Alert archive / Arkansas / Special Weather Statements in 2021

Special Weather Statement, NWS Memphis, TN

February 28, 2021Cross County, Arkansas

NWS Memphis, TN issued this special weather statement at Feb 28, 2021, 4:46 PM CST for Cross County, Arkansas. It was in force for 29 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
Feb 28, 2021, 4:46 PM CST (22:46 UTC)
Expired
Feb 28, 2021, 5:15 PM CST
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Memphis, TN

County Cross County, AR

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:48 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 nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 94 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 2021-02-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 448 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2021-02-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 396 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
448 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
525 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
65 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
396 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
396 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

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What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement 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 special weather statement went out at Feb 28, 2:24 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 28, 2:24 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Memphis TN
224 PM CST Sun Feb 28 2021

.DISCUSSION...
Flooding and severe storm potential remain the primary concerns
through late evening. Damaging wing gusts, a few tornadoes and flash
flooding are all possible.

This afternoons surface analysis showed lower/mid 60s dewpoints
extending into western KY and southeast MO. Dewpoints over northeast
AR were a few degrees cooler, but should warm with the surface warm
front north of the area. At the surface, a cold front extends from a
central WI surface low southeastward into MO/OK and west TX.
The front will be the main focus for severe weather this afternoon.
Storms should follow the front as it moves through the area.

With broken clouds, areas continue to support 1500+ j/kg MLCAPE
this afternoon. Effective bulk shear values of 50+ kts and
helicity values around 300 will support organized storm
structures. With that being said, deep layer shear is nearly
parallel to the front which will favor a more linear storm mode.
Within this line expect training storms that will cause flash
flooding, especially to our northern areas that have already
received 3 inches. Other threats will be gusty winds and
tornadoes. Hail doesn't seem as big of a threat but there's still
a possibility. Short term model guidance suggests precipitable
water values in excess of 1.8 inches will prevail in advance of
the cold front exceeding the 99th percentile of late February
precipitable water climatology. As far as timing, the line should
move through around 3 PM and continue to push south and finally
move out of the area by Tuesday.

By Tuesday we should see some additional, lighter rain as a closed
show passes through the Mid-South. We should have a slight dry
period Wednesday into the weekend. By the weekend a low pressure
system will dart across the desert southwest and push more showers
into the area by Sunday. As far as temperatures, models have our
area cooler than the previous runs, but dry.

SGW

&&

.AVIATION...

A few showers and storms are ongoing across the forecast area.
Current forecast is on track with the best chances for convection
will occurring ahead and along the cold front that should impact
most the area after 21Z. Lingering light rain will continue for a
couple of hours behind the front. IFR conditions will likely
occur with the convection, but conditions will improve quickly
behind the front. Gusty southwest winds will occur through frontal
passage. Thereafter, winds will remain gusty as direction
switches to the NW and eventually to the north.

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...Flood Watch through late tonight for Crittenden-Cross-Lee AR-
     Phillips-St. Francis.

     Flood Watch until midnight CST tonight for Clay-Craighead-Greene-
     Mississippi-Poinsett.

MO...Flood Watch until midnight CST tonight for Dunklin-Pemiscot.

MS...Flood Watch through late tonight for Alcorn-Benton MS-Calhoun-
     Chickasaw-Coahoma-DeSoto-Itawamba-Lafayette-Lee MS-Marshall-
     Monroe-Panola-Pontotoc-Prentiss-Quitman-Tallahatchie-Tate-
     Tippah-Tishomingo-Tunica-Union-Yalobusha.

TN...Flood Watch through late tonight for Benton TN-Carroll-Chester-
     Decatur-Fayette-Hardeman-Hardin-Haywood-Henderson-Madison-
     McNairy-Shelby-Tipton.

     Flood Watch until midnight CST tonight for Crockett-Dyer-Gibson-
     Henry-Lake-Lauderdale-Obion-Weakley.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 28, 2:26 PM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Memphis TN
226 PM CST Sun Feb 28 2021

ARZ009-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-MSZ001>017-
020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-012230-
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-Lee AR-Lee MS-
Madison-Marshall-McNairy-Mississippi-Monroe-Obion-Panola-Pemiscot-
Phillips-Poinsett-Pontotoc-Prentiss-Quitman-Shelby-St. Francis-
Tallahatchie-Tate-Tippah-Tipton-Tishomingo-Tunica-Union-Weakley-
Yalobusha-
226 PM CST Sun Feb 28 2021

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of East Arkansas...
the Missouri Bootheel...North Mississippi...and West Tennessee.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight

A Tornado Watch has been issued for most of the Mid-South. See
website for more details.

Locally heavy rainfall from showers and thunderstorms will continue
to bring a risk of flooding through late tonight. There is a
Slight to Moderate Risk of Excessive Rainfall for portions of the
Midsouth through tonight.

There is a Slight Risk for severe thunderstorms for the entire
Midsouth through tonight. The primary severe risks will be
damaging winds. A few short-lived tornadoes will also be possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be necessary through late this evening.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 28, 4:43 PM CST, 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
443 PM CST SUN FEB 28 2021

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

0441 PM     FLASH FLOOD      UNION CITY              36.42N  89.05W
02/28/2021                   OBION              TN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            4.25 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE MIDNIGHT. COUNTY WIDE
            FLOODING PROBLEMS. SOME BUSINESS FLOODED.

&&
Special weather statement, Feb 28, 4:46 PM CST, 0 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
446 PM CST Sun Feb 28 2021

ARZ027-035-036-048-282315-
Poinsett AR-St. Francis AR-Cross AR-Crittenden AR-
446 PM CST Sun Feb 28 2021

...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 515 PM CST
FOR...

Southeastern Poinsett County in eastern Arkansas...
Northwestern St. Francis County in eastern Arkansas...
Cross County in eastern Arkansas...
Northwestern Crittenden County in eastern Arkansas...

At 445 PM CST...strong thunderstorms producing pea size hail or
larger and winds at least 40 mph was located along a line extending
from near Hickory Ridge to 6 miles northeast of Fair Oaks to near
Hunter. Movement was east at 40 mph.

Very heavy rain along with continuous cloud to ground lightning are
also possible with this thunderstorm.

People in southeastern Poinsett...northwestern St. Francis...Cross
and northwestern Crittenden Counties should monitor this storm
closely.

LAT...LON 3526 9104 3529 9102 3547 9095 3562 9031
      3537 9041 3506 9064 3505 9105
TIME...MOT...LOC 2245Z 260DEG 37KT 3541 9092 3530 9096 3511 9110

MGW

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 27, 9:03 PM CSTDense Fog AdvisoryMEGAlcorn, Benton, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Coahoma, DeSoto and 16 more7 hr
Feb 27, 6:37 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementMEGDecatur23 min
Feb 28, 11:47 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningMEGObion, Weakley65 hr
Feb 28, 11:49 AM CSTRiver Flood WarningMEGDyer, Gibson, Obion7 days
Feb 28, 11:50 AM CSTRiver Flood AdvisoryMEGDecatur, Perry5 days
Feb 28, 3:15 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGDyer, Lake33 min
Feb 28, 3:37 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningMEGLake, Obion2 hr
Feb 28, 4:37 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningMEGDyer, Lake, Obion, Weakley5 hr
Feb 28, 4:44 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningMEGLake, Obion5 hr
Feb 28, 5:16 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningMEGLauderdale3 hr
Feb 28, 5:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGLauderdale, Shelby, Tipton41 min
Feb 28, 4:56 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEGCrittenden, Cross, Poinsett49 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Arkansas, 2021Every special weather statement in 2021

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.