Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 154, NWS Memphis, TN

May 25, 2011Cross County, Lee County, St. Francis County, Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at May 25, 2011, 5:15 PM CDT for Cross County, Lee County, St. Francis County, Arkansas. It was in force for 45 min. 1 report 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 25, 2011, 5:15 PM CDT (22:15 UTC)
Expired
May 25, 2011, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
45 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), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:15 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 25, 6:01 PM CDTHAIL 12 E Forrest City, AR

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 25, 12:28 PM CDTTornado Watch PDSSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 90 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 2011-05-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2124 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 2011-05-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 445 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
2124 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-14 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
600 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
69 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
445 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
413 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
6.0
Supercell composite
20.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

460 
WFUS54 KMEG 252215
TORMEG
ARC037-077-123-252300-
/O.NEW.KMEG.TO.W.0154.110525T2215Z-110525T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
515 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 515 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING A TORNADO 10 MILES WEST OF
  WHEATLEY...OR NEAR BRINKLEY...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO FORREST
  CITY...MADISON...PALESTINE...PARKIN...WYNNE AND VILLAGE CREEK STATE
  PARK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

.THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A STORM SHELTER. IF NO
STORM SHELTER 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3500 9115 3501 9105 3521 9105 3544 9053
      3544 9052 3514 9050 3498 9041 3484 9071
      3478 9100 3477 9110 3487 9110 3488 9112
      3491 9112 3492 9116
TIME...MOT...LOC 2215Z 248DEG 53KT 3489 9121

$$
1 follow-up statement
405 
WWUS54 KMEG 252236
SVSMEG

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
536 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

ARC037-077-123-252300-
/O.CON.KMEG.TO.W.0154.000000T0000Z-110525T2300Z/
CROSS AR-LEE AR-ST. FRANCIS AR-
536 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT FOR ST.
FRANCIS...NORTHWESTERN LEE AND SOUTHERN CROSS COUNTIES...

AT 535 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR PALESTINE...MOVING
EAST AT 55 MPH. A TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED QUARTER SIZE HAIL ONE 
MILE NORTH OF BRINKLEY AT 514 PM.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO FORREST
CITY...MADISON...PALESTINE...PARKIN...WYNNE...COLTON...TOGO...
COLDWATER...ELLIS CHAPEL...HAMLIN...L'ANGVILLE...MC ELROY...
FITZGERALD CROSSING AND WITTSBURG.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A STORM SHELTER. IF NO
STORM SHELTER 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.

.A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ALERT AREA.

&&

LAT...LON 3500 9115 3501 9105 3520 9104 3541 9052
      3514 9050 3498 9041 3486 9072 3479 9100
      3477 9110 3487 9110 3488 9112 3491 9112
      3492 9116
TIME...MOT...LOC 2235Z 248DEG 53KT 3500 9087

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 25, 3:30 AM CDTWind AdvisoryMEGClay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Lawrence and 6 more16 hr
May 25, 2:29 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGRandolph31 min
May 25, 3:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLawrence, Randolph40 min
May 25, 3:41 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLawrence, Randolph49 min
May 25, 3:55 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLawrence, Randolph50 min
May 25, 4:22 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGCraighead, Greene, Lawrence38 min
May 25, 4:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGClay, Randolph33 min
May 25, 4:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGRandolph33 min
May 25, 4:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGClay, Greene, Lawrence, Randolph46 min
May 25, 4:52 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGCraighead, Greene, Lawrence38 min
May 25, 4:52 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGCraighead, Crittenden, Cross, Poinsett38 min
May 25, 5:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGClay45 min
May 25, 5:22 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGCraighead, Cross, Poinsett38 min
May 25, 5:26 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGClay, Greene49 min
May 25, 5:54 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGCrittenden, Cross, St. Francis51 min
May 25, 5:57 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGCraighead, Mississippi, Poinsett48 min
May 25, 5:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCraighead, Greene, Mississippi47 min
May 25, 6:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGRandolph30 min
May 25, 6:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLee, Phillips43 min
May 25, 6:37 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGCrittenden, St. Francis38 min
May 25, 6:39 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGMississippi51 min
May 25, 6:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLee, Phillips49 min
May 25, 6:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGPhillips47 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes in 2011

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.