Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Watches in 2008
Tornado Watch 249
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 2, 2008, 8:49 AM CDT for 5 states. It was in force for 6 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 2, 2008, 8:49 AM CDT (13:49 UTC)
- Expired
- May 2, 2008, 3:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 6 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
- Largest hail expected
- 2 in
- Strongest gust expected
- 60 kt
All 83 counties
Arkansas County, AR, Bradley County, AR, Calhoun County, AR, Clark County, AR, Clay County, AR, Cleburne County, AR, Cleveland County, AR, Columbia County, AR, Craighead County, AR, Crittenden County, AR, Cross County, AR, Dallas County, AR, Desha County, AR, Drew County, AR, Faulkner County, AR, Garland County, AR, Grant County, AR, Greene County, AR, Hempstead County, AR, Hot Spring County, AR, Howard County, AR, Independence County, AR, Jackson County, AR, Jefferson County, AR, Lafayette County, AR, Lawrence County, AR, Lee County, AR, Lincoln County, AR, Little River County, AR, Lonoke County, AR, Miller County, AR, Mississippi County, AR, Monroe County, AR, Montgomery County, AR, Nevada County, AR, Ouachita County, AR, Perry County, AR, Phillips County, AR, Pike County, AR, Poinsett County, AR, Prairie County, AR, Pulaski County, AR, Randolph County, AR, Saline County, AR, Sevier County, AR, St. Francis County, AR, Union County, AR, White County, AR, Woodruff County, AR, Bienville Parish, LA, Bossier Parish, LA, Caddo Parish, LA, Claiborne Parish, LA, De Soto Parish, LA, Lincoln Parish, LA, Red River Parish, LA, Union Parish, LA, Webster Parish, LA, Dunklin County, MO, Pemiscot County, MO, Crockett County, TN, Dyer County, TN, Gibson County, TN, Lake County, TN, Lauderdale County, TN, Obion County, TN, Weakley County, TN, Bowie County, TX, Camp County, TX, Cass County, TX, Cherokee County, TX, Franklin County, TX, Gregg County, TX, Harrison County, TX, Marion County, TX, Morris County, TX, Panola County, TX, Red River County, TX, Rusk County, TX, Smith County, TX, Titus County, TX, Upshur County, TX, Wood County, TX
The radar
The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:49 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 SPC expected
The probabilities SPC published with the watch, for the watch area over its life.
- Two or more tornadoes
- 70%
- One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes
- 40%
- Ten or more severe wind reports
- 70%
- One or more gusts of 65 knots or more
- 30%
- Ten or more severe hail reports
- 60%
- One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more
- 30%
- Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports
- 95%
Warnings issued inside it
62 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 8:55 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Garland, Montgomery, Yell | 50 min |
| May 2, 8:59 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Stone | 36 min |
| May 2, 9:12 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | SHV | Smith, Upshur, Wood | 33 min |
| May 2, 9:15 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Faulkner, Van Buren | 60 min |
| May 2, 9:28 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Independence, Sharp | 47 min |
| May 2, 9:43 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Van Buren | 3 hr |
| May 2, 9:43 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | SHV | Gregg, Rusk, Smith, Upshur, Wood | 33 min |
| May 2, 9:47 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Garland, Saline | 43 min |
| May 2, 9:47 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Little River | 43 min |
| May 2, 9:57 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Independence, Jackson | 48 min |
| May 2, 10:06 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Independence, White | 30 min |
| May 2, 10:08 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Gregg, Harrison, Rusk, Upshur | 37 min |
| May 2, 10:19 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Clark, Pike | 41 min |
| May 2, 10:19 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | SHV | Little River, Miller | 41 min |
| May 2, 10:28 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Faulkner, Pulaski | 47 min |
| May 2, 10:36 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleburne, Faulkner, Independence, White | 54 min |
| May 2, 10:40 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Cherokee, Gregg, Harrison, Rusk, Smith | 35 min |
| May 2, 10:45 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Lawrence, Randolph | 2 hr |
| May 2, 10:54 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | LZK | Independence, Jackson | 3 hr |
| May 2, 11:07 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Grant, Lonoke, Pulaski, Saline | 38 min |
| May 2, 11:09 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Clark, Dallas, Hot Spring | 51 min |
| May 2, 11:09 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Craighead, Greene | 36 min |
| May 2, 11:13 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Harrison, Panola, Rusk | 47 min |
| May 2, 11:19 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Grant, Lonoke, Pulaski, Saline | 41 min |
| May 2, 11:21 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | SHV | Panola, Rusk | 39 min |
| May 2, 11:26 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Dallas, Grant, Jefferson | 49 min |
| May 2, 11:30 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Independence, Jackson | 45 min |
| May 2, 11:50 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Lonoke, Prairie, White | 40 min |
| May 2, 11:52 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Lonoke, Prairie, Pulaski | 38 min |
| May 2, 11:54 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | SHV | Panola | 51 min |
| May 2, 11:57 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Dallas, Grant | 48 min |
| May 2, 12:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Lonoke, Pulaski, Saline | 48 min |
| May 2, 12:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Craighead, Poinsett | 47 min |
| May 2, 12:24 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Lonoke, Monroe, Prairie, Woodruff | 51 min |
| May 2, 12:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Clark, Dallas, Ouachita | 48 min |
| May 2, 12:33 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Lonoke | 27 min |
| May 2, 12:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | SHV | Caddo, De Soto | 23 min |
| May 2, 12:42 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Craighead | 93 min |
| May 2, 12:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Pemiscot | 48 min |
| May 2, 12:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Cleveland, Dallas, Grant, Jefferson | 45 min |
| May 2, 12:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Craighead, Greene | 21 min |
| May 2, 12:59 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Greene | 91 min |
| May 2, 1:01 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Craighead, Greene | 44 min |
| May 2, 1:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Monroe, Prairie, Woodruff | 65 min |
| May 2, 1:11 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Lawrence | 64 min |
| May 2, 1:14 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Lake, Obion | 46 min |
| May 2, 1:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Lonoke, Monroe, Prairie | 55 min |
| May 2, 1:27 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Dunklin, Pemiscot | 93 min |
| May 2, 1:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Jefferson | 45 min |
| May 2, 1:34 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Dunklin, Pemiscot | 41 min |
| May 2, 1:45 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Obion | 90 min |
| May 2, 1:49 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Cross, St. Francis | 41 min |
| May 2, 2:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Cleveland, Jefferson, Lincoln | 53 min |
| May 2, 2:12 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Monroe | 18 min |
| May 2, 2:18 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Cross, Mississippi, Poinsett | 42 min |
| May 2, 2:25 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Cross, Lee, St. Francis | 50 min |
| May 2, 2:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Monroe | 49 min |
| May 2, 2:33 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Monroe | 45 min |
| May 2, 2:46 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LZK | Arkansas, Cleveland, Jefferson, Lincoln | 44 min |
| May 2, 2:54 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Mississippi | 51 min |
| May 2, 2:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MEG | Crittenden, Cross, St. Francis | 49 min |
| May 2, 2:57 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Cross, St. Francis | 93 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Shreveport, LA (KSHV), launched 12:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 194 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
- 2045 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -107 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 641 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 306 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 329 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.9
- Supercell composite
- 7.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 021347
SEL9
SPC WW 021347
ARZ000-LAZ000-MOZ000-TXZ000-022000-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 249
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
845 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN ARKANSAS
NORTHWEST LOUISIANA
MISSOURI BOOTHEEL
NORTHEAST TEXAS
EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 845 AM UNTIL 300
PM CDT.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 65 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 5 MILES SOUTH OF SHREVEPORT
LOUISIANA TO 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF WALNUT RIDGE ARKANSAS. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU9).
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 248...
DISCUSSION...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS AR HAS BEGUN
SHOWING STRONGER INDICATIONS OF SUPERCELL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE
PAST HOUR. ALSO...NEWLY INTENSIFIED CELL IN NORTHEAST TX HAS
PRODUCED A TORNADO. PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT STORMS WILL
MAINTAIN OR INCREASE IN COVERAGE/INTENSITY THROUGH THE EARLY
AFTERNOON WITH A RISK OF SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND A FEW TORNADOES.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.
...HARTSPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 1:09 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Madison, Sebastian and 1 more | 7 hr |
| May 2, 4:22 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Boone, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Johnson, Logan and 6 more | 53 min |
| May 2, 5:00 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Baxter, Boone, Clark, Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner and 25 more | 5 hr |
| May 2, 7:07 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Fulton, Hot Spring, Izard and 5 more | 53 min |
| May 2, 10:20 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Arkansas, Calhoun, Clark, Clay, Cleveland, Craighead and 23 more | 85 min |
| May 2, 12:12 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Cleveland and 18 more | 2 hr |
| May 2, 1:54 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Arkansas, Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Crittenden, Cross and 8 more | 6 hr |
| May 2, 3:35 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Arkansas, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Drew, Lee and 4 more | 85 min |
| May 2, 5:18 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Columbia, Union | 6 hr |
| May 2, 2:21 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, East Baton Rouge and 23 more | 114 min |
| May 1, 7:24 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Andrew, Bates, Buchanan, Caldwell, Cass, Clay and 12 more | 66 min |
| May 1, 10:04 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Andrew, Atchison, Barton, Bates, Buchanan, Caldwell and 34 more | 116 min |
| May 1, 11:29 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Adair, Andrew, Audrain, Barton, Bates, Benton and 59 more | 91 min |
| May 2, 12:53 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Adair, Andrew, Barry, Barton, Bates, Benton and 46 more | 6 hr |
| May 2, 10:44 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Mississippi, New Madrid, Scott, Stoddard | 9 hr |
| May 2, 4:43 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Bedford, Benton, Cannon, Cheatham, Clay, Coffee and 27 more | 7 hr |
| May 2, 2:42 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bowie, Camp, Cass, Collin, Cooke, Delta and 19 more | 93 min |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2008Tornado Watches in Texas, 2008Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 2008Every tornado watch 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.