Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 142, NWS Memphis, TN

May 26, 2009Clay County, Greene County, Randolph County, Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 26, 2009, 4:13 PM CDT for Clay County, Greene County, Randolph County, Arkansas. It was in force for 47 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
May 26, 2009, 4:13 PM CDT (21:13 UTC)
Expired
May 26, 2009, 5:00 PM CDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Clay County, AR, Greene County, AR, Randolph County, AR

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 126 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:15 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, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 173 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 2009-05-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1133 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 2009-05-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 48 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1133 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-19 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
586 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
48 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
83 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 26, 3:42 PM CDT, 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 26, 3:42 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
342 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009

.DISCUSSION...
TROPICAL AIRMASS REMAINED OVER THE MIDSOUTH TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES RANGED FROM 1.5 TO 1.8 INCHES. GOES
VISIBLE IMAGERY SHOWED TWO PRONOUNCED CIRCULATIONS...THE REMNANT
OF OUR RECENT TROPICAL SYSTEM NOW NORTH OF KANSAS CITY...AND THE
OTHER OVER NORTHWEST AL. THE LATER LOW PRESSURE WAS THE REMNANTS
OF A SHORTWAVE THAT TRACKED ACROSS CENTRAL MS YESTERDAY. LOW LEVEL
DIVERGENCE BETWEEN THE TWO CIRCULATIONS HAD EARLIER CREATED CLEAR
SKIES OVER AR...ALLOWING STRONG HEATING TO OCCUR. 100MB MIXED
LAYER CAPES HAD REACHED 2000 J/KG OVER CENTRAL AR.

EXPECT GRADUALLY DECREASING LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY OVER THE
MIDSOUTH THROUGH THE EVENING. GOES WATER VAPOR IMAGERY APPEARED
TO SHOW A MIDLEVEL SHORTWAVE OVER EAST TX. NOT CLEAR IF THIS
FEATURE WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK A STRENGTHENING CONVECTIVE
CAP OVER THE MIDSOUTH WITH IT ARRIVES TO THE LOWER MS RIVER VALLEY
LATER THIS EVENING. 18Z NAM DOESN/T APPEAR TOO IMPRESSED IF QPF IS
ANY INDICATION. IN ANY CASE...WILL CONTINUE WITH CHANCE POPS THIS
EVENING...DROPPING TO SLIGHT CHANCE OVERNIGHT.

A PACIFIC COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE STILL APPEARS ON TRACK FOR WEDNESDAY
NIGHT...WHICH SHOULD EFFECTIVELY END THE RECENT MOIST SPELL ONCE
AN OPEN UPPER LEVEL TROF DROPS THROUGH ON THURSDAY.

WITH A 584DM 500MB RIDGE BUILDING INTO THE LOWER MS RIVER VALLEY...
EXPECT DRY AND WARM CONDITIONS OVER THE MIDSOUTH FOR THE UPCOMING
WEEKEND. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES SHOULD TOP OUT AROUND 5 DEGREES
WARMER THAN NORMAL... WITH SOME LOCATIONS POSSIBLY SEEING 90.

PWB

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS

MVFR CONDITIONS AT MEM/MKL ASSOCIATED WITH SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY EXPECTED TO IMPROVE TO VFR CONDITIONS AT ALL SITES THIS
AFTERNOON. KEPT PREVAILING VCTS IN ALL TAFS UNTIL 04Z...WITH A
TEMPO PERIOD MAINLY BETWEEN 20-22Z. SHOWER/THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED
TO END AROUND 04Z AS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY MAINLY BEING DRIVEN BY
DAYTIME INSTABILITY. SOUTH WINDS AROUND 7-8 KTS EXPECTED TO DROP
TO 3 TO 5 KTS TONIGHT. PATCHY FOG POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT BUT LEFT
LOW CEILINGS OUT FOR NOW DUE TO LOW CONFIDENCE.

CJC

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MEM  70  85  66  81 /  30  40  20  20
MKL  66  84  66  81 /  30  50  30  30
JBR  68  84  63  79 /  30  40  20  20
TUP  68  86  67  84 /  30  50  20  20

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...NONE.
MO...NONE.
MS...NONE.
TN...NONE.
&&
Hazardous weather outlook, May 26, 1:28 PM CDT, 2 hours 45 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
128 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-
MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-271015-
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-
128 PM CDT TUE MAY 26 2009

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING WILL
PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRAIT LINE WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH. A FEW
FUNNEL CLOUDS OR VERY WEAK LAND SPOUT TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE INTO EARLY EVENING. HOWEVER...ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS WILL
NOT BE FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO DEVELOPMENT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL AND STRONG WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY
INTO EARLY THURSDAY...IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

PWB

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 26, 11:33 AM CDT, 4 hours 40 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 26, 11:36 AM CDT, 4 hours 37 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 26, 3:28 PM CDT, 45 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 26, 3:51 PM CDT, 22 minutes before
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<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <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.
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 25, 7:16 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGCoahoma119 min
May 25, 9:05 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGCoahoma3 hr
May 26, 6:52 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGDecatur3 hr
May 25, 9:11 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGCraighead, Mississippi3 hr
May 26, 3:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGRandolph47 min
May 26, 4:08 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryMEGClay, Randolph97 min
May 26, 5:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGClay, Greene43 min
May 26, 6:51 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningMEGGreene3 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arkansas, 2009Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.