORNADO WATCH 202. AREAS CLEARED FROM THE TORNADO WATCH INCLUDE: IN OKLAHOMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 8 COUNTIES... IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA: MUSKOGEE IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA: MAYES OKMULGEE ROGERS TULSA WAGONER IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA: MCINTOSH PITTSBURG THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BROKEN ARROW...CLAREMORE...EUFAULA... MCALESTER...MUSKOGEE...OKMULGEE...PRYOR...SAND SPRINGS...TULSA AND WAGONER. TORNADO WATCH 202 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 900 PM CDT THURSDAY 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 9 COUNTIES... IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA: CHEROKEE SEQUOYAH IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA: ADAIR DELAWARE IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA: CHOCTAW HASKELL LATIMER LE FLORE PUSHMATAHA THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ANTLERS...BENTONVILLE...BERRYVILLE... CEDARVILLE...CLAYTON...EUREKA SPRINGS...FAYETTEVILLE...FORT SMITH... HUGO...HUNTSVILLE...JAY...MOUNTAINBURG...NATURAL DAM...OZARK... POTEAU...ROGERS...SALLISAW...SILOAM SPRINGS...SPRINGDALE...STIGLER... STILWELL...TAHLEQUAH...VAN BUREN AND WILBURTON.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 7:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TSA | Sebastian | 59 min |
| May 1, 7:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Crawford | 63 min |
| May 1, 8:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Sebastian | 44 min |
| May 1, 9:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Benton | 66 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.