Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Watches in 2011
Tornado Watch 140
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Apr 15, 2011, 7:32 AM CDT for 26 counties in Alabama; 14 parishes in Louisiana; 51 counties in Mississippi. It was in force for 7 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 15, 2011, 7:32 AM CDT (12:32 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 15, 2011, 3:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 7 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
- Largest hail expected
- 2 in
- Strongest gust expected
- 60 kt
All 91 counties
Blount County, AL, Choctaw County, AL, Clarke County, AL, Colbert County, AL, Cullman County, AL, Fayette County, AL, Franklin County, AL, Greene County, AL, Hale County, AL, Jefferson County, AL, Lamar County, AL, Lauderdale County, AL, Lawrence County, AL, Limestone County, AL, Madison County, AL, Marengo County, AL, Marion County, AL, Marshall County, AL, Mobile County, AL, Morgan County, AL, Pickens County, AL, Sumter County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL, Walker County, AL, Washington County, AL, Winston County, AL, Avoyelles Parish, LA, Caldwell Parish, LA, Catahoula Parish, LA, Concordia Parish, LA, East Carroll Parish, LA, Franklin Parish, LA, Grant Parish, LA, LaSalle Parish, LA, Madison Parish, LA, Rapides Parish, LA, Richland Parish, LA, Tensas Parish, LA, Vernon Parish, LA, Winn Parish, LA, Adams County, MS, Amite County, MS, Attala County, MS, Carroll County, MS, Choctaw County, MS, Claiborne County, MS, Clarke County, MS, Clay County, MS, Copiah County, MS, Covington County, MS, Forrest County, MS, Franklin County, MS, George County, MS, Greene County, MS, Grenada County, MS, Hinds County, MS, Holmes County, MS, Issaquena County, MS, Jasper County, MS, Jefferson County, MS, Jefferson Davis County, MS, Jones County, MS, Kemper County, MS, Lamar County, MS, Lauderdale County, MS, Lawrence County, MS, Leake County, MS, Lincoln County, MS, Lowndes County, MS, Madison County, MS, Marion County, MS, Montgomery County, MS, Neshoba County, MS, Newton County, MS, Noxubee County, MS, Oktibbeha County, MS, Perry County, MS, Pike County, MS, Rankin County, MS, Scott County, MS, Sharkey County, MS, Simpson County, MS, Smith County, MS, Stone County, MS, Walthall County, MS, Warren County, MS, Wayne County, MS, Webster County, MS, Wilkinson County, MS, Winston County, MS, Yazoo County, MS
The radar
The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:31 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
- 80%
- One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes
- 50%
- Ten or more severe wind reports
- 95%
- One or more gusts of 65 knots or more
- 20%
- Ten or more severe hail reports
- 40%
- One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more
- 10%
- Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports
- 95%
Warnings issued inside it
99 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 7:42 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | East Carroll, Madison, West Carroll | 63 min |
| Apr 15, 7:50 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Attala, Choctaw, Winston | 40 min |
| Apr 15, 8:00 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | JAN | Holmes, Humphreys, Sharkey, Yazoo | 5 hr |
| Apr 15, 8:06 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Catahoula, Franklin | 54 min |
| Apr 15, 8:09 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Attala, Carroll, Holmes, Yazoo | 66 min |
| Apr 15, 8:15 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Choctaw, Clay, Lowndes, Montgomery, Oktibbeha, Webster | 60 min |
| Apr 15, 8:18 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Holmes, Yazoo | 27 min |
| Apr 15, 8:23 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Rapides, Vernon | 67 min |
| Apr 15, 8:27 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Catahoula, Franklin | 16 min |
| Apr 15, 8:33 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Attala, Carroll, Choctaw | 57 min |
| Apr 15, 8:36 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Attala, Holmes | 54 min |
| Apr 15, 8:50 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Attala, Carroll, Holmes | 40 min |
| Apr 15, 8:54 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | JAN | Attala, Carroll, Choctaw, Clay, Montgomery, Oktibbeha and 1 more | 3 hr |
| Apr 15, 9:08 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Franklin, Madison, Tensas | 67 min |
| Apr 15, 9:11 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Avoyelles, Rapides | 42 min |
| Apr 15, 9:18 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Choctaw, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Winston | 42 min |
| Apr 15, 9:24 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Holmes, Humphreys, Yazoo | 66 min |
| Apr 15, 9:32 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Catahoula, Concordia | 58 min |
| Apr 15, 9:34 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Claiborne, Hinds, Warren | 56 min |
| Apr 15, 9:45 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Attala, Holmes | 60 min |
| Apr 15, 10:01 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | JAN | Choctaw, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Winston | 5 hr |
| Apr 15, 10:03 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Holmes, Humphreys, Yazoo | 57 min |
| Apr 15, 10:11 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Lamar | 6 hr |
| Apr 15, 10:12 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Hinds, Madison | 63 min |
| Apr 15, 10:15 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Wayne | 45 min |
| Apr 15, 10:20 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Washington | 40 min |
| Apr 15, 10:21 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Adams, Franklin, Jefferson | 15 min |
| Apr 15, 10:26 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Claiborne, Hinds, Madison | 64 min |
| Apr 15, 10:28 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Clarke | 47 min |
| Apr 15, 10:33 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Clarke | 57 min |
| Apr 15, 10:34 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Greene, Perry | 41 min |
| Apr 15, 10:41 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Attala, Choctaw, Montgomery | 64 min |
| Apr 15, 10:42 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | JAN | Hinds, Madison, Rankin | 2 hr |
| Apr 15, 10:50 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Clarke, Washington | 40 min |
| Apr 15, 10:50 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Carroll, Choctaw, Montgomery | 31 min |
| Apr 15, 10:56 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Choctaw | 49 min |
| Apr 15, 10:59 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair | 46 min |
| Apr 15, 11:09 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Washington | 51 min |
| Apr 15, 11:14 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Clarke | 18 min |
| Apr 15, 11:18 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Winston | 41 min |
| Apr 15, 11:20 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Madison, Rankin | 39 min |
| Apr 15, 11:26 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Clarke, Monroe | 49 min |
| Apr 15, 11:28 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Attala, Choctaw | 47 min |
| Apr 15, 11:35 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Wayne | 40 min |
| Apr 15, 11:39 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN | Cullman | 21 min |
| Apr 15, 11:41 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Choctaw | 64 min |
| Apr 15, 11:42 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Clay, Lowndes | 47 min |
| Apr 15, 11:43 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN | Marshall | 17 min |
| Apr 15, 11:46 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Attala, Choctaw | 33 min |
| Apr 15, 11:49 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Leake, Scott | 43 min |
| Apr 15, 11:52 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Marengo | 38 min |
| Apr 15, 11:52 AM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Choctaw, Clarke, Washington | 38 min |
| Apr 15, 11:55 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | JAN | Attala, Carroll, Choctaw, Clay, Holmes, Lowndes and 4 more | 3 hr |
| Apr 15, 12:09 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Oktibbeha | 51 min |
| Apr 15, 12:14 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Leake, Neshoba | 61 min |
| Apr 15, 12:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Lamar, Pickens | 34 min |
| Apr 15, 12:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Choctaw, Clarke, Washington | 40 min |
| Apr 15, 12:22 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HUN | Colbert, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone | 3 hr |
| Apr 15, 12:24 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Marengo | 51 min |
| Apr 15, 12:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN | Cullman, Marshall | 23 min |
| Apr 15, 12:27 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Rankin, Simpson | 63 min |
| Apr 15, 12:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | BMX | Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair | 27 min |
| Apr 15, 12:44 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Washington | 46 min |
| Apr 15, 12:49 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Kemper | 56 min |
| Apr 15, 12:51 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Clarke, Wilcox | 33 min |
| Apr 15, 12:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Clay, Lowndes, Oktibbeha | 43 min |
| Apr 15, 12:59 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Dallas, Marengo, Perry | 46 min |
| Apr 15, 1:06 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Copiah, Lincoln | 54 min |
| Apr 15, 1:09 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Washington | 51 min |
| Apr 15, 1:10 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, Winston | 3 hr |
| Apr 15, 1:12 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Rankin, Simpson | 48 min |
| Apr 15, 1:14 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | HUN | Cullman | 6 hr |
| Apr 15, 1:22 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Clarke, Washington | 21 min |
| Apr 15, 1:25 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Greene, Sumter | 65 min |
| Apr 15, 1:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Concordia | 64 min |
| Apr 15, 1:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Scott, Smith | 48 min |
| Apr 15, 1:46 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Clarke, Washington | 44 min |
| Apr 15, 1:46 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Kemper, Neshoba | 59 min |
| Apr 15, 1:46 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Copiah, Simpson | 59 min |
| Apr 15, 1:48 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Attala, Holmes | 57 min |
| Apr 15, 1:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | HUN | Lauderdale | 26 min |
| Apr 15, 2:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MOB | Choctaw | 27 min |
| Apr 15, 2:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MOB | George, Greene | 39 min |
| Apr 15, 2:12 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Jasper, Newton | 63 min |
| Apr 15, 2:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JAN | Concordia | 58 min |
| Apr 15, 2:22 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MOB | Clarke, Monroe, Wilcox | 38 min |
| Apr 15, 2:23 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Jasper, Smith | 67 min |
| Apr 15, 2:24 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Greene, Hale, Tuscaloosa | 51 min |
| Apr 15, 2:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LCH | Avoyelles, Saint Landry | 50 min |
| Apr 15, 2:31 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Marengo, Sumter | 29 min |
| Apr 15, 2:35 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LCH | Avoyelles, Saint Landry | 25 min |
| Apr 15, 2:39 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | BMX | Greene, Pickens, Sumter | 3 hr |
| Apr 15, 2:41 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Greene, Tuscaloosa | 64 min |
| Apr 15, 2:41 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Attala, Choctaw | 49 min |
| Apr 15, 2:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Kemper | 18 min |
| Apr 15, 2:48 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | JAN | Lauderdale | 57 min |
| Apr 15, 2:49 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Greene, Hale, Sumter | 41 min |
| Apr 15, 2:56 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | BMX | Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Sumter | 49 min |
| Apr 15, 2:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LIX | Amite, Wilkinson | 64 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
Jackson, MS (KJAN), launched 12:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 143 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
- 1458 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 523 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 59 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 382 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 565 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 4.0
- Supercell composite
- 14.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
493
WWUS20 KWNS 151242
SEL0
SPC WW 151242
ALZ000-LAZ000-MSZ000-152000-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 140
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
735 AM CDT FRI APR 15 2011
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
WESTERN AND NORTHERN ALABAMA
CENTRAL AND EASTERN LOUISIANA
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 735 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 95 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF MUSCLE
SHOALS ALABAMA TO 45 MILES SOUTH OF NATCHEZ MISSISSIPPI. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).
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 139...
DISCUSSION...NE-SW MS/LA SQLN EXPECTED TO CONTINUE GENERALLY EWD
THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. SYSTEM MAY BREAK INTO MORE SEMI-DISCRETE
STORMS/LINE SEGMENTS...AND ADDITIONAL STORMS MAY FORM IN
CONFLUENT/MOISTENING LOW-LVL FLOW AHEAD OF LINE...AS SFC HEATING
FURTHER DESTABILIZES REGION. 12Z KJAN SOUNDING AND UPSTREAM WIND
PROFILES SUGGEST WW AREA WILL HAVE THERMODYNAMIC AND WIND
ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTIVE OF SUSTAINED SUPERCELLS AND LEWPS. THESE MAY
YIELD A COUPLE STRONG TORNADOES...IN ADDITION TO DMGG WIND AND HAIL.
STORMS IN NRN AL MAY REMAIN SLIGHTLY ELEVATED...BUT WILL STILL HAVE
THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LOCALLY DMGG WIND AND PERHAPS ISOLD
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
550. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25040.
...CORFIDISPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 4:21 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Colbert, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale, Marion, Pickens | 84 min |
| Apr 15, 10:28 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Chilton and 34 more | 2 hr |
| Apr 15, 11:21 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock and 44 more | 9 hr |
| Apr 15, 1:30 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun and 46 more | 2 hr |
| Apr 15, 3:35 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Chambers and 39 more | 85 min |
| Apr 15, 5:57 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Colbert, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion | 2 hr |
| Apr 14, 11:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, De Soto, Webster | 3 hr |
| Apr 14, 11:56 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bossier, Caddo, De Soto, Webster | 94 min |
| Apr 15, 1:27 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bienville, Bossier, Claiborne, East Carroll, Jackson, Lincoln and 5 more | 93 min |
| Apr 15, 2:19 AM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne and 20 more | 8 hr |
| Apr 15, 2:41 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Concordia, East Baton Rouge and 19 more | 7 hr |
| Apr 15, 6:09 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville and 12 more | 96 min |
| Apr 15, 12:29 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alcorn, Benton, DeSoto, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola and 4 more | 61 min |
| Apr 15, 2:09 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Alcorn, Benton, Calhoun, Chickasaw, DeSoto, Itawamba and 13 more | 7 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2011Tornado Watches in Alabama, 2011Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 2011Every tornado watch 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.