Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 63, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 2, 2008Benton County, Washington County, Arkansas; Adair County, Delaware County, Oklahoma

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at May 2, 2008, 4:02 AM CDT for Benton County, Washington County, Arkansas; Adair County, Delaware County, Oklahoma. It was in force for 43 min. 4 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: May 2, 2008, 4:02 AM CDT (09:02 UTC)
Expired: May 2, 2008, 4:45 AM CDT
In force: 43 min
Issued by: NWS Tulsa, OK
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Benton County, AR, Washington County, AR, Adair County, OK, Delaware County, OK

The radar

The Tulsa radar (KINX), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:04 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
May 2, 4:10 AM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Watts, OK	POWER LINES DOWN.
May 2, 4:10 AM CDT	TSTM WND GST 68	Westville, OK
May 2, 4:12 AM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	Siloam Springs, AR	* 2 INJ * MUCH TREE DAMAGE. POWER LINES DOWNED.
May 2, 4:26 AM CDT	TSTM WND GST 64	Highfill, AR

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

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado 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 2, 1:09 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 108 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: 1112 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -241 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1195 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 177 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 225 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS54 KTSA 020902
TORTSA
ARC007-143-OKC001-041-020945-
/O.NEW.KTSA.TO.W.0063.080502T0902Z-080502T0945Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
402 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN ADAIR COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
  SOUTHEASTERN DELAWARE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA
  SOUTHWESTERN BENTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
  NORTHWESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

* UNTIL 445 AM CDT

* AT 359 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 10 MILES WEST OF
  WESTVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 65 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...WESTVILLE...
  WATTS...CINCINNATI...WEST SILOAM SPRINGS...SILOAM SPRINGS...
  GENTRY...SPRINGTOWN...HIGHFILL AND TONTITOWN.

NIGHTTIME TORNADOES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS...TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU
WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A
SAFE PLACE

LAT...LON 3637 9430 3609 9415 3594 9474 3607 9481
      3608 9480 3612 9480
TIME...MOT...LOC 0902Z 245DEG 58KT 3606 9467

$$

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS54 KTSA 020910
SVSTSA

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
410 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

OKC041-020920-
/O.CAN.KTSA.TO.W.0063.000000T0000Z-080502T0945Z/
DELAWARE OK-
410 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN DELAWARE COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

LAT...LON 3637 9430 3609 9415 3601 9469 3617 9469
      3617 9467 3617 9457 3619 9456 3620 9458
      3623 9458
TIME...MOT...LOC 0910Z 241DEG 53KT 3614 9456

$$

ARC007-143-OKC001-020945-
/O.CON.KTSA.TO.W.0063.000000T0000Z-080502T0945Z/
WASHINGTON AR-BENTON AR-ADAIR OK-
410 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 AM CDT FOR NORTHERN
ADAIR...SOUTHWESTERN BENTON AND NORTHWESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES...

AT 408 AM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
POTENTIALLY TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG LOW LEVEL ROTATION.
THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR WATTS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. THIS
IS A DANGEROUS STORM...A TORNADO IS OCCURRING OR COULD FORM AT ANY
TIME.

SOME LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...LAKE FRANCIS...
SILOAM SPRINGS...WEDINGTON...GENTRY...GALLITIN...FAIRMOUNT...SAVOY...
SPRINGTOWN...WHEELER...HIGHFILL...HARMON...ROCKY COMFORT...
TONTITOWN...HEALING SPRINGS...ELM SPRINGS AND VAUGHN.

NIGHTTIME TORNADOES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS - TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU
WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A
SAFE PLACE

LAT...LON 3637 9430 3609 9415 3601 9469 3617 9469
      3617 9467 3617 9457 3619 9456 3620 9458
      3623 9458
TIME...MOT...LOC 0910Z 241DEG 53KT 3614 9456

$$

000 
WWUS54 KTSA 020924 RRA
SVSTSA

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
423 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

OKC001-020933-
/O.CAN.KTSA.TO.W.0063.000000T0000Z-080502T0945Z/
ADAIR OK-
423 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHERN ADAIR COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE TORNADIC PORTION OF THE STORM HAS MOVED OUT OF ADAIR COUNTY.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM.

LAT...LON 3637 9430 3609 9415 3608 9455 3624 9457
TIME...MOT...LOC 0923Z 236DEG 65KT 3627 9434

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at May 2, 3:34 AM CDT, 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 3:34 AM CDT, 28 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
334 AM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

.MESOSCALE UPDATE...
DURING THE PAST HOUR TDWR DATA SUGGESTS A
STRONG LIKELIHOOD THAT A TORNADO OCCURED
IN MAYES COUNTY FROM A QUICK SPIN-UP ON THE
LINE.

CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR RAPID TORNADO
FORMATION ANYWHERE ALONG THE LINE.  ENVIRONMENTAL
DATA SUGGESTS THE GREATEST TORNADO THREAT
THROUGH 430 AM IS FROM CHEROKEE COUNTY NORTHEAST
TOWARD MIAMI AND NORTHWEST BENTON COUNTY.

ANY TORNADOES THAT OCCUR WILL DEVELOP QUICKLY
WITH A LIMITED CHANCE FOR SIGNIFICANT WARNING
LEAD TIME.

ALL INTERESTS AHEAD OF THIS LINE SHOULD CONTINUE
TO MONITOR ITS PROGRESS CLOSELY.

&&

.TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...NONE.
AR...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...08
LONG TERM....99

Hazardous weather outlook, May 1, 10:53 PM CDT, 5 hours 9 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1053 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2008

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-021000-
ADAIR OK-BENTON AR-CARROLL AR-CHEROKEE OK-CHOCTAW OK-CRAIG OK-
CRAWFORD AR-CREEK OK-DELAWARE OK-FRANKLIN AR-HASKELL OK-LATIMER OK-
LE FLORE OK-MADISON AR-MAYES OK-MCINTOSH OK-MUSKOGEE OK-NOWATA OK-
OKFUSKEE OK-OKMULGEE OK-OSAGE OK-OTTAWA OK-PAWNEE OK-PITTSBURG OK-
PUSHMATAHA OK-ROGERS OK-SEBASTIAN AR-SEQUOYAH OK-TULSA OK-WAGONER OK-
WASHINGTON OK-WASHINGTON AR-
1043 PM CDT THU MAY 1 2008

...ADDITIONAL STORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT...

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.
TORNADO.
	RISK...LIMITED.
	AREA....EASTERN OKLAHOMA.
	ONSET...AFTER MIDNIGHT.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.
	RISK...SIGNIFICANT.
	AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...AROUND MIDNIGHT...OSAGE COUNTY.

	AREA AT GREATEST RISK...EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

FLASH FLOOD.
	RISK...LIMITED.
	AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

DISCUSSION...
A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE AREA OVERNIGHT. A LINE OF
STORMS WITH AND SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO REACH
NORTHWEST OSAGE COUNTY AROUND MIDNIGHT AND CONTINUE MOVING
ACROSS THE REGION REACHING NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BETWEEN 3 AND 5 AM.
THE PROGRESSIVE LINEAR NATURE OF CONVECTION OVERNIGHT SUGGESTS A MUCH
LARGER AREA OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA WILL BE EFFECTED BY STORMS THAN
THE SCATTERED SUPER CELLS NORTHWEST OF TULSA THURSDAY EVENING.

LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH A SMALL
RISK OF TORNADOES.

SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
FRIDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL...HIGH WIND POTENTIAL.
SATURDAY...NO HAZARDS.
SUNDAY...NO HAZARDS.
MONDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.
TUESDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.
WEDNESDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION...
THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT MAY LINGER IN THE REGION
EARLY FRIDAY MORNING BEFORE ENDING BY MID MORNING AS THE FRONT AND
UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM MOVE AWAY FROM THE FORECAST AREA. A QUIET PERIOD IS
EXPECTED FOR THE WEEKEND. A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS SUNDAY
NIGHT AS THE NEXT SYSTEM APPROACHES. A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS
REMAINS IN THE FORECAST MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL TABULAR AND GRAPHICAL
INFORMATION.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 2, 2:12 AM CDT, 1 hour 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
212 AM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0212 AM     HAIL             SAND SPRINGS            36.14N 96.11W
05/02/2008  E0.75 INCH       TULSA              OK   AMATEUR RADIO

            DIME TO PENNY SIZE HAIL

&&

DMJ

Local storm report, May 2, 2:14 AM CDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
214 AM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0133 AM     HAIL             4 N HOMINY              36.47N 96.39W
05/02/2008  E0.75 INCH       OSAGE              OK   AMATEUR RADIO

            DIME TO PENNY SIZE HAIL

&&

DMJ

Local storm report, May 2, 2:32 AM CDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
232 AM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0148 AM     TSTM WND DMG     3 E BRISTOW             35.83N 96.34W
05/02/2008                   CREEK              OK   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TWO ROOFS REMOVED FROM BUILDINGS AND SCATTERED ACROSS
            ROADWAY. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR DATA.

&&

JBM

Local storm report, May 2, 2:47 AM CDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
247 AM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0146 AM     TSTM WND DMG     BRISTOW                 35.83N 96.39W
05/02/2008                   CREEK              OK   EMERGENCY MNGR

            MAJOR TREE DAMAGE THROUGHOUT TOWN WITH TELEPHONE POLES
            ALSO DOWNED.

&&

JBM

Local storm report, May 2, 3:05 AM CDT, 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
305 AM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0302 AM     HAIL             JAMESVILLE              35.76N 95.64W
05/02/2008  E1.00 INCH       MUSKOGEE           OK   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

JBM

Local storm report, May 2, 3:28 AM CDT, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
328 AM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0300 AM     TSTM WND GST     5 SSE HASKELL           35.75N 95.64W
05/02/2008  M68.00 MPH       MUSKOGEE           OK   MESONET

0300 AM     TSTM WND GST     7 E CENTRAILIA          36.80N 95.21W
05/02/2008  M60.00 MPH       CRAIG              OK   MESONET

0305 AM     TSTM WND GST     5 SSE HASKELL           35.75N 95.64W
05/02/2008  M61.00 MPH       MUSKOGEE           OK   MESONET

0315 AM     TSTM WND GST     5 S ADAIR               36.36N 95.27W
05/02/2008  M60.00 MPH       MAYES              OK   MESONET

&&

JBM

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 2, 3:30 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Benton	60 min
May 2, 4:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Crawford, Franklin, Madison, Sebastian, Washington	64 min
May 2, 4:21 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Benton, Washington	24 min
May 2, 4:26 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Benton, Carroll, Madison, Washington	79 min
May 2, 4:47 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Benton	13 min
May 2, 5:10 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Crawford, Franklin, Madison, Sebastian, Washington	80 min
May 2, 6:12 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	TSA	Franklin	30 days
May 1, 7:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	67 min
May 1, 7:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Pawnee	67 min
May 1, 7:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	63 min
May 1, 8:28 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	62 min
May 1, 8:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Creek, Pawnee	31 min
May 1, 9:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Osage	30 min
May 2, 12:26 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Osage, Pawnee	64 min
May 2, 1:13 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Creek, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Tulsa	62 min
May 2, 1:27 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Craig, Nowata, Osage, Pawnee, Rogers, Tulsa and 1 more	63 min
May 2, 2:13 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Creek, McIntosh, Mayes, Muskogee, Okfuskee, Okmulgee and 4 more	62 min
May 2, 2:29 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Nowata, Ottawa, Rogers	61 min
May 2, 3:09 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TSA	Mayes	31 min
May 2, 3:16 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Adair, Cherokee, Haskell, Latimer, McIntosh, Mayes and 4 more	59 min
May 2, 5:45 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TSA	Pushmataha	45 min
May 2, 6:06 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore, Pushmataha	54 min
May 2, 6:28 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	Pushmataha	47 min
May 2, 7:01 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TSA	LeFlore	48 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 2008 Tornado Warnings in Oklahoma, 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.