Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2016

Tornado Warning 23, NWS Memphis, TN

December 17, 2016Craighead County, Mississippi County, Poinsett County, Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Dec 17, 2016, 5:19 PM CST for Craighead County, Mississippi County, Poinsett County, Arkansas. It was in force for 26 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, 5:19 PM CST (23:19 UTC)
Expired: Dec 17, 2016, 5:45 PM CST
In force: 26 min
Issued by: NWS Memphis, TN
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

Counties Craighead County, AR, Mississippi County, AR, Poinsett County, AR

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 55 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:20 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.

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 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 100 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: 200 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -240 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 834 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 320 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 327 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

583 
WFUS54 KMEG 172319
TORMEG
ARC031-093-111-172345-
/O.NEW.KMEG.TO.W.0023.161217T2319Z-161217T2345Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Memphis TN
519 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016

The National Weather Service in Memphis has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Craighead County in eastern Arkansas...
  West central Mississippi County in eastern Arkansas...
  Northeastern Poinsett County in eastern Arkansas...

* Until 545 PM CST
    
* At 519 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm producing a tornado was
  located near Lepanto, moving east at 45 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado. 

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. 

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely. 

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Dyess around 530 PM CST. 
  Osceola, Keiser and Marie around 545 PM CST. 

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Rivervale, Sandy, Milligan Ridge, Victoria, Mandalay, Etowah,
Cassidy, West Ridge, Degelow and Shippen.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a storm shelter or an interior room on the
lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are
outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest
substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3557 9051 3575 9049 3586 9004 3561 9006
TIME...MOT...LOC 2319Z 271DEG 38KT 3567 9039 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

2 follow-up statements

017 
WWUS54 KMEG 172332
SVSMEG

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
532 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016

ARC031-111-172341-
/O.CAN.KMEG.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-161217T2345Z/
Craighead AR-Poinsett AR-
532 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN CRAIGHEAD AND NORTHEASTERN
POINSETT COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...
    
The tornadic thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out
of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A tornado watch remains in effect until 900 PM CST for eastern
Arkansas.

LAT...LON 3586 9004 3573 9005 3569 9029 3579 9029
      3580 9028
TIME...MOT...LOC 2331Z 271DEG 38KT 3567 9022 

$$

ARC093-172345-
/O.CON.KMEG.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-161217T2345Z/
Mississippi AR-
532 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM CST FOR WEST
CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI COUNTY...
        
At 531 PM CST, a severe thunderstorm producing a tornado was located
near Dyess, or 7 miles west of Keiser, moving east at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado. 

SOURCE...Weather spotters reported a funnel cloud. 

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely. 

This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
west central Mississippi County, including the following locations:
Three Way, Little River, Victoria, Milligan Ridge, Mandalay, Etowah,
Whistleville, Lowden, Eastview and Lennie.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a storm shelter or an interior room on the
lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are
outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest
substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3586 9004 3573 9005 3569 9029 3579 9029
      3580 9028
TIME...MOT...LOC 2331Z 271DEG 38KT 3567 9022 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

742 
WWUS54 KMEG 172338
SVSMEG

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
538 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016

ARC093-172348-
/O.EXP.KMEG.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-161217T2345Z/
Mississippi AR-
538 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2016

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI COUNTY WILL
EXPIRE AT 545 PM CST...
    
The tornado threat has diminished and the Tornado Warning has been
cancelled. However, large hail and damaging winds remain likely and a
Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect for the area.

A tornado watch remains in effect until 900 PM CST for eastern
Arkansas.

LAT...LON 3586 9004 3573 9005 3569 9029 3579 9029
      3580 9028
TIME...MOT...LOC 2338Z 271DEG 38KT 3567 9015 

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 17, 12:16 PM CST	Winter Weather Advisory	MEG	Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Lawrence and 4 more	18 hr
Dec 17, 2:21 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Clay	39 min
Dec 17, 2:30 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	MEG	Greene	30 min
Dec 17, 2:43 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Clay, Greene	32 min
Dec 17, 3:45 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	MEG	Greene	30 min
Dec 17, 4:05 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	MEG	Greene	40 min
Dec 17, 4:27 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Clay, Greene	48 min
Dec 17, 4:34 PM CST	Tornado Warning	MEG	Clay, Greene	26 min
Dec 17, 4:38 PM CST	Flash Flood Warning	MEG	Greene	3 hr
Dec 17, 4:39 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Craighead, Poinsett	51 min
Dec 17, 5:06 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Craighead, Mississippi, Poinsett	24 min
Dec 17, 5:27 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Craighead, Mississippi, Poinsett	48 min
Dec 17, 5:51 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Mississippi	39 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 2016 Every tornado warning in 2016 Tornadoes 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.