Hail and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, May 4, 2003

Name: Hail and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, May 4, 2003
Start: 2003-05-04T18:00
End: 2003-05-04T18:00
Location: Arkansas

May 4, 2003 · NWS TSA · 2 events in 1 county or zone

1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 4, 5:19 PM CST, 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 4, 5:19 PM CST, 41 minutes before

MESOSCALE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OKLAHOMA
618 PM AM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

DRY LINE AT 6 PM EXTENDED FROM NOWATA COUNTY TO THE TULSA METRO AREA
TO NEAR OKEMAH TO JUST WEST OF ARDMORE. NORTHERN PORTION OF DRY LINE
ALONG THE KANSAS BORDER IS EXPECTED TO MAKE SOME EWD
PROGRESS...WHILE SRN END OF DRY LINE OVER EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTH
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA WILL REMAIN QUASI-STATIONARY FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS.

TORNADIC SUPERCELL OVER OTTAWA COUNTY WILL MOVE INTO FAR
SOUTHWESTERN MISSOURI BY 630 PM.

POTENTIALLY TORNADIC SUPERCELL APPROACHING THE WRN LE FLORE COUNTY
LINE IS EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN STRENGTH AS IT MOVES INTO LOWER 70S
DEWPOINT AIR AND SURFACE BASED CAPES AROUND 3000 K/KG.

CONVECTIVE REDEVELOPMENT FARTHER WEST ALONG THE DRY LINE IS POSSIBLE
FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

FORECAST ID = 18

.TSA...
AR...NONE.
OK...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, May 4, 12:00 PM CST, 6 hours before

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-051200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
100 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT
THIS AFTERNOON FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
ARKANSAS. A STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET WILL SHIFT EAST INTO THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS TODAY. AS A RESULT...SURFACE LOW PRESSURE HAS DEVELOPED OVER
NORTHWEST KANSAS AS THE MORNING PROGRESSED.  A WARM FRONT EXTENDING
EASTWARD FROM THE SYSTEM HAS LIFTED TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA...WHILE
A DRYLINE EXTENDS TO THE SOUTH ACROSS WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN
TEXAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE DRYLINE WILL MOVE EASTWARD TODAY
INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA BY THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
TO DEVELOP ALONG/JUST AHEAD OF THE DRYLINE BY MID TO LATE
AFTERNOON...AND WILL QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE. STORMS WILL MOVE
EASTWARD INTO NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS BY THE EARLY
EVENING HOURS. WIND FIELDS AT THE SURFACE AND ABOVE THE GROUND ARE
FAVORABLE FOR STORMS TO ROTATE AND WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
TORNADOES AND VERY LARGE HAIL. THE SEVERE THREAT WILL BEGIN TO
DIMINISH LATER THIS EVENING AS THE SURFACE DRYLINE AND STORMS SHIFT
EAST OF THE REGION. THIS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...PLEASE
SEE THE LATEST /OKCPNSTUL/ TO REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY
RULES.

WARNING PROBABILITIES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES CAN BE
FOUND IN THE OUTLOOK SECTION AT: WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA. GIVEN
PROBABILITIES REPRESENT THE POTENTIAL FOR A WARNING TO BE ISSUED AT
YOUR LOCATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
QUIET WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL MONDAY BEFORE THE NEXT CHANCE
OF THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS ON TUESDAY.  UNSETTLED WEATHER IS THEN
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WITH AT LEAST
A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY THROUGH NEXT SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER / EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS
EVENING.

ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT...
WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 4, 4:35 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0535 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0521 PM    7 SW LOCUST GROVE         OK   1.75 IN HAIL
05/04/03   MAYES

RJS

Local storm report, May 4, 4:41 PM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0541 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0530 PM    7 WNW VINITA              OK   FX TORNADO
05/04/03   CRAIG

RJS

Special weather statement, May 4, 5:15 PM CST, 45 minutes before

ARZ001>002-010>011-019>020-029-OKZ057>058-062>063-067>076-050509-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
615 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

TONADO WATCH #232 HAS BEEN REPLACED.  A TORNADO WATCH IS NO LONGER
IN EFFECT FOR THE COUNTIES NOT INCLUDED IN TORNADO WATCH #237.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH #237 UNTIL 100
AM CDT MONDAY MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

IN ARKANSAS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 7 COUNTIES...
IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS:

BENTON                CARROLL               CRAWFORD
MADISON               WASHINGTON

IN WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS:

FRANKLIN              SEBASTIAN

IN OKLAHOMA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 14 COUNTIES...
IN EAST CENTRAL OKLAHOMA:

CHEROKEE              MUSKOGEE              SEQUOYAH

IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

ADAIR                 CRAIG                 DELAWARE
MAYES                 OTTAWA                WAGONER

IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA:

HASKELL               LATIMER               LE FLORE
MCINTOSH              PITTSBURG

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BENTONVILLE...BERRYVILLE...CEDARVILLE...
EUFAULA...EUREKA SPRINGS...FAYETTEVILLE...FORT SMITH...HUNTSVILLE...
JAY...MCALESTER...MIAMI...MOUNTAINBURG...MUSKOGEE...NATURAL DAM...
OZARK...POTEAU...PRYOR...ROGERS...SALLISAW...SILOAM SPRINGS...
SPRINGDALE...STIGLER...STILWELL...TAHLEQUAH...VAN BUREN...VINITA...
WAGONER AND WILBURTON.

Local storm report, May 4, 5:16 PM CST, 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0616 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0525 PM    6 N PEGGS                 OK   DOWNBURST
05/04/03   CHEROKEE

RJS

Local storm report, May 4, 5:44 PM CST, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0644 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0510 PM    KREBS                     OK   WIND DAMAGE
05/04/03   PITTSBURG                      TREE LIMBS AND UTILITY
                                          LINES DOWN.

0511 PM    ALDERSON                  OK   WIND DAMAGE
05/04/03   PITTSBURG                      4 RAILROAD CARS TIPPED
                                          OVER.

0533 PM    HARTSHORNE                OK   1.75 IN HAIL
05/04/03   PITTSBURG

RJS

Local storm report, May 4, 5:52 PM CST, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
0652 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0605 PM    1 N FAIRLAND              OK   WIND DAMAGE
05/04/03   OTTAWA                         2 MOBILE HOMES DESTROYED.
                                          INTERSECTION OF ROADS 580
                                          AND 170.

0600 PM    3 S NARCISSA              OK   1.00 IN HAIL
05/04/03   OTTAWA

RJS

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 25 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sebastian

When: May 4, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Sebastian County, Huntington
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 35.083, -94.267

Hail, Sebastian

When: May 4, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Sebastian County, Mansfield
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 35.067, -94.233

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Arkansas in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Arkansas, May 2003

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5358002, 5358003.