Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Warnings in 2014

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Memphis, TN

February 20, 20145 counties in Mississippi

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Feb 20, 2014, 4:02 PM CST for 5 counties in Mississippi. It was in force for 28 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: Feb 20, 2014, 4:02 PM CST (22:02 UTC)
Expired: Feb 20, 2014, 4:30 PM CST
In force: 28 min
Issued by: NWS Memphis, TN
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Coahoma County, MS, Panola County, MS, Quitman County, MS, Tate County, MS, Tunica County, MS

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:06 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
Feb 20, 4:20 PM CST	FUNNEL CLOUD	Crenshaw, MS

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Feb 20, 2:23 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KBYH), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 42 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: 4 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 632 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 366 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 420 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.

391 
WFUS54 KMEG 202202
TORMEG
MSC027-107-119-137-143-202230-
/O.NEW.KMEG.TO.W.0003.140220T2202Z-140220T2230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
402 PM CST THU FEB 20 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN COAHOMA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...
  NORTHWESTERN PANOLA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...
  NORTHERN QUITMAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...
  SOUTHWESTERN TATE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...
  SOUTHEASTERN TUNICA COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI...

* UNTIL 430 PM CST

* AT 402 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING A TORNADO 7 MILES WEST OF DARLING...
  OR 16 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HELENA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO RURAL AREAS
  OF NORTHEASTERN COAHOMA...NORTHERN QUITMAN...NORTHWESTERN PANOLA...
  SOUTHEASTERN TUNICA AND SOUTHWESTERN TATE COUNTIES.

 THIS WARNING ALSO INCLUDES AREAS NEAR ARKABUTLA LAKE AND BEAVERDAM
  LAKE.

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 3469 9008 3440 8993 3426 9040 3448 9047
TIME...MOT...LOC 2202Z 232DEG 38KT 3439 9037

$$

1 follow-up statement

554 
WWUS54 KMEG 202213
SVSMEG

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
413 PM CST THU FEB 20 2014

MSC027-107-119-137-143-202223-
/O.CAN.KMEG.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-140220T2230Z/
TUNICA MS-TATE MS-QUITMAN MS-PANOLA MS-COAHOMA MS-
413 PM CST THU FEB 20 2014

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN COAHOMA...NORTHWESTERN
PANOLA...NORTHERN QUITMAN...SOUTHWESTERN TATE AND SOUTHEASTERN TUNICA
COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

AT 413 PM CST...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THE 
THUNDERSTORMS WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE WEAKENED...AND NO 
LONGER POSE AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY. THEREFORE...THE 
TORNADO WARNING IS CANCELLED.

.CONTINUE TO MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS AS FUTURE WARNINGS ARE
POSSIBLE FOR YOUR AREA.

.A TORNADO WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ALERT AREA.

LAT...LON 3469 9008 3440 8993 3426 9040 3448 9047
TIME...MOT...LOC 2213Z 232DEG 38KT 3446 9026

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Feb 20, 2:53 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Coahoma	52 min
Feb 20, 3:38 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Coahoma, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Tunica	52 min
Feb 20, 3:50 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Tunica	25 min
Feb 20, 4:06 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	DeSoto	39 min
Feb 20, 4:08 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	DeSoto	37 min
Feb 20, 4:11 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Panola, Quitman, Tate, Tunica	49 min
Feb 20, 4:19 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	DeSoto, Marshall, Tate, Tunica	41 min
Feb 20, 4:22 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Coahoma, Panola, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Yalobusha	53 min
Feb 20, 4:35 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Benton, DeSoto, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola, Tate and 1 more	40 min
Feb 20, 5:01 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Benton, Marshall	29 min
Feb 20, 5:10 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Coahoma, Panola, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Yalobusha	50 min
Feb 20, 5:11 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Alcorn, Benton, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola, Tate and 2 more	49 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Mississippi, 2014 Every tornado warning in 2014 Tornadoes in 2014

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.