Severe Thunderstorm Warning 182, NWS Memphis, TN

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
924 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

.DISCUSSION...
MOST OF THE MID SOUTH REMAINS UNDER A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE
WEATHER THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 249
FOR CWA LOCATIONS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER THROUGH 3 PM CDT.
A POTENT SHORTWAVE UPPER TROUGH IS CURRENTLY ROTATING AROUND THE
BASE OF A DEEP CLOSED H5 LOW OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS
SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ORGANIZED LINE OF SEVERE
WEATEHR IN PROGRESS ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST AR. THIS LINE
WILL PUSH INTO NORTHEAST AR AND THE MO BOOTHEEL LATER THIS
MORNING.

VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS AN AREA OF RELATIVELY CLEAR SKIES
MOVING TOWARD THE MS DELTA. WILL HAVE TO WATCH THIS AREA FOR THE
INITIATION OF SEVERE WEATHER TOWARD MIDDAY. THE BEST FORCING MOVES
NORTH OF THE REGION BY MIDDAY AS THE ABOVE MENTIONED SHORTWAVE
LIFTS INTO MISSOURI...HOWEVER CAPE VALUES AROUND 2200 J/KG WILL
KEEP THE THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL AROUND THIS
AFTERNOON.

A SECOND UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE WILL APPROACH THE REGION THIS
EVENING AND PUSH THE SURFACE COLD FRONT ACROSS THE MID SOUTH.
EXPECT A SQUALL LINE TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION THIS EVENING AND
INTO THE EARLIER MORNING HOURS.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 433 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008/

DISCUSSION...
A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH THIS
EARLY MORNING AS AN IMPRESSIVE LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS BEGINS TO MOVE INTO WESTERN MISSOURI AND WESTERN
ARKANSAS. THIS LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE THE MAIN
WEATHER EVENT FOR THE MIDSOUTH OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

SOME QUESTION STILL REMAINS ABOUT HOW THIS SEVERE WEATHER EVENT
WILL PLAY OUT TODAY AND TONIGHT. ONE OF THE MAIN CONCERNS IS THE
DEVELOPMENT OF DISCRETE SUPERCELLS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT/MAIN
SQUALL LINE. TAKING A LOOK AT AREA SOUNDINGS AND FORECAST
SOUNDINGS...A STRONG CAP CONTINUES TO BE IN PLACE. MODELS STILL
SHOW THAT 500 MB HEIGHTS NEVER REALLY FALL SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE
AREA UNTIL THE SQUALL LINE ARRIVES. LOW STRATUS DECK WILL LIKELY
BE A PROBLEM AS FAR AS INHIBITING DAYTIME HEATING WITH CLOUDS
STICKING AROUND INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

WITH ALL THAT SAID...INSTABILITY WILL STILL BE IMPRESSIVE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND
LARGE HAIL AS WELL AS A FEW TORNADOES POSSIBLE WITH EMBEDDED
SUPERCELLS IN THE SQUALL LINE. THE MIDSOUTH WILL NEED TO BE
WATCHED CLOSELY THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE RE-DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. IF DAYTIME
HEATING CAN BE MAXIMIZED AND WITH IMPRESSIVE INSTABILITY AND SHEAR
PARAMETERS IN PLACE...THE TORNADO THREAT WOULD INCREASE...MAINLY
ACROSS AREAS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...BUT AT THIS POINT
THIS SCENARIO STILL REMAINS SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN.

SQUALL LINE AND COLD FRONT WILL EXIT THE AREA BY SATURDAY MORNING
LEAVING THE MIDSOUTH RAIN FREE BY THE AFTERNOON HOURS. SKIES WILL
BEGIN TO CLEAR BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW
TO MID 70S. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO SETTLE OVER THE AREA ON SUNDAY
USHERING IN MUCH COOLER AND DRIER AIR. TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY WILL
BE WELL BELOW SEASONAL NORMALS WITH LOWS IN THE 40S AND HIGHS NEAR
70 DEGREES. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY BEGIN TO SHIFT EAST ON MONDAY
AND MONDAY NIGHT ALLOWING SOUTHERLY FLOW TO RETURN TO THE AREA. AS
A RESULT...MOISTURE WILL INCREASE AS WELL AS THE CHANCE FOR RAIN.
MEDIUM RANGE MODELS START TO DIVERGE AT THIS POINT WITH THE GFS
RECOVERING THE MOISTURE MUCH FASTER THAN THE ECMWF. TOOK SOMEWHAT
OF A BLEND FOR THE EXTENDED AS IT SEEMS THAT THE 00Z RUN OF THE
GFS IS MUCH FASTER WITH THE NEXT SYSTEM COMPARED TO THE 12Z RUN.

AN UPPER LEVEL IMPULSE WILL MOVE JUST NORTH OF THE MIDSOUTH ON
WEDNESDAY INCREASING THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE
NEXT COLD FRONT WILL GET HUNGUP ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH WEDNESDAY
NIGHT INTO THURSDAY KEEPING RAIN CHANCES IN THE FORECAST DURING
THIS TIME FRAME. HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW WITH THE
EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MEM  78  59  76  50 /  80  90  10  10
MKL  77  59  73  46 /  60  90  10  10
JBR  75  55  72  47 /  90  70  10  10
TUP  79  62  77  49 /  50  90  40  10

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR CLAY-CRAIGHEAD-
     CRITTENDEN-CROSS-GREENE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-MISSISSIPPI-
     PHILLIPS-POINSETT-RANDOLPH-ST. FRANCIS.

MO...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR DUNKLIN-PEMISCOT.

MS...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR BENTON MS-COAHOMA-
     DESOTO-LAFAYETTE-MARSHALL-PANOLA-QUITMAN-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-
     TUNICA-YALOBUSHA.

TN...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR CROCKETT-DYER-
     FAYETTE-GIBSON-HARDEMAN-HAYWOOD-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-MADISON-
     OBION-SHELBY-TIPTON-WEAKLEY.

&&

KNS/RJO

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1104 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-
MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-031815-
ALCORN-BENTON MS-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-CLAY-COAHOMA-
CRAIGHEAD-CRITTENDEN-CROCKETT-CROSS-DESOTO-DECATUR-DUNKLIN-DYER-
FAYETTE-GIBSON-GREENE-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD-HENDERSON-HENRY-
ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-LEE MS-MADISON-
MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION-PANOLA-PEMISCOT-
PHILLIPS-POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-RANDOLPH-SHELBY-
ST. FRANCIS-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA-
UNION-WEAKLEY-YALOBUSHA-
1104 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS...
THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH THROUGH 400
AM CDT SATURDAY MORNING AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE
AREA. THE MAIN HAZARDS WITH THESE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ALONG WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A FEW
TORNADOES. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG
AND WEST OF A LINE FROM BRUCE MISSISSIPPI...TO CORINTH
MISSISSIPPI...TO PARSONS TENNESSEE. AREAS EAST OF THE ABOVE
MENTIONED LINE ARE IN A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY
AND TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO ANY CURRENT SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES
AND WARNINGS AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERTS FOR THE LATEST
INFORMATION.

ALONG WITH THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT...HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO
2 INCHES WITH SOME LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE
MIDSOUTH. LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT.
PLEASE REFER TO CURRENT FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS OR SMALL STREAM FLOOD
ADVISORIES FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION.

STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH
WILL OCCUR THROUGH 900 PM CDT THIS EVENING ACROSS EASTERN
ARKANSAS...THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...WEST TENNESSEE...AND NORTHWEST
MISSISSIPPI. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS THROUGH
900 PM CDT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS IS NEEDED
TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1030 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

ARZ017-018-026-027-021615-
CRAIGHEAD AR-POINSETT AR-GREENE AR-LAWRENCE AR-
1030 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

...THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR...

  WESTERN CRAIGHEAD COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
  SOUTHERN GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
  SOUTHEASTERN LAWRENCE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
  NORTHWESTERN POINSETT COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AND 40
TO 50 MPH WINDS WAS LOCATED FROM 3 MILES SOUTH OF MINTURN TO 15 MILES
SOUTH OF ALICIA AT 1030 AM CDT...MOVING EAST AT 36 MPH.

VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

THESE STORMS ARE INTENSIFYING AND COULD BECOME SEVERE RAPIDLY.

PEOPLE IN CRAIGHEAD...GREENE...LAWRENCE AND POINSETT COUNTIES...
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF BONO...BROOKLAND AND JONESBORO...SHOULD
MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 1115 AM CDT.

.A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ALERT AREA.