Alert archive / Mississippi / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2025

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 263, NWS Memphis, TN

May 17, 20258 counties in Mississippi

NWS Memphis, TN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 17, 2025, 1:16 AM CDT for 8 counties in Mississippi. It was in force for 44 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: May 17, 2025, 1:16 AM CDT (06:16 UTC)
Expired: May 17, 2025, 2:00 AM CDT
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Memphis, TN
Area: Storm-based polygon
Damage threat: Considerable
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 70.0 mph

Counties Calhoun County, MS, Chickasaw County, MS, Lafayette County, MS, Lee County, MS, Pontotoc County, MS, Prentiss County, MS, Union County, MS, Yalobusha County, MS

The radar

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 79 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:20 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
May 16, 6:51 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), launched 00:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 103 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: 2679 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 980 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 63 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 235 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 222 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 3.7
Supercell composite: 19.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 May 17, 12:41 AM CDT, 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 12:41 AM CDT, 35 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, May 16, 10:47 PM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1047 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025

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

0758 PM     Hail             Campbell                36.49N 90.07W
05/16/2025  M1.25 Inch       Dunklin            MO   911 Call Center

            Report of half dollar size hail in Campbell.

&&

Special weather statement, May 16, 11:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1100 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025

TNZ003-004-021-170430-
Carroll TN-Weakley TN-Henry TN-
1100 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN WEAKLEY...NORTHERN
CARROLL AND WESTERN HENRY COUNTIES THROUGH 1130 PM CDT...

At 1100 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles southwest of Gleason, or 9 miles west of McKenzie, moving east
at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Sandhill, Mansfield, Cottage Grove, Como, Staffords Store, Sunnyside,
Whitlock, Porter Court, McKenzie, Conyersville, Routon, Ephesus,
Henry, Wingo, Ore Springs, Jarrell, New Zion, Foundry Hill, Kimery,
and Vale.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 200 AM CDT for west
Tennessee.

&&

LAT...LON 3648 8830 3638 8818 3610 8821 3601 8860
      3618 8887
TIME...MOT...LOC 0400Z 251DEG 28KT 3612 8867

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

MJ

Local storm report, May 16, 11:11 PM CDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1111 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025

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

1108 PM     Hail             Mckenzie                36.14N 88.51W
05/16/2025  E0.75 Inch       Carroll            TN   Public

            Report of penny size hail in McKenzie.

&&

CMA

Special weather statement, May 16, 11:18 PM CDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1118 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025

TNZ004-022-170445-
Benton TN-Henry TN-
1118 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT CENTRAL BENTON AND SOUTHEASTERN
HENRY COUNTIES THROUGH 1145 PM CDT...

At 1118 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles northwest of Camden, moving east at 55 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Camden, Haigler Ridge, Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park,
Springville, Manleyville, Big Sandy, and Old Springville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 200 AM CDT for west
Tennessee.

&&

LAT...LON 3613 8792 3604 8800 3601 8820 3629 8819
      3636 8798 3629 8795 3622 8795 3616 8792
TIME...MOT...LOC 0418Z 251DEG 49KT 3615 8809

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

MJ

Local storm report, May 16, 11:32 PM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1132 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025

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

1112 PM     Hail             Mckenzie                36.14N 88.51W
05/16/2025  E1.00 Inch       Carroll            TN   Public

            Report of quarter size hail in McKenzie.

&&

CMA

Local storm report, May 16, 11:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 17 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
1159 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025

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

1051 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     4 SE Greenfield         36.11N 88.74W
05/16/2025                   Weakley            TN   Public

            Report of trees down along Shades Bridge
            Road.

&&

CMA

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 16, 8:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Lake, Obion, Weakley	43 min
May 16, 9:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	MEG	Henry, Weakley	40 min
May 16, 9:17 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MEG	Lake, Obion	28 min
May 16, 9:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Henry, Obion, Weakley	38 min
May 16, 9:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	MEG	Benton, Henry	41 min
May 16, 10:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Dyer, Gibson, Henry, Lake, Obion, Weakley	45 min
May 16, 10:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Benton, Henry	32 min
May 16, 11:00 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MEG	Henry	30 min
May 16, 11:18 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MEG	Benton	27 min
May 16, 11:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Carroll, Crockett, Dyer, Gibson, Weakley	55 min
May 17, 12:09 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	MEG	Carroll, Gibson, Henry, Weakley	2 hr
May 16, 10:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Coahoma, Tunica	63 min
May 16, 11:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Coahoma, Panola, Quitman, Tate, Tunica	66 min
May 16, 11:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Coahoma, Quitman, Tallahatchie	63 min
May 17, 12:45 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Calhoun, Lafayette, Panola, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Yalobusha	45 min
May 17, 1:52 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	MEG	Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc, Union	53 min
May 17, 2:12 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Tallahatchie, Yalobusha	48 min
May 17, 2:48 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Calhoun, Chickasaw, Yalobusha	42 min
May 17, 3:00 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	MEG	Monroe	15 min
May 16, 7:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MEG	Clay, Greene	36 min
May 16, 7:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Clay	33 min
May 16, 7:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Clay, Greene	45 min
May 16, 7:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MEG	Clay	47 min
May 16, 8:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	MEG	Clay, Greene	50 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Mississippi, 2025 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2025

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.