Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 39, NWS Memphis, TN

February 5, 2008Cross County, Lee County, St. Francis County, Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Feb 5, 2008, 6:48 PM CST for Cross County, Lee County, St. Francis County, Arkansas. It was in force for 42 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Feb 5, 2008, 6:48 PM CST (00:48 UTC)
Expired: Feb 5, 2008, 7:30 PM CST
In force: 42 min
Issued by: NWS Memphis, TN
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Cross County, AR, Lee County, AR, St. Francis County, AR

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 81 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:50 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Feb 5, 7:13 PM CST	TSTM WND DMG	8 Nw Palestine, AR	CAR KNOCKED OFF THE ROAD.
Feb 5, 7:19 PM CST	TORNADO 0	3 W Colt, AR	AN EF-0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 3 MILES WEST OF COLT.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Feb 5, 3:09 PM CST	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 79 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: 1569 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 804 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 309 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 365 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 3.5
Supercell composite: 12.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KMEG 060049
TORMEG
ARC037-077-123-060130-
/O.NEW.KMEG.TO.W.0039.080206T0048Z-080206T0130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
648 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN CROSS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
  WESTERN LEE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
  ST. FRANCIS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...

* UNTIL 730 PM CST

* AT 648 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING A TORNADO 11 MILES WEST OF GARRET
  GROVE...OR ABOUT NEAR CLARENDON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  MORO...WHEATLEY...NEW SALEM...PALESTINE...HAYNES...FORREST CITY...
  BRICKEYS...CALDWELL...MADISON...COLT...WIDENER...WYNNE...NEW
  HOME...HUGHES...VANNDALE AND PARKIN.

.IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

.IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF
THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE
BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.

.IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

.STAY TUNED TO THIS BROADCAST FOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND INFORMATION.
TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER ONLY...CALL 1 800 4 3 2 0 8 7 5.

LAT...LON 3543 9056 3524 9050 3520 9051 3514 9047
      3492 9041 3466 9106 3501 9115 3503 9106
      3509 9106 3545 9070
TIME...MOT...LOC 0048Z 228DEG 49KT 3479 9123

$$

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS54 KMEG 060112
SVSMEG

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
711 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008

MSC003-139-TNC069-060121-
/O.CAN.KMEG.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-080206T0130Z/
ALCORN MS-TIPPAH MS-HARDEMAN TN-
711 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN HARDEMAN...NORTHEASTERN
TIPPAH AND WESTERN ALCORN COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

AT 711 PM CST...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE 
THUNDERSTORMS WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA 
...AND NO LONGER POSE AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY. 
THEREFORE...THE TORNADO WARNING IS CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 3515 8818 3500 8842 3500 8880 3515 8879
      3518 8880 3527 8872 3528 8871 3532 8868
TIME...MOT...LOC 0111Z 232DEG 52KT 3507 8857

$$

TNC071-109-060130-
/O.CON.KMEG.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-080206T0130Z/
HARDIN TN-MCNAIRY TN-
711 PM CST TUE FEB 5 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM CST FOR MCNAIRY
AND SOUTHWESTERN HARDIN COUNTIES...

AT 711 PM CST...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED
NEAR RAMER...OR ABOUT 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF CORINTH...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 60 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
EASTVIEW...ACTON...SELMER...BETHEL SPRINGS...MICHIE...STANTONVILLE
AND SHILOH.

.IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
BASEBALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

.THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. THIS
STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG TO VIOLENT TORNADOES. IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY

LAT...LON 3515 8818 3500 8842 3500 8880 3515 8879
      3518 8880 3527 8872 3528 8871 3532 8868
TIME...MOT...LOC 0111Z 232DEG 52KT 3507 8857

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 5, 6:55 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Randolph	50 min
Feb 5, 7:15 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Lawrence, Randolph	45 min
Feb 5, 7:31 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Crittenden, Cross, Mississippi, Poinsett	44 min
Feb 5, 7:33 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	St. Francis	27 min
Feb 5, 7:45 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Lee, St. Francis	45 min
Feb 5, 7:46 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Clay, Craighead, Greene, Poinsett	44 min
Feb 5, 7:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Lawrence, Randolph	16 min
Feb 5, 8:14 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Craighead, Cross, Mississippi, Poinsett	61 min
Feb 5, 8:16 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Clay, Craighead, Greene, Lawrence, Poinsett	44 min
Feb 5, 8:23 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Cross, St. Francis	37 min
Feb 5, 8:34 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Lee, Phillips, St. Francis	41 min
Feb 5, 8:45 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Lee, Phillips	45 min
Feb 5, 8:49 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Crittenden, Cross, Mississippi, St. Francis	56 min
Feb 5, 8:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Cross, St. Francis	31 min
Feb 5, 9:12 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Crittenden, Lee, Phillips, St. Francis	33 min
Feb 5, 9:12 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Craighead, Mississippi, Poinsett	48 min
Feb 5, 9:17 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Crittenden, St. Francis	28 min
Feb 5, 9:41 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Crittenden	34 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 2008 Every tornado warning in 2008 Tornadoes in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.