Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 84, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 1, 2003Crawford County, Arkansas

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 1, 2003, 7:42 PM CDT for Crawford County, Arkansas. It was in force for 63 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, 7:42 PM CDT (00:42 UTC)
Expired
May 1, 2003, 8:45 PM CDT
In force
63 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Crawford County, AR

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 32 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:45 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 1, 3:45 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 154 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 00:00Z on 2003-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1247 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2003-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 55 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS54 KTSA 020042
SVRTUL
ARC033-020145-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
741 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CRAWFORD COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 845 PM CDT

* AT 741 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG
  A LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES EAST OF MOUNTAINBURG TO 3 MILES     
  SOUTHEAST OF LEE CREEK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. AN ADDITIONAL 
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHERN CRAWFORD COUNTY. 

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
  MOUNTAINBURG...VAN BUREN...ALMA...CEDARVILLE...NATURAL DAM...
  CHESTER...DYER...FIGURE FIVE...RUDY AND LEE CREEK.

HAIL TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED
IN THE WARNED AREA. STAY INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE
STORM HAS PASSED.

LAT...LON 3541 9418 3544 9450 3577 9445 3577 9390

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, 7:30 PM CDT, 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 1, 7:30 PM CDT, 12 minutes before
MESOSCALE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
730 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2003

TORNADIC SUPERCELL JUST WEST OF SALLISAW AT THIS TIME REMAINS IN A
FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT AND IS MOVING OFF TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST. IF
THIS STORM REMAINS ON THIS TRACK IT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE FORT SMITH
AREA IN APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR.

10

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, May 1, 1:00 PM CDT, 6 hours 42 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, 6:19 PM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes 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

BAS
Local storm report, May 1, 6:37 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 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

BAS
Local storm report, May 1, 6:55 PM CDT, 47 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.

BAS
Special weather statement, May 1, 7:12 PM CDT, 30 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.
Local storm report, May 1, 7:27 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0727 PM CDT THU MAY 01 2003

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

0716 PM    5 NE ALMA                 AR   1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03   CRAWFORD                       IN DEAN SPRINGS AREA.
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTER

0701 PM    ALMA                      AR   1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03   CRAWFORD                       REPORTED BY PUBLIC

BAS
Local storm report, May 1, 7:42 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0742 PM CDT THU MAY 01 2003

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

0728 PM    POTEAU                    OK   1.00 IN HAIL
05/01/03   LE FLORE                       REPORTED BY SPOTTER

0727 PM    HEAVENER                  OK   1.75 IN HAIL
05/01/03   LE FLORE                       NORTH SIDE OF TOWN.
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTER

0537 PM    2 W TAHLEQUAH             OK   2.50 IN HAIL
05/01/03   CHEROKEE

BAS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 1, 7:01 PM CDTTornado WarningTSASebastian59 min
May 1, 7:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSAFranklin55 min
May 1, 8:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSASebastian44 min
May 1, 9:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSABenton66 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.