Alert archive / Arkansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2016
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 203, NWS Memphis, TN
NWS Memphis, TN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Dec 17, 2016, 6:56 PM CST for Crittenden County, Cross County, St. Francis County, Arkansas. It was in force for 15 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 17, 2016, 6:56 PM CST (00:56 UTC)
- Expired
- Dec 17, 2016, 7:11 PM CST
- In force
- 15 min
- Issued by
- NWS Memphis, TN
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 0.75 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Crittenden County, AR, Cross County, AR, St. Francis County, AR
The radar
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 78 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:57 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 severe thunderstorm 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 17, 1:42 PM CST | Tornado Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Little Rock, AR (KBYH), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 73 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 43 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -194 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 608 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 83 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 395 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 525 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 3.0
The text
As transmitted.
720 WUUS54 KMEG 180056 SVRMEG ARC035-037-123-180130- /O.NEW.KMEG.SV.W.0203.161218T0056Z-161218T0130Z/ BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Severe Thunderstorm Warning National Weather Service Memphis TN 656 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016 The National Weather Service in Memphis has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Southeastern Cross County in eastern Arkansas... Northwestern Crittenden County in eastern Arkansas... Northeastern St. Francis County in eastern Arkansas... * Until 730 PM CST * At 656 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm was located over Caldwell, or near Forrest City, moving northeast at 50 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Forrest City, Earle, Parkin, Madison, Palestine, Village Creek State Park, Caldwell, Crawfordsville, Edmondson, Colt, Widener, Anthonyville, Jennette, New Home, Jonquil, Dodsons Corner, Browns, Cottonwood Corner, Lansing and Round Pond. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. && A tornado watch remains in effect until 900 PM CST for eastern Arkansas. LAT...LON 3497 9097 3517 9085 3537 9031 3504 9031 TIME...MOT...LOC 0056Z 242DEG 44KT 3509 9081 HAIL...<.75IN WIND...60MPH $$
1 follow-up statement
818
WWUS54 KMEG 180111
SVSMEG
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
711 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016
ARC035-037-123-180120-
/O.CAN.KMEG.SV.W.0203.000000T0000Z-161218T0130Z/
Cross AR-Crittenden AR-St. Francis AR-
711 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016
...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN CROSS...
NORTHWESTERN CRITTENDEN AND NORTHEASTERN ST. FRANCIS COUNTIES IS
CANCELLED...
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer pose an immediate threat to life or property.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. However gusty winds are
still possible with this thunderstorm.
A tornado watch remains in effect until 900 PM CST for eastern
Arkansas.
LAT...LON 3497 9097 3517 9085 3537 9031 3504 9031
TIME...MOT...LOC 0110Z 242DEG 44KT 3518 9061
$$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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Dec 17, 2:51 PM CST, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 17, 2:51 PM CST, 4 hours 5 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Memphis TN
251 PM CST Sat Dec 17 2016
.DISCUSSION...
Active weather over the 18 hours across the Midsouth, with severe
storms this afternoon and evening followed by possible light
freezing precipitation late tonight.
Midafternoon temperatures were running around 25 degrees above
normal as a tropical maritime airmass prevailed over the Midsouth.
100mb mixed-layer CAPE was nearing 1500 J/KG. This instability
should be increasingly tapped by storms as the elevated mixed
layer erodes with midlevel height falls through early evening.
Assuming storms become rooted in the near boundary layer, sufficient
vertical shear will exist to support rotating updrafts and a
tornado threat into middle evening. Severe weather threat will
fall to zero behind the Arctic front as is slowly drops to near
the I-40 corridor by 9 PM CST. This will be the strongest Arctic
cold frontal passage of the season thus far.
Regarding overnight winter weather potential, little has changed
from earlier forecast. 12Z NAM/GFS and later HRRR/RUC models show
rainfall ending around the time surface temps fall below freezing.
A Winter Weather Advisory was issued earlier for locations where
there is most likely to be subfreezing temps overlapping with
light rain. Precip should exit areas east of the Natchez Trace
Parkway near or shortly after sunrise Sunday.
The center of the 1041mb Arctic surface pressure ridge will lift
from the Kansas City area midafternoon Sunday, eastward along the
I-70 corridor. Sufficient low level pressure gradient will remain
across the Midsouth to keep surface winds up in the mixed shallow
Arctic layer. A Wind Chill Advisory for early Monday will likely
be issued on Sunday for areas along and north of I-40.
After clear calm and cold Tuesday morning, temps should gradually
moderate as the Arctic pressure ridge center lifts to the mid-
Atlantic coast. Weak low level southerly flow will return modified
maritime air on Wednesday, ahead of a fast moving midlevel shortwave.
Rainfall chances will remain limited over the Midsouth, better
focused to the south and east toward the coast in the vicinity of
richer low level moisture.
12Z GFS and ECMWF models dig a deeper trof over the southern
plains late in the week, but with significant timing differences
developing by Christmas day. The ECMWF is the more progressive of
the two and more in line with previous model consensus. In any
case, milder temps and a return of rain chances appear on order
late in the week.
PWB
&&
.AVIATION...
18Z TAF cycle
Winds, ceilings, weather all a problem this cycle. Strong and gusty
southerly winds to continue this afternoon. Winds will veer to
northwesterly and blustery early this evening. Rain and
thunderstorms could come in this afternoon and last into the
evening. Then freezing drizzle possible at Jonesboro and Memphis.
Ceilings to drop below 1000 feet after frontal passage.
WER
&&
.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...Winter Weather Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 6 AM CST
Sunday for Clay-Craighead-Crittenden-Greene-Lawrence-
Mississippi-Poinsett-Randolph.
MO...Winter Weather Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 6 AM CST
Sunday for Dunklin-Pemiscot.
MS...Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to 6 AM CST Sunday
for Alcorn-Benton MS-DeSoto-Marshall-Prentiss-Tippah-
Tishomingo.
TN...Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to 6 AM CST Sunday
for Benton TN-Carroll-Chester-Crockett-Decatur-Dyer-Fayette-
Gibson-Hardeman-Hardin-Haywood-Henderson-Henry-Lake-
Lauderdale-Madison-McNairy-Obion-Shelby-Tipton-Weakley.
&&Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 17, 3:10 PM CST, 3 hours 46 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 310 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-182315- 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- 310 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER EAST ARKANSAS...MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...ALL OF WEST TENNESSEE...AND NORTH MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS. ONE OR TWO TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL GRADUALLY MOVE FROM NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL AND NORTHWEST TENNESSEE THIS AFTERNOON...TO THE MEMPHIS METRO BY EARLY TO MID EVENING... AND NORTH MISSISSIPPI LATE THIS EVENING. SIGNIFICANTLY COLDER AIR WILL ARRIVE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT... BEHIND AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL END AS THIS FRONT PASSES. POST FRONTAL RAINS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH... BUT POSSIBLY NOT BEFORE SUBFREEZING TEMPERATURES ARRIVE. THIS MAY LEAD TO A BRIEF PERIOD OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET BEFORE PRECIPITATION ENDS COMPLETELY. WATER PUDDLES THAT FORMED FROM RAINFALL EARLIER IN THE EVENING WILL LIKELY FREEZE OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SUBFREEZING WIND CHILLS WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY MONDAY MORNING ALONG AND NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 40 CORRIDOR...INCLUDING THE MEMPHIS METRO AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THROUGH THIS EVENING. PWB
In the hours before
Local storm report, Dec 17, 6:07 PM CST, 49 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
607 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0430 PM TSTM WND DMG KENNETT 36.24N 90.05W
12/17/2016 DUNKLIN MO PUBLIC
TREE DAMAGE REPORTED NEAR KENNETT. POSSIBLE TORNADO
DAMAGE.
&&
WLCLocal storm report, Dec 17, 6:09 PM CST, 47 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
609 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0530 PM TSTM WND DMG CARUTHERSVILLE 36.18N 89.67W
12/17/2016 PEMISCOT MO PUBLIC
18 WHEELER OVERTURNED.
&&
WLCLocal storm report, Dec 17, 6:17 PM CST, 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
617 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0417 PM TORNADO 3 E WHITEVILLE 35.33N 89.09W
12/17/2016 HARDEMAN TN TRAINED SPOTTER
BRIEF TOUCHDOWN REPORTED WITH NO DAMAGE.
&&
WLCLocal storm report, Dec 17, 6:20 PM CST, 36 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
620 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0514 PM FUNNEL CLOUD TRUMANN 35.67N 90.52W
12/17/2016 POINSETT AR TRAINED SPOTTER
POTENTIAL FUNNEL CLOUD REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER.
&&
WLCSpecial weather statement, Dec 17, 6:25 PM CST, 31 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
625 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016
ARZ035-036-048-049-180115-
St. Francis AR-Crittenden AR-Cross AR-Lee AR-
625 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN Memphis HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY Until 715 PM CST FOR...
St. Francis County in eastern Arkansas...
Western Crittenden County in eastern Arkansas...
Southeastern Cross County in eastern Arkansas...
Northwestern Lee County in eastern Arkansas...
At 625 PM CST...a strong thunderstorm producing Pea size hail or
larger and winds at least 40 mph was located over Wheatley, or near
Brinkley.
Very heavy rain along with continuous cloud to ground lightning are
also possible with this thunderstorm.
People in St. Francis...western Crittenden...southeastern Cross and
northwestern Lee Counties should monitor this storm closely.
LAT...LON 3500 9113 3500 9105 3513 9104 3531 9040
3493 9040 3475 9110 3487 9110 3487 9112
3491 9112 3492 9115
TIME...MOT...LOC 0025Z 238DEG 63KT 3494 9113Special weather statement, Dec 17, 6:29 PM CST, 27 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
629 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016
TNZ002>004-019>021-048-051-180130-
Carroll TN-Weakley TN-Lauderdale TN-Dyer TN-Gibson TN-Henry TN-
Crockett TN-Obion TN-
629 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN Memphis HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY Until 730 PM CST FOR...
Northwestern Carroll County in western Tennessee...
Weakley County in western Tennessee...
Northeastern Lauderdale County in western Tennessee...
Eastern Dyer County in western Tennessee...
Gibson County in western Tennessee...
Western Henry County in western Tennessee...
Crockett County in western Tennessee...
Eastern Obion County in western Tennessee...
At 629 PM CST...a strong thunderstorm producing Winds at least 40 mph
was located over Unionville, or near Dyersburg.
People in northwestern Carroll...Weakley...northeastern
Lauderdale... eastern Dyer...Gibson...western Henry...Crockett and
eastern Obion Counties should monitor this storm closely.
LAT...LON 3650 8822 3579 8871 3579 8933 3582 8936
3582 8940 3579 8942 3579 8959 3650 8902
TIME...MOT...LOC 0029Z 242DEG 76KT 3597 8940The office that day
Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 17, 6:08 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Mississippi | 52 min |
| Dec 17, 6:25 PM CST | Special Weather Statement | MEG | St. Francis | 50 min |
| Dec 17, 6:35 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Cross, St. Francis | 25 min |
| Dec 17, 7:12 PM CST | Special Weather Statement | MEG | Crittenden | 48 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arkansas, 2016Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2016
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.