Alert archive / Arkansas / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 39, NWS Memphis, TN

August 27, 2020Lee County, St. Francis County, Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this tornado warning at Aug 27, 2020, 6:25 PM CDT for Lee County, St. Francis County, Arkansas. It was in force for 19 min. 3 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
Aug 27, 2020, 6:25 PM CDT (23:25 UTC)
Expired
Aug 27, 2020, 6:44 PM CDT
In force
19 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.0 in

Counties Lee County, AR, St. Francis County, AR

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 99 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:24 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
Aug 27, 6:32 PM CDTTORNADO5 Wsw Forrest City, ARTORNADO CROSSED HIGHWAY 70 APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FORREST CITY.
Aug 27, 6:45 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG6 W Colt, ARDOWNED TREES AND POWERLINES ALONG HIGHWAY 306 WEST OF COLT. TREE FELL ON PINE TREE BAPTIST CHURCH.
Aug 27, 6:48 PM CDTTSTM WND DMG10 W Colt, ARREPORT OF 2 TREES DOWN NEAR THE PINE TREE COMMUNITY.

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
Aug 27, 3:47 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 91 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2020-08-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 305 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, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2020-08-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 82 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
305 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-139 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1050 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
82 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
50 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

777 
WFUS54 KMEG 272325
TORMEG
ARC077-123-280000-
/O.NEW.KMEG.TO.W.0039.200827T2325Z-200828T0000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Memphis TN
625 PM CDT Thu Aug 27 2020

The National Weather Service in Memphis has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  North central Lee County in eastern Arkansas...
  Western St. Francis County in eastern Arkansas...

* Until 700 PM CDT.
    
* At 624 PM CDT, doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm
  producing a tornado was located near Haynes, or near Palestine,
  moving north at 30 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.

* Locations impacted include...
  Forrest City, Palestine, Caldwell, Colt, Haynes, Hawkins, Horton,
  Rosenbaum, Bonair, Slonikers Mill, New Castle, Four Forks, Dodsons
  Corner, Heustess and L'angville.

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 3515 9093 3515 9078 3489 9073 3485 9087
      3510 9105 3512 9104
TIME...MOT...LOC 2324Z 161DEG 26KT 3494 9082 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

SGW
2 follow-up statements
810 
WWUS54 KMEG 272338
SVSMEG

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
638 PM CDT Thu Aug 27 2020

ARC077-272347-
/O.CAN.KMEG.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-200828T0000Z/
Lee AR-
638 PM CDT Thu Aug 27 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL LEE COUNTY 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 CDT for eastern
Arkansas.

LAT...LON 3515 9093 3515 9078 3497 9076 3492 9092
      3510 9105 3512 9104
TIME...MOT...LOC 2337Z 161DEG 26KT 3503 9086 

$$

ARC123-280000-
/O.CON.KMEG.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-200828T0000Z/
St. Francis AR-
638 PM CDT Thu Aug 27 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT FOR WESTERN
ST. FRANCIS COUNTY...
    
At 637 PM CDT, doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm
producing a tornado was located near Caldwell, or near Forrest City,
moving north at 30 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.

Locations impacted include...
Forrest City, Palestine, Caldwell, Colt, Hawkins, Dodsons Corner,
Horton, Rosenbaum, Slonikers Mill, New Castle and L'angville.

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 3515 9093 3515 9078 3497 9076 3492 9092
      3510 9105 3512 9104
TIME...MOT...LOC 2337Z 161DEG 26KT 3503 9086 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

SGW
818 
WWUS54 KMEG 272344
SVSMEG

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
644 PM CDT Thu Aug 27 2020

ARC123-272354-
/O.CAN.KMEG.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-200828T0000Z/
St. Francis AR-
644 PM CDT Thu Aug 27 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR WESTERN ST. FRANCIS COUNTY IS CANCELLED...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for eastern
Arkansas.

LAT...LON 3515 9093 3515 9078 3497 9076 3492 9092
      3510 9105 3512 9104
TIME...MOT...LOC 2343Z 161DEG 26KT 3508 9088 

$$

SGW

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 27, 1:04 AM CDTFlash Flood WatchMEGClay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Lee and 4 more51 hr
Aug 27, 2:33 AM CDTWind AdvisoryMEGClay, Craighead, Crittenden, Cross, Greene, Lee and 4 more37 hr
Aug 27, 4:17 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGPhillips25 min
Aug 27, 5:20 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLee, Phillips25 min
Aug 27, 5:34 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLee, Phillips11 min
Aug 27, 5:38 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLee, Phillips37 min
Aug 27, 5:46 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLee, Phillips, St. Francis29 min
Aug 27, 6:17 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGLee, Phillips8 min
Aug 27, 6:23 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryMEGLee, Phillips, St. Francis3 hr
Aug 27, 6:46 PM CDTTornado WarningMEGCross, St. Francis17 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Arkansas, 2020Every tornado warning in 2020Tornadoes in 2020

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.