Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 64, NWS Memphis, TN

October 17, 2012Crittenden County, Mississippi County, Arkansas; Shelby County, Tipton County, Tennessee

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Oct 17, 2012, 8:05 PM CDT for Crittenden County, Mississippi County, Arkansas; Shelby County, Tipton County, Tennessee. It was in force for 25 min. 3 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
Oct 17, 2012, 8:05 PM CDT (01:05 UTC)
Expired
Oct 17, 2012, 8:30 PM CDT
In force
25 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Crittenden County, AR, Mississippi County, AR, Shelby County, TN, Tipton County, TN

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 9 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:09 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, 8:12 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGMillington, TNOBSERVED 195 FOOT OF FENCE BLOWN DOWN WITH 2FT WOODEN POLES SNAPPED OR UPROOTED CONRETE AND ALL. TWO 28 INCH PINE TREES SNAPPED IN HALF. ONE 16 INCH TREE SNAPPED IN HALF.
Oct 17, 8:30 PM CDTHAIL 1Munford, TNQUARTER-SIZED HAIL NEAR TIPTON/SHELBY COUNTY LINE. NEAR INTERSECTION OF DEAD FALL AND MCQUISTON ROADS.
Oct 17, 8:35 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGMillington, TNSEVERAL TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN. TREE ON TRAILER.

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, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 65 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.

011 
WFUS54 KMEG 180105
TORMEG
ARC035-093-TNC157-167-180130-
/O.NEW.KMEG.TO.W.0064.121018T0105Z-121018T0130Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN CRITTENDEN COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
  SOUTH CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
  NORTHERN SHELBY COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...
  WESTERN TIPTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...

* UNTIL 830 PM CDT

* AT 805 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
  A TORNADO NEAR MEEMAN SHELBY FOREST STATE PARK...MOVING EAST AT 
  45 MPH.  A TORNADO WAS REPORTED WITH THIS STORM IN CRITTENDEN 
  COUNTY.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  COVINGTON...MILLINGTON AND MEEMAN SHELBY FOREST STATE PARK.

 THIS WARNING ALSO INCLUDES AREAS NEAR THE CHUTE.

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 3549 9008 3558 8963 3534 8964 3531 8990
      3529 9018
TIME...MOT...LOC 0105Z 265DEG 37KT 3537 9001

$$

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, 7:30 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLee, Phillips30 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, 8:08 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
Oct 17, 8:25 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGFayette, Haywood, Shelby, Tipton35 min
Oct 17, 8:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGFayette, Shelby38 min
Oct 17, 8:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGFayette, Hardeman, Haywood, Madison19 min
Oct 17, 9:39 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMEGCarroll, Crockett, Gibson, Henry, Weakley51 min
Oct 17, 9:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGChester, Hardeman, McNairy39 min
Oct 17, 10:12 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMEGCarroll, Henderson, Henry48 min
Oct 17, 10:17 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMEGFayette, Hardeman, Shelby28 min
Oct 17, 10:21 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMEGChester, Decatur, Henderson, Madison39 min
Oct 17, 10:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGDecatur, Hardin, McNairy64 min
Oct 17, 10:46 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementMEGFayette, Hardeman44 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 2012Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 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.