Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 36, NWS Little Rock, AR

July 26, 20094 counties in Arkansas

NWS Little Rock, AR issued this tornado warning at Jul 26, 2009, 3:54 PM CDT for 4 counties in Arkansas. It was in force for 51 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 26, 2009, 3:54 PM CDT (20:54 UTC)
Expired
Jul 26, 2009, 4:45 PM CDT
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS Little Rock, AR
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Clark County, AR, Dallas County, AR, Garland County, AR, Hot Spring County, AR

The radar

The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 94 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:55 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 286 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2009-07-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2610 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2009-07-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 15 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
2610 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-42 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1078 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
15 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
23 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Little Rock, AR wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Jul 26, 2:31 PM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 26, 2:31 PM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
231 PM CDT SUN JUL 26 2009

.DISCUSSION...
OVERALL CONVECTION HAS PUSHED SOUTHEAST AND WEAKENED THIS
AFTERNOON AFTER THE MORNING...BUT SEEING SOME REDEVELOPMENT IN
AREAS SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY. WITH STRONGER STORMS...DID SEE SOME
SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN. 12Z KLZK SOUNDING
HAD A PRECIP WATER VALUE OF 2 INCHES. COLD FRONT LOOKS TO HAVE
HUNG UP OVER CENTRAL AR...JUST NORTH OF KHOT TO NEAR KLIT AND TO
THE EAST. POOLING OF HIGH THETA-E AIR ALONG AND SOUTH OF
BOUNDARY...WITH DEW POINTS IN THE LOW TO MID 70S. NORTH OF
BOUNDARY DWD POINTS HAVE LOWERED TO 60S. ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE
THREAT HAS LOWERED A BIT THIS AFTERNOON...BUT UNTIL SUNSET...PULSE
STORM COULD BE SEEN. MAINLY A HAIL OR WIND THREAT. OTHERWISE...THE
UPPER FLOW BECOMING MORE PARALLEL...AS THE BOUNDARY IS STALLING
OVER CENTRAL AR.

&&

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT
POPS WILL BE NEED IN EVENING PERIOD DUE TO THE BEFORE MENTIONED
FACTORS. SOME LOWERING AFTER SUNSET TO THE OVERNIGHT...BUT WITH
THE QUASI STATIONARY BOUNDARY OVER AR...WILL NEED SOME CHANCE
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AR. NORTHERN AREAS WILL REMAIN DRY. MONDAY WILL
BE THE LOW POP DAY...ONLY BECAUSE LIMITED UPPER LEVEL ENERGY IS
EXPECTED TO PUSH ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. BUT MONDAY NIGHT TO
WEDNESDAY...MODELS DEPICT PLENTY OF ENERGY TO INCREASE POPS.
PRECIP WATER VALUES REMAIN ELEVATED...AND HEAVY RAIN THREAT WILL
BE POSSIBLE THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK. FLASH FLOOD WATCH MAY BE
NEEDED. SEVERE THREAT REMAINS LOW THROUGH THE PERIOD...AND MAINLY
ASSOCIATED WITH ANY STRONG SHORTWAVE. UNCERTAINTY REMAINS WITH
STRENGTH...TIMING AND LOCATIONS OF SHORTWAVE ENERGY WITH ALL
MODELS GIVING DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS. BEST CHANCES OF RAIN APPEAR TO
BE TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. OVERALL TEMPS WILL BE LOWER THAN
NORMAL VALUES DUE TO CLOUDS AND RAIN CHANCES.

&&

.LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
OVERALL...NOT MANY CHANGES MADE TO THE LONG TERM. LARGE SCALE
FEATURES SHOW A LARGE POSITIVELY TILTED UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE
CENTRAL CONUS WITH THE RIDGE FAR SOUTH AND WEST OVER MEXICO. THIS
PATTERN WILL KEEP ARKANSAS IN A NEARLY ZONAL FLOW...KEEPING ANY
BOUNDARY STATIONARY ACROSS THE REGION. AND WITH WESTERLY WINDS AT
500MB AND SOUTHERLY FLOW AT THE SURFACE...THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF
AVAILABLE GULF MOISTURE. MODELS DIFFER SOMEWHAT ON TIMING WITH
SHORTWAVES THAT ARE EXPECTED TO RIDE THROUGH THE FLOW...BUT THEY DO
INDICATE THE BULK OF THE PRECIP WILL BE IN THE SOUTH HALF OF THE
STATE.

APPEARS THAT THE RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD BACK TOWARDS THE END OF
THE WEEKEND...WITH ONLY SLIGHT CHANCES INTO SUNDAY. TEMPS WILL BEGIN
THE PERIOD SEVERAL DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE...BUT WILL BEGIN TO
INCREASE TOWARDS THE WEEKEND.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
BATESVILLE AR     67  87  70  86 /  10  20  20  50
CAMDEN AR         70  90  73  84 /  40  40  40  50
HARRISON AR       65  87  67  86 /  10  20  20  50
HOT SPRINGS AR    69  89  72  84 /  20  30  40  50
LITTLE ROCK   AR  70  89  72  84 /  20  30  30  50
MONTICELLO AR     70  90  72  85 /  40  40  40  50
MOUNT IDA AR      69  89  72  84 /  20  40  40  50
MOUNTAIN HOME AR  65  87  68  86 /  10  20  20  50
NEWPORT AR        68  88  71  85 /  20  20  20  50
PINE BLUFF AR     70  89  72  83 /  30  30  40  50
RUSSELLVILLE AR   68  89  70  85 /  20  30  30  50
SEARCY AR         69  88  72  85 /  20  30  30  50
STUTTGART AR      70  89  72  84 /  20  30  30  50
&&

.LZK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...59 / LONG TERM...61
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 26, 11:47 AM CDT, 4 hours 7 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
500 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 2009

ARZ003>007-012>016-021>025-030>034-037>047-052>057-062>069-271000-
ARKANSAS-BAXTER-BOONE-BRADLEY-CALHOUN-CLARK-CLEBURNE-CLEVELAND-
CONWAY-DALLAS-DESHA-DREW-FAULKNER-FULTON-GARLAND-GRANT-HOT SPRING-
INDEPENDENCE-IZARD-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-LINCOLN-LOGAN-LONOKE-
MARION-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-NEWTON-OUACHITA-PERRY-PIKE-POLK-POPE-
PRAIRIE-PULASKI-SALINE-SCOTT-SEARCY-SHARP-STONE-VAN BUREN-WHITE-
WOODRUFF-YELL-
1130 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR A LARGE PART OF ARKANSAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A COLD FRONT OVER THE AREA WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT SOUTH TODAY...AND
STALL. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY RE DEVELOP
SOUTH OF THIS FRONT LATER TODAY. THE HIGHEST RAIN CHANCES WILL BE IN
SOUTHERN ARKANSAS. WHILE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT
EXPECTED...ISOLATED STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WINDS
AS THE MAIN CONCERN. LIKELIEST AREA FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE IN
EXTREME SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS...AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WHERE THE MOST
UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE IS LOCATED. IN ADDITION...FLASH FLOODING WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORM THAT DEVELOPS AS MOISTURE CONTINUES TO POOL
IN NEAR THE STALLED FRONT AND STORMS TRAIN OVER THE SAME AREAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THE STALLED FRONT WILL REMAIN OVER THE STATE MONDAY AND
TUESDAY...CONTINUING RAIN CHANCES...MAINLY OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF
THE STATE. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE STATE WEDNESDAY.
DUE TO HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND WEAK UPPER
FLOW...THIS FRONT WILL ALSO STALL OVER THE STATE.

SEVERAL ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE
STATE THIS WEEK...AS MANY DISTURBANCES MOVE ALONG THE FRONT. WHILE
WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE
POSSIBLE...BRINGING CONCERNS FOR FLASH FLOODING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

&&

VISIT NWS LITTLE ROCK ON THE WEB. GO TO HTTP://WEATHER.GOV AND
CLICK ON CENTRAL ARKANSAS.

58/61

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 26, 10:19 AM CDT, 5 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1019 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 2009

ARZ057-261620-
ARKANSAS-
1019 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR ARKANSAS COUNTY UNTIL 1120 AM CDT...

AT 1018 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES SOUTH OF STUTTGART...MOVING SOUTHEAST
AT 15 MPH.

SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND BRIEF
HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCALIZED PONDING OF WATER
ON ROADWAYS AND IN LOW LYING SPOTS WILL BE POSSIBLE.

FREQUENT...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF
OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE
INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS
AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY.

59
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 10:36 AM CDT, 5 hours 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1036 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 2009

ARZ045-046-056-261620-
JEFFERSON-LONOKE-PRAIRIE-
1036 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR JEFFERSON...LONOKE AND PRAIRIE
COUNTIES UNTIL 1120 AM CDT...

AT 1036 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTH OF HUMNOKE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
20 MPH.

SMALL HAIL POSSIBLY TO HALF INCH...WIND GUSTS UP TO 35
MPH...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM. LOCALIZED PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND IN LOW LYING SPOTS
WILL BE POSSIBLE.

FREQUENT...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF
OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE
INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS
AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY.

59
Special weather statement, Jul 26, 11:43 AM CDT, 4 hours 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LITTLE ROCK AR
1143 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 2009

ARZ057-064-065-261740-
ARKANSAS-DESHA-LINCOLN-
1143 AM CDT SUN JUL 26 2009

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR ARKANSAS...DESHA AND LINCOLN
COUNTIES UNTIL 1240 PM CDT...

AT 1142 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ALMYRA...MOVING SOUTHEAST
AT 20 MPH.

SMALL HAIL UP TO HALF AN INCH...WIND GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCALIZED
PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND IN LOW LYING SPOTS WILL BE POSSIBLE.

FREQUENT...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF
OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE
INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS
AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY.

59
Local storm report, Jul 26, 3:12 PM CDT, 42 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 26, 3:37 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
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    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
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        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Little Rock, AR issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 25, 7:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKMontgomery29 min
Jul 26, 2:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKGarland, Hot Spring, Saline50 min
Jul 26, 2:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKClark, Montgomery, Pike44 min
Jul 26, 3:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKClark, Garland, Hot Spring, Montgomery, Pike46 min
Jul 26, 3:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKDallas, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Saline47 min
Jul 26, 4:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKJefferson47 min
Jul 26, 4:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKGarland, Hot Spring, Montgomery43 min
Jul 26, 4:47 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLZKGarland, Hot Spring, Montgomery3 hr
Jul 26, 5:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKMontgomery, Pike45 min
Jul 26, 5:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKArkansas, Jefferson, Lincoln29 min
Jul 26, 5:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKMontgomery, Pike38 min
Jul 26, 5:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKClark, Montgomery, Pike45 min
Jul 26, 5:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKClark, Hot Spring38 min
Jul 26, 6:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKMontgomery, Pike45 min
Jul 26, 6:19 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLZKPike3 hr
Jul 26, 6:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKMontgomery, Pike, Polk, Scott51 min
Jul 26, 6:30 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningLZKArkansas, Monroe63 min
Jul 26, 6:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLZKPike40 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 2009Every tornado warning in 2009Tornadoes in 2009

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.