Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 60, NWS Memphis, TN

October 17, 2012Lee County, Phillips County, Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Oct 17, 2012, 7:30 PM CDT for Lee County, Phillips County, Arkansas. It was in force for 30 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
Oct 17, 2012, 7:30 PM CDT (00:30 UTC)
Expired
Oct 17, 2012, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Lee County, AR, Phillips County, AR

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 114 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:31 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 was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Oct 17, 8:00 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG5 N Helena, ARTREES DOWN ON COUNTY ROAD 300 IN HORNOR.

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
Oct 17, 5:21 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 76 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 00:00Z on 2012-10-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 947 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 00:00Z on 2012-10-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 228 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
947 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-48 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1045 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
228 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
236 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.0
Supercell composite
4.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

701 
WFUS54 KMEG 180030
TORMEG
ARC077-107-180100-
/O.NEW.KMEG.TO.W.0060.121018T0030Z-121018T0100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
730 PM CDT WED OCT 17 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL LEE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
  NORTHERN PHILLIPS COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...

* UNTIL 800 PM CDT

* AT 730 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR MARVELL...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO MARVELL...
  WEST HELENA AND ST FRANCIS NATIONAL 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 3474 9060 3453 9059 3441 9090 3458 9098
TIME...MOT...LOC 0030Z 238DEG 32KT 3454 9082

$$
1 follow-up statement
732 
WWUS54 KMEG 180045
SVSMEG

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
745 PM CDT WED OCT 17 2012

ARC077-107-180100-
/O.CON.KMEG.TO.W.0060.000000T0000Z-121018T0100Z/
LEE AR-PHILLIPS AR-
745 PM CDT WED OCT 17 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN PHILLIPS AND SOUTH CENTRAL LEE COUNTIES...

AT 745 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR LATOUR...OR NEAR
WEST HELENA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LAGRANGE...
WEST HELENA...QUARLES...PHILLIPS BAYOU...LATOUR...WYCAMP...HUMA AND
ST FRANCIS NATIONAL 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 3450 9072 3464 9078 3474 9060 3453 9059
TIME...MOT...LOC 0045Z 238DEG 32KT 3461 9068

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 17, 7:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCrittenden, Cross, Poinsett, St. Francis40 min
Oct 17, 7:11 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMEGLee34 min
Oct 17, 7:14 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMEGMississippi31 min
Oct 17, 7:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLee, St. Francis42 min
Oct 17, 7:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLee, Phillips, St. Francis40 min
Oct 17, 7:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCrittenden, Mississippi, Poinsett40 min
Oct 17, 7:38 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGCrittenden, Mississippi, Poinsett52 min
Oct 17, 7:43 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLee, Phillips32 min
Oct 17, 8:05 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGCrittenden, Mississippi25 min
Oct 17, 8:08 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLee, Phillips22 min
Oct 17, 8:23 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLee, Phillips37 min
Oct 17, 9:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCross, St. Francis42 min
Oct 17, 9:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCrittenden, Cross, Lee, St. Francis23 min
Oct 17, 9:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLee, Phillips52 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.