Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 78, NWS Shreveport, LA

April 3, 2012Columbia County, Union County, Arkansas

NWS Shreveport, LA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 3, 2012, 6:56 PM CDT for Columbia County, Union County, Arkansas. It was in force for 52 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: Apr 3, 2012, 6:56 PM CDT (23:56 UTC)
Expired: Apr 3, 2012, 7:48 PM CDT
In force: 52 min
Issued by: NWS Shreveport, LA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Columbia County, AR, Union County, AR

The radar

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 141 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:59 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 3, 7:15 PM CDT	HAIL 1	13 W El Dorado, AR	QUARTER SIZE HAIL FELL NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF MARYSVILLE.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 19 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 3, 2:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Shreveport, LA (KSHV), launched 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 133 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1328 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -64 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 475 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 148 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 286 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 8.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

444 
WUUS54 KSHV 032356
SVRSHV
ARC027-139-040100-
/O.NEW.KSHV.SV.W.0078.120403T2356Z-120404T0100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
656 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN UNION COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...SMACKOVER...NORPHLET...EL DORADO...
  EAST CENTRAL COLUMBIA COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...

* UNTIL 800 PM CDT

* AT 656 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 11
  MILES WEST OF WESSON...OR 16 MILES NORTHWEST OF JUNCTION CITY...AND
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  LISBON...URBANA...LAWSON AND CALION...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS HAVE DETECTED SOME WEAK
ROTATION WITHIN THIS STORM. WHILE NOT IMMEDIATELY LIKELY...A TORNADO
MAY STILL DEVELOP. IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE TO
A PLACE OF SAFETY IN A STURDY STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT OR SMALL
INTERIOR ROOM.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD
TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 3309 9239 3307 9301 3320 9308 3339 9275
      3337 9268 3337 9261 3338 9258 3337 9256
TIME...MOT...LOC 2356Z 240DEG 19KT 3316 9294

$$

15

1 follow-up statement

162 
WWUS54 KSHV 040048
SVSSHV

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
748 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

ARC027-139-040056-
/O.CAN.KSHV.SV.W.0078.000000T0000Z-120404T0100Z/
COLUMBIA AR-UNION AR-
748 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR UNION AND COLUMBIA COUNTIES IS
CANCELLED...

THE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS 
WEAKENED AND WAS NO LONGER SEVERE. THUS...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
HAS BEEN CANCELLED. 

HOWEVER...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO PROGRESS EAST 
ACROSS MILLER AND LAFAYETTE COUNTIES...WHICH WILL ENTER COLUMBIA AND 
UNION COUNTIES IN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS
MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE AREA LATER THIS EVENING.  

LAT...LON 3309 9239 3307 9301 3320 9308 3339 9275
      3337 9268 3337 9261 3338 9258 3337 9256
TIME...MOT...LOC 0046Z 240DEG 19KT 3329 9267

$$

15

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 3, 6:48 PM CDT, 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 6:48 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
648 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

.UPDATE...

I MADE A QUICK COSMETIC UPDATE TO THE TEXT ZONE FORECAST PRODUCT...
MAINLY TO ADJUST THE ZONE GROUPINGS. TORNADO WATCH 135 AND SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH 134 REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE ARKLATEX
UNTIL 1000 PM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO LAST
THROUGH THE ENTIRE EVENING AND LINGER INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.

ELEVEN

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 323 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012/

DISCUSSION...
THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS INCREASING FOR OUR ENTIRE AREA AS
TIME PROGRESSES. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE FIRED ALONG AN EAST-WEST
STATIONARY BOUNDARY ACROSS THE LOUISIANA-ARKANSAS BORDER
AND...NOW...THE BOUNDARY IS SLOWLY BEGINNING TO DRIFT
SOUTHEASTWARD. THE THREAT FROM THESE STORMS APPEARS TO BE MAINLY
LARGE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THE LARGER THREAT IS WITH THE
THUNDERSTORMS CURRENTLY ALONG THE I-35 CORRIDOR...WHERE A TORNADIC
THREAT IS ONGOING AND WILL MOVE EASTWARD INTO NORTHEAST TEXAS
LATER THIS AFTERNOON. LAPS SURFACE HELICITY VALUES OVER NORTHEAST
TEXAS ARE GREATER THAN 250 METERS SQUARED PER SECONDS SQUARED.
THIS IS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT TO SUSTAIN A TORNADIC ENVIRONMENT
WELL INTO OUR CWA. DIVERGENT FLOW ALOFT AND UPPER LEVEL IMPULSES
WILL ENHANCE THIS ACTIVITY AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSES. VERY LARGE
HAIL AND VERY GUSTY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH ALL STORMS THAT
FORM IN THE ENVIRONMENT JUST AHEAD OF THE LINE...AS WELL AS THE
SQUALL LINE ITSELF.

TOMORROW...MUCH OF THIS ACTIVITY WILL STILL BE A GOOD PORTION OF
THE AREA...OUR EASTERN AREAS AT THE VERY LEAST. THE SEVERE WEATHER
THREAT WILL STILL EXIST...BUT SHOULD NOT BE AS GREAT AS IT WILL BE
THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE ACTIVITY SHOULD BEGIN
TO CEASE FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...WITH THE SQUALL
LINE. AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW EJECTS EASTWARD ACROSS ARKANSAS...OUR
NORTHERN SECTION OF COUNTIES WILL SEE A CHANCE FOR SOME SHOWERS
AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.

EXTENDED...A FRONTAL BOUNDARY APPEARS TO STALL OUT ACROSS THE FOUR
STATE REGION ON SUNDAY INTO MONDAY...BRINGING A DECENT CHANCE FOR
PRECIPITATION DURING THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK.

AVIATION...
SCT CONVECTION TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION BEFORE STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH A POTENT UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OVER
N TX PUSH EWD INTO THE REGION. TERMINALS WILL BE AFFECTED
INTERMITTENTLY BY CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY
MORNING. EXPECT CATEGORY REDUCTIONS WITH VERY GUSTY WINDS VC
CONVECTION. OTHERWISE...SOUTHERLY WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS TO PERSIST
BEFORE WINDS TURN OUT OF THE WSW BEHIND A FRONTAL BOUNDARY DURING
WEDNESDAY MORNING. /12/

&&

.PREVIOUS POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SHV  66  82  54  75  54 /  70  20  10  10   0
MLU  66  83  57  77  54 /  70  50  20  10   0
DEQ  59  75  52  72  51 /  70  30  20  10   0
TXK  64  78  54  72  52 /  70  20  20  10   0
ELD  66  81  54  74  52 /  70  30  20  10   0
TYR  57  76  56  75  56 /  70  20  10  10   0
GGG  59  78  55  75  54 /  70  20  10  10   0
LFK  64  81  57  80  57 /  70  20  10  10   0

&&

.SHV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...NONE.
LA...NONE.
OK...NONE.
TX...NONE.
&&

11

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 3, 11:45 AM CDT, 7 hours 11 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
1145 AM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-OKZ077-
TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126-136>138-149>153-165>167-041645-
SEVIER-HOWARD-LITTLE RIVER-HEMPSTEAD-NEVADA-MILLER-LAFAYETTE-
COLUMBIA-UNION AR-CADDO-BOSSIER-WEBSTER-CLAIBORNE-LINCOLN-
UNION LA-DE SOTO-RED RIVER-BIENVILLE-JACKSON-OUACHITA-SABINE LA-
NATCHITOCHES-WINN-GRANT-CALDWELL-LA SALLE-MCCURTAIN-BOWIE-
FRANKLIN-TITUS-CAMP-MORRIS-CASS-WOOD-UPSHUR-MARION-SMITH-GREGG-
HARRISON-CHEROKEE-RUSK-PANOLA-NACOGDOCHES-SHELBY-ANGELINA-
SAN AUGUSTINE-SABINE TX-
1145 AM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
ARKANSAS...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...EAST TEXAS AND
NORTHEAST TEXAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE INCREASING OVER THE AREA
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT AS TEMPERATURES WARM AND
DISTURBANCES ALOFT MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. AN UPPER LEVEL
CLOSED LOW MOVING OVER PARTS OF TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA WILL
CONTINUE LIFTING NORTHEAST SENDING A SURFACE LOW ACROSS
OKLAHOMA...WITH ITS TRAILING DRY LINE BEING OVERTAKEN BY A
COLD FRONT. BY LATE TONIGHT THE SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL BE
NEARING A BROKEN BOW OKLAHOMA TO TYLER/LONGVIEW TEXAS LINE.
STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL DEVELOP OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT
AND WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE SYSTEM. LARGE HAIL AND HIGH AND
DAMAGING WINDS WILL REMAIN THE MAIN THREATS. LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THUNDERSTORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ALONG AND NEAR THE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY WITH EFFICIENT RAIN PRODUCING
STORMS...AS WELL AS A CHANCE FOR LARGE HAIL AND HIGH AND DAMAGING
WINDS. BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING WEDNESDAY...WITH DRY
AIR SPREADING INTO THE FOUR STATE REGION IN WAKE OF THE BOUNDARY...
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

THE ACTIVATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL...HAM RADIO
OPERATORS...AND STORM SPOTTERS MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY AND
OVERNIGHT...AND INTO WEDNESDAY.

23

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 3, 6:37 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
637 PM CDT TUE APR 03 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0545 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 NW WINNSBORO          32.97N 95.30W
04/03/2012                   FRANKLIN           TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            NUMEROUS TREES REPORTED DOWN ACROSS HIGHWAY 11 NORTHWEST
            OF WINNSBORO.

&&

ITO

Local storm report, Apr 3, 6:40 PM CDT, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
640 PM CDT TUE APR 03 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0635 PM     HAIL             BIG SANDY               32.59N 95.11W
04/03/2012  E0.50 INCH       UPSHUR             TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            HALF INCH HAIL REPORTED IN BIG SANDY

&&

19

Local storm report, Apr 3, 6:41 PM CDT, 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
641 PM CDT TUE APR 03 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0615 PM     HAIL             1 S NOONDAY             32.23N 95.40W
04/03/2012  E1.00 INCH       SMITH              TX   PUBLIC

&&

12

Local storm report, Apr 3, 6:48 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
648 PM CDT TUE APR 03 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0645 PM     HAIL             LEWISVILLE              33.36N 93.58W
04/03/2012  E0.75 INCH       LAFAYETTE          AR   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            DIME TO PENNY SIZED HAIL IN LEWISVILLE NEAR INTERSECTION
            OF HWY 82 AND HWY 29

&&

19

Local storm report, Apr 3, 6:49 PM CDT, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
649 PM CDT TUE APR 03 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0644 PM     HAIL             MCLEOD                  32.95N 94.08W
04/03/2012  M1.75 INCH       CASS               TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL REPORTED BY BROADCAST MEDIA.

&&

ITO

Local storm report, Apr 3, 6:50 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
650 PM CDT TUE APR 03 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0645 PM     HAIL             FOUKE                   33.26N 93.89W
04/03/2012  E0.88 INCH       MILLER             AR   BROADCAST MEDIA

            DIME TO NICKEL SIZED HAIL REPORTED IN FOUKE

&&

19

The office that day

Everything else NWS Shreveport, LA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 3, 12:23 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	SHV	Nevada	112 min
Apr 3, 3:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SHV	Union	63 min
Apr 3, 3:25 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	SHV	Union	3 hr
Apr 3, 5:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SHV	Little River	54 min
Apr 3, 6:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SHV	Little River, Sevier	61 min
Apr 3, 6:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SHV	Columbia, Lafayette, Miller	58 min
Apr 3, 6:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SHV	Miller	67 min
Apr 3, 6:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	SHV	Howard, Little River, Miller, Sevier	53 min
Apr 3, 6:53 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	SHV	Lafayette, Miller	67 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arkansas, 2012 Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.