Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2013

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Tulsa, OK

May 20, 2013Benton County, Madison County, Washington County, Arkansas

NWS Tulsa, OK issued this tornado warning at May 20, 2013, 7:04 PM CDT for Benton County, Madison County, Washington County, Arkansas. It was in force for 41 min. 11 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
May 20, 2013, 7:04 PM CDT (00:04 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 2013, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Tulsa, OK
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Benton County, AR, Madison County, AR, Washington County, AR

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 114 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:04 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
May 20, 7:06 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGTontitown, ARONE STRUCTURE WAS DESTROYED
May 20, 7:12 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 65Bentonville, AR
May 20, 7:13 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGSpringdale, AR*** 1 FATAL *** DEBRIS STRUCK VEHICLE.
May 20, 7:15 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 612 S Bentonville, ARMEASURED 61 MPH GUST AT THE BENTONVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
May 20, 7:15 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 69Springdale, ARMEASURED 69 MPH WIND GUST NEAR THE SPRINGDALE AIRPORT.
May 20, 7:16 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGLowell, ARWIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE ACROSS TOWN. NUMEROUS LARGE TREES DOWNED AND DAMAGED. POWER LINES AND POWER POLES DAMAGED.
May 20, 7:17 PM CDTTSTM WND GST 70Springdale, AR
May 20, 7:21 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGPea Ridge, ARTREE DOWN ON A HOUSE.
May 20, 7:21 PM CDTTORNADO6 Se Rogers, ARNWS SURVEY INDICATED AN EF-1 TORNADO OCCURRED IN THE ROCKY BRANCH AREA. SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED INCLUDING NUMEROUS TREES DOWNED. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO BE DETERMINED.
May 20, 7:25 PM CDTTSTM WND DMGGarfield, ARTREE DOWN ON A HOUSE.
May 20, 7:29 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG4 Nw Hindsville, ARSEVERAL LARGE TREES DOWN...ONE TREE FELL THROUGH ROOF

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
May 20, 1:10 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 72 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, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2013-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2135 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, Springfield, MO at 00:00Z on 2013-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 236 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
2135 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-10 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
780 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
236 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
265 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
3.2
Supercell composite
13.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

902 
WFUS54 KTSA 210004
TORTSA
ARC007-087-143-210045-
/O.NEW.KTSA.TO.W.0020.130521T0004Z-130521T0045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
704 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  BENTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...
  NORTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...
  NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...

* UNTIL 745 PM CDT

* AT 701 PM CDT...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
  TORNADOES WAS LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM DECATUR TO 3
  MILES WEST OF FARMINGTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. TORNADOES
  MAY FORM RAPIDLY ANYWHERE IN THE LINE OF STORMS!

* SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
  NORTHWEST ARKANSAS REGIONAL AIRPORT...FAYETTEVILLE...TONTITOWN...
  CAVE SPRINGS...SPRINGDALE...BENTONVILLE...LOWELL...BELLA VISTA...
  ROGERS...PEA RIDGE...HINDSVILLE...WAR EAGLE...HOBBS STATE PARK...
  GARFIELD AND GATEWAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM...TAKE COVER NOW! IF NO
UNDERGROUND SHELTER IS AVAILABLE MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR. MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR MORE
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. AVOID WINDOWS!

&&

LAT...LON 3600 9430 3636 9451 3650 9409 3650 9393
      3639 9388 3638 9389 3638 9388 3609 9377
TIME...MOT...LOC 0004Z 242DEG 53KT 3635 9440 3607 9425

$$
2 follow-up statements
779 
WWUS54 KTSA 210016
SVSTSA

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
716 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

ARC007-087-143-210045-
/O.CON.KTSA.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-130521T0045Z/
BENTON AR-MADISON AR-WASHINGTON AR-
716 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON...NORTHWESTERN MADISON AND EASTERN BENTON
COUNTIES...

AT 714 PM CDT...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
TORNADOES WAS LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BELLA VISTA TO
MONTE NE TO FAYETTEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. TORNADOES MAY
FORM RAPIDLY ANYWHERE IN THE LINE OF STORMS!

SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...SONORA...
PEA RIDGE...AVOCA...GOSHEN...WALNUT HILL...WAR EAGLE...LARUE...HILL
TOP...BLAND...MAYFIELD...GARFIELD...LOOKOUT...HOBBS STATE PARK...
BEAVER LAKE...BEST...GATEWAY AND HINDSVILLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM...TAKE COVER NOW! IF NO
UNDERGROUND SHELTER IS AVAILABLE MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR. MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR MORE
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. AVOID WINDOWS!

&&

LAT...LON 3609 9377 3602 9422 3621 9422 3641 9438
      3650 9409 3650 9393 3639 9388 3638 9389
      3637 9388
TIME...MOT...LOC 0016Z 242DEG 53KT 3645 9415 3627 9404
          3607 9408

$$
348 
WWUS54 KTSA 210035
SVSTSA

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
735 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

ARC007-087-143-210045-
/O.CON.KTSA.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-130521T0045Z/
BENTON AR-MADISON AR-WASHINGTON AR-
735 PM CDT MON MAY 20 2013

...TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON...NORTHWESTERN MADISON AND EASTERN BENTON
COUNTIES...

AT 731 PM CDT...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
TORNADOES WAS LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM GATEWAY TO BEAVER
LAKE TO HINDSVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. TORNADOES MAY FORM 
RAPIDLY ANYWHERE IN THE LINE OF STORMS!

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM...TAKE COVER NOW! IF NO
UNDERGROUND SHELTER IS AVAILABLE MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE
LOWEST FLOOR. MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR MORE
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. AVOID WINDOWS!

&&

LAT...LON 3609 9377 3605 9401 3629 9404 3648 9415
      3650 9409 3650 9393 3639 9388 3638 9389
      3637 9388
TIME...MOT...LOC 0035Z 242DEG 53KT 3654 9385 3636 9374
          3616 9378

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tulsa, OK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 7:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSABenton, Carroll60 min
May 20, 7:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Sebastian, Washington67 min
May 20, 7:25 PM CDTTornado WarningTSABenton, Carroll, Madison50 min
May 20, 7:31 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACrawford, Sebastian44 min
May 20, 7:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACarroll, Madison, Washington64 min
May 20, 7:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSASebastian70 min
May 20, 7:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Franklin, Madison, Sebastian, Washington63 min
May 20, 8:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford58 min
May 20, 8:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Sebastian57 min
May 20, 8:30 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACrawford, Sebastian60 min
May 20, 8:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACarroll, Madison48 min
May 20, 8:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSASebastian63 min
May 20, 9:05 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACrawford, Sebastian40 min
May 20, 9:20 PM CDTTornado WarningTSACrawford, Franklin, Sebastian40 min
May 20, 9:21 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTSAFranklin24 min
May 20, 9:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Franklin, Madison66 min
May 20, 9:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTSACrawford, Franklin37 min
May 20, 9:43 PM CDTTornado WarningTSAFranklin47 min
May 20, 10:11 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryTSAFranklin, Madison2 hr
May 21, 2:45 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTSASebastian45 min
May 21, 9:01 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTSASebastian44 min
May 21, 2:58 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTSASebastian62 min
May 21, 3:56 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTSAFranklin, Sebastian49 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 2013Every tornado warning in 2013Tornadoes in 2013

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.