Alert archive / Tennessee / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 73, NWS Memphis, TN
NWS Memphis, TN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 16, 2026, 7:49 PM CDT for Lake County, Tennessee; Clay County, Arkansas. It was in force for 41 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
- Apr 16, 2026, 7:49 PM CDT (00:49 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 16, 2026, 8:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 41 min
- Issued by
- NWS Memphis, TN
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Clay County, AR, Lake County, TN
The radar
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 2:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 302 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
- 471 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -3 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1842 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 46 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 11 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 27 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.4
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 Apr 16, 6:23 PM CDT, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Issued at 622 PM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026
- A Marginal and Slight Risk (level 1/5 and 2/5, respectively) for severe storms is in place until mid-evening. Hail and damaging winds are the primary concerns.
- Well above-normal temperatures will continue through Saturday. Friday will be the warmest with highs near 90 degrees.
- Cool and dry air will filter into the Mid-South on Sunday. Fire weather concerns will emerge at this time and persist into Monday.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 16, 6:23 PM CDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Memphis TN 623 PM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... Issued at 622 PM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026 - A Marginal and Slight Risk (level 1/5 and 2/5, respectively) for severe storms is in place until mid-evening. Hail and damaging winds are the primary concerns. - Well above-normal temperatures will continue through Saturday. Friday will be the warmest with highs near 90 degrees. - Cool and dry air will filter into the Mid-South on Sunday. Fire weather concerns will emerge at this time and persist into Monday. && .DISCUSSION... (This evening through next Wednesday) Issued at 1244 PM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026 As of 1230 PM, dissipating showers continue to move across the Tennessee River. Behind this activity, clearing skies are evident on satellite with a developing cu field over southern MO. Efficient daytime heating and surface dewpoints in the low 60s will favor elevated instability this afternoon. The latest HREF places greater than 1200 J/kg of SBCAPE along and west of the MS River. This, combined with elevated surface and midlevel lapse rates, will translate to an environment conducive to rapid convective development. Hail and damaging winds will be the primary concerns with any storms that develop this afternoon and evening. Given the strongly buoyant environment, hail stones may reach 2" in diameter. The Storm Prediction Center has maintained a 2% tornado outlook for this afternoon. However, forecast soundings depict sub-optimal SRH and shear, thus rendering the tornado threat near zero. Outside of the severe weather threat, beneficial rainfall will accompany storms. Depending on where storms set up, rainfall totals will vary widely. Areas impacted directly by storms may see 1 - 2 inches of rain fall through this evening. Elsewhere, only a half inch of rain is anticipated. While this will not be a drought-buster, it will help alleviate a bit of the recent dry spell. Temperatures on Friday will soar into the upper 80s as a strong ridge builds into the Mid-South. There is potential for several climate sites to reach 90 degrees tomorrow. Should this occur, it will beat the average first 90 degree day of the year by about a month. Luckily, cooler temperatures are on the horizon as an upper level trough and attendant cold front impact the region on Saturday. Rain chances will increase Saturday morning as decaying convection moves into the Mid-South. Environmental destabilization will be limited by cloud cover through the afternoon. A few strong to severe storms cannot be ruled out in the afternoon, but the severe weather window will be brief as most guidance depicts the front overtaking convection rather quickly. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5" are anticipated with this system. Much cooler and drier air will filter into the Mid-South on Sunday behind the aforementioned front. Elevated fire weather danger will exist through Monday as relative humidity falls below 30 percent and dead fuel moisture reaches 10 percent. Surface winds will remain less than 15 mph, negating the need for a Red Flag Warning. Outside of fire weather concerns, Sunday and Monday will feature near-normal temperatures with highs in the 60s and 70s. Long range guidance keeps the Mid-South in northwest flow through midweek before upper level ridging returns in the Wednesday / Thursday timeframe. A few showers may occur at this time, but there remains no major signal for appreciable rainfall through the middle of next week. ANS && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 622 PM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026 VFR conditions are expected to prevail through the period. There is a small window for showers and thunderstorms at MKL if upstream convection begins to develop along outflow boundaries nearby. Otherwise, no showers and thunderstorms are expected at TAF sites through the remainder of the period as upper-level ridging strengthens for Friday. South winds will become light tonight but increase again on Friday with mixing with a few occasional higher gusts, especially at MEM and JBR. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 1244 PM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026 Fire weather concerns return on Sunday as MinRH values drop below 30% and dead fuel moisture reaches 10%. This may necessitate a Rangeland Fire Danger Statement through Monday. Increasing humidity will be in place Tuesday, returning fire weather concerns to minimal through the end of the period. && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. MO...None. MS...None. TN...None. && PUBLIC FORECAST...ANS AVIATION...CJC
In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 16, 6:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Memphis TN
640 PM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0631 PM Hail 1 SW Piggott 36.37N 90.21W
04/16/2026 E1.00 Inch Clay AR Broadcast Media
Report of quarter size hail in SW Piggott.
&&
CMASpecial weather statement, Apr 16, 6:46 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
646 PM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026
TNZ021-022-170000-
Carroll TN-Benton TN-
646 PM CDT Thu Apr 16 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT BENTON AND NORTHEASTERN CARROLL
COUNTIES THROUGH 700 PM CDT...
At 646 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Camden, moving southeast at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and half inch 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, New Johnsonville, Bruceton, Vale, Hollow Rock, Big Sandy,
I-40 Near The Tennessee River, and Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park.
This includes Interstate 40 in Tennessee between mile markers 128 and
134.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3613 8792 3605 8799 3600 8800 3597 8802
3594 8800 3594 8793 3587 8794 3582 8797
3581 8799 3605 8837 3615 8823 3614 8821
3612 8821 3615 8818 3621 8814 3630 8801
3625 8795 3622 8795 3616 8792
TIME...MOT...LOC 2346Z 311DEG 29KT 3608 8801
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
AEHLocal storm report, Apr 16, 7:07 PM CDT, 42 minutes before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Memphis, TN issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 7:20 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MEG | Dyer | 25 min |
| Apr 16, 7:23 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MEG | Lake | 37 min |
| Apr 16, 7:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Dyer, Lake, Obion | 49 min |
| Apr 16, 7:28 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MEG | Carroll | 32 min |
| Apr 16, 8:10 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MEG | Henry | 35 min |
| Apr 16, 8:36 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | MEG | Madison | 24 min |
| Apr 16, 8:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Carroll, Gibson, Henderson, Madison | 25 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Tennessee, 2026Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Arkansas, 2026Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026
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.