Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 15, NWS Memphis, TN

February 1, 2012Phillips County, Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Feb 1, 2012, 4:25 PM CST for Phillips County, Arkansas. It was in force for 35 min. 2 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
Feb 1, 2012, 4:25 PM CST (22:25 UTC)
Expired
Feb 1, 2012, 5:00 PM CST
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Phillips County, AR

The radar

The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 132 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:28 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
Feb 1, 4:39 PM CSTTSTM WND GST 75Trenton, ARSTATE POLICE REPORTED 70-75 MPH WIND GUSTS ACROSS CENTRAL PHILLIPS COUNTY.
Feb 1, 4:39 PM CSTTORNADO15 Se Marvell, ARLOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED TORNADO ON THE GROUND.

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
Feb 1, 3:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC3 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 93 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 2012-02-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 34 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2012-02-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -28 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
34 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-85 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
838 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-28 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

283 
WFUS54 KMEG 012225
TORMEG
ARC107-012300-
/O.NEW.KMEG.TO.W.0015.120201T2225Z-120201T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
425 PM CST WED FEB 1 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL PHILLIPS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...

* UNTIL 500 PM CST

* AT 425 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR WATKINS CORNER...OR
  NEAR MARVELL...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO HELENA...
  MARVELL AND WEST HELENA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

.IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE QUARTER SIZE   
 HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS IN EXCESS 70 MPH.

.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 3457 9101 3457 9056 3437 9070 3440 9101
      3447 9102
TIME...MOT...LOC 2225Z 278DEG 34KT 3447 9089

$$
2 follow-up statements
628 
WWUS54 KMEG 012243
SVSMEG

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
443 PM CST WED FEB 1 2012

ARC107-012300-
/O.CON.KMEG.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-120201T2300Z/
PHILLIPS AR-
443 PM CST WED FEB 1 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CST FOR CENTRAL
PHILLIPS COUNTY...

AT 442 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ONEIDA...OR 8
MILES SOUTHWEST OF WEST HELENA...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO HELENA...LAKE
VIEW...WEST HELENA...QUARLES...SPRING CREEK...WABASH...ONEIDA...
BARTON...WYCAMP...PRESTON PLACE...HUMA AND HELENA CROSSING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER 
SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

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 3457 9081 3457 9056 3437 9070 3439 9086
TIME...MOT...LOC 2242Z 278DEG 34KT 3445 9070

$$
893 
WWUS54 KMEG 012303
SVSMEG

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
503 PM CST WED FEB 1 2012

ARC107-012313-
/O.EXP.KMEG.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-120201T2300Z/
PHILLIPS AR-
503 PM CST WED FEB 1 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL PHILLIPS COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...

AT 503 PM CST...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE
THUNDERSTORMS WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA.
THEREFORE...THE TORNADO WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

LAT...LON 3457 9081 3457 9056 3437 9070 3439 9086
TIME...MOT...LOC 2243Z 278DEG 34KT 3445 9069

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 1, 6:16 AM CSTDense Fog AdvisoryMEGClay, Craighead, Greene, Lawrence, Randolph3 hr
Feb 1, 3:55 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLee, Phillips50 min
Feb 1, 4:20 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementMEGLee25 min
Feb 1, 4:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGPhillips44 min
Feb 1, 4:41 PM CSTTornado WarningMEGPhillips49 min
Feb 1, 4:46 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLee, Phillips44 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes in 2012

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.