Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 17, NWS Memphis, TN

December 23, 2015Panola County, Tallahatchie County, Mississippi

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Dec 23, 2015, 4:12 PM CST for Panola County, Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. It was in force for 48 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Dec 23, 2015, 4:12 PM CST (22:12 UTC)
Expired: Dec 23, 2015, 5:00 PM CST
In force: 48 min
Issued by: NWS Memphis, TN
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Observed
Damage threat: Considerable
Hail: 1.75 in

Counties Panola County, MS, Tallahatchie County, MS

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 133 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:12 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

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
Dec 23, 11:57 AM CST	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KBYH), launched 12:00Z, 10.2 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-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: 343 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 568 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 331 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 353 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

698 
WFUS54 KMEG 232212
TORMEG
MSC107-135-232300-
/O.NEW.KMEG.TO.W.0017.151223T2212Z-151223T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
412 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN TALLAHATCHIE COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI...
  SOUTHEASTERN PANOLA COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI...

* UNTIL 500 PM CST
    
* AT 412 PM CST...A CONFIRMED LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO
  WAS LOCATED NEAR CROWDER...OR 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF CHARLESTON...
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

  THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. 

  HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO. 

  SOURCE...RADAR CONFIRMED TORNADO. 

  IMPACT...YOU ARE IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. FLYING DEBRIS 
           MAY BE DEADLY TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT SHELTER. MOBILE 
           HOMES WILL BE DESTROYED. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO 
           HOMES...BUSINESSES AND VEHICLES IS LIKELY AND COMPLETE 
           DESTRUCTION IS POSSIBLE. 

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  CROWDER AROUND 420 PM CST.
  ENID AROUND 425 PM CST.
  POPE AROUND 430 PM CST.
  BATESVILLE AROUND 435 PM CST.
  JOHN W KYLE STATE PARK AROUND 445 PM CST.

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE EUREKA
SPRINGS...SHUFORD...COURTLAND...CHAPELTOWN AND HAYES CROSSING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TAKE
IMMEDIATE TORNADO PRECAUTIONS. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3401 9016 3407 9016 3408 9014 3419 9014
      3449 8972 3421 8972 3416 8982 3416 8993
      3412 8993
TIME...MOT...LOC 2212Z 232DEG 49KT 3410 9017 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
HAIL...1.75IN

$$

1 follow-up statement

001 
WWUS54 KMEG 232225
SVSMEG

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
425 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

MSC107-135-232300-
/O.CON.KMEG.TO.W.0017.000000T0000Z-151223T2300Z/
TALLAHATCHIE MS-PANOLA MS-
425 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM CST FOR
NORTHEASTERN TALLAHATCHIE AND SOUTHEASTERN PANOLA COUNTIES...
        
AT 424 PM CST...A CONFIRMED LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO WAS
LOCATED NEAR POPE...OR 7 MILES WEST OF GEORGE PAYNE STATE PARK...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. ANOTHER TORNADO MAY BE FORMING NEAR
BATESVILLE. TAKE COVER NOW.

THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO. 

SOURCE...RADAR CONFIRMED TORNADO. 

IMPACT...YOU ARE IN A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. FLYING DEBRIS MAY 
         BE DEADLY TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES 
         WILL BE DESTROYED. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO 
         HOMES...BUSINESSES AND VEHICLES IS LIKELY AND COMPLETE 
         DESTRUCTION IS POSSIBLE. 

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  BATESVILLE AROUND 435 PM CST.
  JOHN W KYLE STATE PARK AROUND 445 PM CST.

OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM INCLUDE EUREKA
SPRINGS...SHUFORD...COURTLAND...CHAPELTOWN AND HAYES CROSSING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TAKE
IMMEDIATE TORNADO PRECAUTIONS. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3401 9016 3407 9016 3408 9014 3419 9014
      3449 8972 3421 8972 3416 8982 3416 8993
      3412 8993
TIME...MOT...LOC 2224Z 234DEG 52KT 3418 9001 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
HAIL...1.75IN

$$

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Dec 23, 3:23 PM CST, 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 23, 3:23 PM CST, 49 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
323 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

.DISCUSSION...

CURRENTLY...A LINEAR CLUSTER OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS
MOVING ACROSS E AR AND MO BOOTHEEL APPROACHING THE MS RVR.
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS PRECEDE THE CLUSTER OVER
WEST TENNESSEE.

EXPECT THE THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE PROGRESSING EASTWARD THROUGH
THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE THREAT FOR
TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS CONTINUE FROM CLUSTER
OF STORMS WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF TORNADOES CONTINUING ALONG AND
SOUTH OF I-40 THROUGH EARLY EVENING. LATER IN THE
EVENING...SHORTWAVE ENERGY WILL SHIFT FARTHER TO THE NORTH AND
DECREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL
MOVE THROUGH MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY LATE TONIGHT.

THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL STALL JUST S AND E OF THE FORECAST AREA
THURSDAY THEN MOVE NORTHWARD AS A STRONG WARM FRONT ON CHRISTMAS
DAY. HIGH CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH CHRISTMAS DAY FROM THE STRONG DYNAMIC LIFT
AHEAD OF THE WARM FRONT IN CONJUNCTION WITH AMPLE MOISTURE.
MARGINAL INSTABILITY WILL BE PRESENT ON CHRISTMAS BUT BE MORE
ELEVATED NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY WHERE THE HEAVIEST RAIN WILL OCCUR.

THE UNSEASONABLY WARM PATTERN WILL CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND.
SATURDAY WILL BE MAINLY DRY AS THE WARM FRONT WILL BE WELL TO THE
NORTH. A STRONG UPPER LOW WILL APPROACH BY LATE SUNDAY INTO
MONDAY. MEANWHILE...A COLD FRONT WILL TRY TO ADVANCE SOUTHWARD
INTO THE NORTH PART OF THE FORECAST AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON. EXPECT
EITHER A COLD FRONT OR OCCLUDED FRONT FROM THE WEST TO MOVE
QUICKLY INTO THE AREA LATE SUNDAY OR MONDAY DEPENDING WHICH
MODEL SOLUTION IS CORRECT. A POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS BOUNDARY.

A MUCH COOLER AND DRIER AIRMASS WILL ADVECT INTO THE AREA TUESDAY
AND WEDNESDAY. EXPECT THE MORE SEASONABLY COOLER AIRMASS TO REMAIN
IN PLACE BEYOND WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.

SWC

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS

NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE...SPREADING OVER THE AREA IS
THE CONCERN FOR THIS FORECAST CYCLE. AS THE FRONT STALLS ACROSS NORTH
MISSISSIPPI LATER TONIGHT THE RISK FOR VICINITY THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE AT TUP.

 BELLES

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...NONE.
MO...NONE.
MS...NONE.
TN...NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 23, 7:04 AM CST, 9 hours 8 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
704 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-
MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-241515-
ALCORN-BENTON MS-BENTON TN-CALHOUN-CARROLL-CHESTER-CHICKASAW-CLAY-
COAHOMA-CRAIGHEAD-CRITTENDEN-CROCKETT-CROSS-DESOTO-DECATUR-
DUNKLIN-DYER-FAYETTE-GIBSON-GREENE-HARDEMAN-HARDIN-HAYWOOD-
HENDERSON-HENRY-ITAWAMBA-LAFAYETTE-LAKE-LAUDERDALE-LAWRENCE-
LEE AR-LEE MS-MADISON-MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION-
PANOLA-PEMISCOT-PHILLIPS-POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-
RANDOLPH-SHELBY-ST. FRANCIS-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON-
TISHOMINGO-TUNICA-UNION-WEAKLEY-YALOBUSHA-
704 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS...
THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF THE
MID SOUTH TODAY INTO TONIGHT. TORNADOES...SOME OF WHICH MAY
BECOME STRONG ALONG WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORMS THAT REACH SEVERE LIMITS. THE TIME OF
GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE BETWEEN 11 AM CST
AND 11 PM CST.

RESIDENTS OF THE MID SOUTH AND TRAVELERS COMING THROUGH THE AREA
FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY ARE STRONGLY URGED TO REMAIN WEATHER
AWARE THROUGH TONIGHT AND BE PREPARED TO QUICKLY TAKE APPROPRIATE
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS YOUR LOCATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

ADDITIONAL STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE POSSIBLE ACROSS
THE MID SOUTH ON CHRISTMAS DAY AND POSSIBLY AGAIN BETWEEN SUNDAY
NIGHT AND MONDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE MID SOUTH
ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE
WEATHER OPERATIONS.

CJC

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 23, 2:07 PM CST, 2 hours 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
207 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

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

0202 PM     HAIL             FAIR OAKS               35.23N 91.03W
12/23/2015  E1.75 INCH       CROSS              AR   PUBLIC

&&

JEB

Local storm report, Dec 23, 2:25 PM CST, 1 hour 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
225 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

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

0215 PM     TSTM WND GST     9 NE HAYTI              36.32N 89.63W
12/23/2015  E60 MPH          PEMISCOT           MO   PUBLIC

&&

JEB

Local storm report, Dec 23, 2:47 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
247 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

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

0243 PM     HAIL             LAKE CITY               35.82N 90.45W
12/23/2015  E1.75 INCH       CRAIGHEAD          AR   PUBLIC

&&

JEB

Local storm report, Dec 23, 3:09 PM CST, 1 hour 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
309 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

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

0309 PM     TORNADO          5 S CLARKSDALE          34.13N 90.58W
12/23/2015                   COAHOMA            MS   STORM CHASER

            FROM VIDEO

&&

JEB

Local storm report, Dec 23, 4:09 PM CST, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
409 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

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

0400 PM     HAIL             2 E DYERSBURG           36.04N 89.34W
12/23/2015  E1.00 INCH       DYER               TN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            QUARTER SIZED HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS ON EAST SIDE OF
            DYERSBURG.

&&

AJC

Local storm report, Dec 23, 4:10 PM CST, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
410 PM CST WED DEC 23 2015

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

0350 PM     HAIL             BARTLETT                35.22N 89.84W
12/23/2015  E0.50 INCH       SHELBY             TN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

JEB

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 23, 2:53 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Coahoma	36 min
Dec 23, 3:00 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Coahoma	23 min
Dec 23, 3:13 PM CST	Tornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threat	MEG	Coahoma, Quitman	47 min
Dec 23, 3:35 PM CST	Tornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threat	MEG	Panola	40 min
Dec 23, 3:41 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Coahoma, Quitman, Tallahatchie	49 min
Dec 23, 3:53 PM CST	Tornado Warning EmergencyTornado observedConsiderable damage threat	MEG	Lafayette, Marshall, Panola, Tate	52 min
Dec 23, 4:32 PM CST	Tornado Warning EmergencyTornado observedCatastrophic damage threat	MEG	Benton, Marshall, Tippah	43 min
Dec 23, 4:34 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Panola, Tallahatchie, Yalobusha	41 min
Dec 23, 4:45 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Lafayette, Marshall	45 min
Dec 23, 4:56 PM CST	Tornado Warning EmergencyTornado observedCatastrophic damage threat	MEG	Alcorn, Benton, Tippah	49 min
Dec 23, 4:59 PM CST	Tornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threat	MEG	Lafayette, Yalobusha	46 min
Dec 23, 5:19 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Benton, Tippah, Union	41 min
Dec 23, 5:20 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Quitman, Tallahatchie	40 min
Dec 23, 5:24 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Benton, Tippah, Union	51 min
Dec 23, 5:34 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Tippah, Union	41 min
Dec 23, 5:50 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Alcorn, Prentiss	40 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Mississippi, 2015 Every tornado warning in 2015 Tornadoes in 2015

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.