The combination of an upper level disturbance and daytime heating produced showers and thunderstorms over portions of the Mid-South during the afternoon into the early evening hours of July 4th, 2011. Some storms became severe producing large hail and damaging winds.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.
The combination of an upper level disturbance and daytime heating produced showers and thunderstorms over portions of the Mid-South during the afternoon into the early evening hours of July 4th, 2011. Some storms became severe producing large hail and damaging winds.
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 Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 4, 8:58 AM CST, 2 hours 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 958 AM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 .UPDATE... KNQA RADAR SHOWED A CLUSTER OF STORMS LIFTING EAST THROUGH NORTHEAST AR. THE STORMS WERE ROOTED IN A LAYER AROUND 900MB... AHEAD OF A POSITIVELY TILTED SHORTWAVE TROF MOVING SOUTHEAST THROUGH MO. THIS ACTIVITY WAS PRODUCING A SOUTHWARD MOVING GRAVITY WAVE OVER THE AR DELTA...THROUGH A SLIGHTLY ELEVATED STABLE LAYER. FORECAST WAS RECENTLY UPDATED WITH A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CLOUDS AND POPS ACROSS NORTHEAST AR AND POINTS EASTWARD. TEMPERATURES WERE ALSO LOWERED A FEW CATEGORIES OVER THESE AREAS AS WELL. ELSEWHERE...POPS AND TEMPS WERE LARGELY UNCHANGED. BEST RAIN CHANCES FOR THIS AFTERNOON STILL APPEAR TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THE MEMPHIS METRO... NEARER THE MIDLEVEL SHORTWAVE TROF. IT/S UNCLEAR IF THE AFOREMENTIONED GRAVITY WAVE WILL BECOME A PLAYER IN SURFACED BASED CONVECTION SOUTH OF I40 THIS AFTERNOON WHEN IT IS POSITIONED UNDER THE UPPER RIDGE AXIS OVER NORTH MS. CURRENT POPS HAVE THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO HANDLED WELL AND WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. PWB && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 634 AM CDT MON JUL 4 2011/ DISCUSSION... UPDATED FOR 12Z AVIATION DISCUSSION PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 342 AM CDT MON JUL 4 2011/ DISCUSSION... EARLY MORNING TEMPERATURES ARE GENERALLY IN THE 70S ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH. HOWEVER THE METROPOLITAN AREAS AROUND MEMPHIS ARE STILL IN THE LOW 80S AND THE RURAL...LESS HUMID AREAS FARTHER EAST IN TENNESSEE HAVE FALLEN INTO THE UPPER 60S. 3 OT 5 DEGREES OF ADDITIONAL COOLING CAN BE EXPECTED AT MOST LOCATIONS RESULTING IN OVERNIGHT LOWS FROM AROUND 68 TO 76 DEGREES. A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE SEEN ON RADAR...BUT NONE IMPACTING OUR AREA OF CONCERN IN EAST ARKANSAS...WEST TENNESSEE...THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL OR NORTH MISSISSIPPI. BY SUNRISE THESE SHOWERS...LIKELY IN A WEAKENED STATE...MAY MOVE INTO EAST ARKANSAS AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL. THE NAM CONTINUES TO BE THE MODEL OF CHOICE. THE GFS HAS BEEN 2-4 DEGREES TOO WARM OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS AND INCONSISTENT IN ITS POPS. ENSEMBLE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO REFLECT THIS INCONSISTENCY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF PERIODS WITH 12-HOUR POP DIFFERENCES OF 20-40 PERCENT BETWEEN THE HIGH AND LOW MEMBERS. ENSEMBLE MEAN IS MORE IN LINE WITH THE NAM SOLUTION. WE WILL REMAIN IN A WEAKLY SHEARED BUT FAIRLY UNSTABLE AIRMASS TODAY FEATURING CAPES BETWEEN 1500 AND 2500 J/KG AND LI'S GENERALLY AROUND -4 TO -6C. A POSITIVELY TILTED SHORTWAVE WILL SHIFT ACROSS THE MID MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY TODAY...BECOMING ORIENTED FROM WEST KENTUCKY TO NORTHEAST ARKANSAS BY THE AFTERNOON HOURS ADDING A BIT OF UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT TO HELP SUSTAIN UPDRAFTS. MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL STRENGTHEN SLIGHTLY...APPROACHING -7C/KM BY 00Z ACROSS EAST ARKANSAS. STORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVING...POSSIBLY RESULTING IN LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING. WET MICROBURSTS ARE ANOTHER CONCERN THIS AFTERNOON. MDPI/WINDEX VALUES OF .80/66 INDICATE AT LEAST A MODERATELY HIGH POSSIBILITY OF THESE HARD TO IDENTIFY WEATHER THREATS. ONE INHIBITING FACTOR FOR BOTH FLOODING AND MICROBURSTS IS PW. ALTHOUGH FORECAST VALUES BETWEEN 1.3 AND 1.5 INCHES ARE RESPECTABLE...VALUES AT AND ABOVE 1.75 WOULD BE MORE SUPPORTIVE OF SEVERE WEATHER. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK AND INTO NEXT WEEKEND...NORTHERLY FLOW WILL GRADUALLY TRANSITION TO NORTHWEST FLOW. AT THE MOMENT THERE ARE NO WELL DEFINED FEATURES THAT WOULD INCREASE RAIN CHANCES SIGNIFICANTLY ON ANY PARTICULAR DAY. HOWEVER...WE WILL REMAIN WARM AND UNSTABLE AND ANY MINIMAL UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT COULD ENHANCE THE STRENGTH AND COVERAGE OF STORMS...MUCH LIKE WE EXPECT TO SEE TODAY. FOR NOW...WILL KEEP 20 TO 30 PERCENT RAIN CHANCES IN THE FORECAST EACH DAY. IN ADDITION...WE WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE UPSTREAM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE COMPLEXES. NORTHWEST FLOW IS FAVORABLE FOR THESE SYSTEMS...BUT FORECASTING THEM MORE THAN A DAY OR TWO IN ADVANCE IS TRICKY. TEMPERATURES WILL TURN SLIGHTLY COOLER...BUT REMAIN NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. 30/SIRMON && .AVIATION... 12Z TAF CYCLE VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PERSIST FOR MUCH OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE SOME MVFR CONDITIONS BUT COVERAGE IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO MENTION IN TAFS. WINDS WILL BE GENERALLY LIGHT AND VARIABLE THROUGH MUCH OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. ARS && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 97 76 96 74 / 30 40 30 20 MKL 93 72 93 71 / 30 40 30 20 JBR 87 72 93 72 / 70 40 30 20 TUP 96 72 96 71 / 20 40 30 30 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 352 AM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-051100- ALCORN-BENTON MS-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-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-LEE MS-MADISON- MARSHALL-MCNAIRY-MISSISSIPPI-MONROE-OBION-PANOLA-PEMISCOT- PHILLIPS-POINSETT-PONTOTOC-PRENTISS-QUITMAN-RANDOLPH-SHELBY- ST. FRANCIS-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TIPPAH-TIPTON-TISHOMINGO-TUNICA- UNION-WEAKLEY-YALOBUSHA- 352 AM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A FEW STRONG TO PERHAPS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON LASTING WELL INTO THE EVENING HOURS AS A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE MID SOUTH. DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS. IN ADDITION...DUE TO THE EXPECTED SLOW MOVEMENT OF STORMS...LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING IS ALSO A CONCERN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1158 AM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 TNZ048>050-041730- LAUDERDALE TN-HAYWOOD TN-TIPTON TN- 1158 AM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1230 PM CDT FOR... WEST CENTRAL HAYWOOD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... SOUTHEASTERN LAUDERDALE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... EXTREME EAST CENTRAL TIPTON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL OR LARGER AND WINDS AT LEAST 40 MPH WAS LOCATED OVER TURNPIKE AT 1158 AM CDT...THIS STORM IS NEARLY STATIONARY. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PEOPLE IN HAYWOOD...LAUDERDALE AND TIPTON COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. && LAT...LON 3569 8931 3552 8930 3552 8951 3568 8951 TIME...MOT...LOC 1658Z 267DEG 16KT 3559 8942
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1214 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011
TNZ089-041745-
FAYETTE TN-
1214 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1245 PM CDT FOR...
NORTH CENTRAL FAYETTE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL OR LARGER AND WINDS AT
LEAST 40 MPH WAS LOCATED OVER LONGTOWN AT 1214 PM CDT...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
PEOPLE IN FAYETTE COUNTY SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
&&
LAT...LON 3540 8937 3529 8941 3524 8946 3534 8961
3540 8954
TIME...MOT...LOC 1714Z 305DEG 8KT 3535 8952SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1223 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 TNZ050-089-090-041800- FAYETTE TN-HAYWOOD TN-HARDEMAN TN- 1223 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 100 PM CDT FOR... NORTHEASTERN FAYETTE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... NORTHWESTERN HARDEMAN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... SOUTHERN HAYWOOD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL OR LARGER AND WINDS AT LEAST 40 MPH WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTH OF DANCYVILLE AT 1223 PM CDT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PEOPLE IN FAYETTE...HARDEMAN AND HAYWOOD COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. && LAT...LON 3542 8909 3534 8922 3548 8944 3559 8927 TIME...MOT...LOC 1723Z 316DEG 16KT 3547 8928
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1244 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011
TNZ004-041815-
HENRY TN-
1244 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 115 PM CDT FOR...
HENRY COUNTY IN NORTHWEST TENNESSEE...
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL OR LARGER AND WINDS AT
LEAST 40 MPH WAS LOCATED 8 MILES NORTH OF PARIS AT 1245 PM CDT...
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
PEOPLE IN HENRY COUNTY...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR PARIS LANDING STATE
PARK AND PARIS...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
&&
LAT...LON 3636 8800 3636 8808 3631 8809 3626 8808
3621 8813 3619 8814 3632 8849 3651 8832
3650 8804 3649 8803 3643 8804 3637 8799
TIME...MOT...LOC 1745Z 300DEG 33KT 3638 8822
RRHThe Memphis radar (KNQA), 32 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:45 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds knocked trees and power lines down across Northern Fayette County. A roof was taken off a cotton gin along Highway 222, north of Somerville.
Straight line winds knocked several trees down across Southern Decatur County, primarily south of Highway 100.
Straight line winds knocked numerous trees down near the Tennessee River in Hardin County. Some of the trees fell on a few homes. One home had its roof partially blown off.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, July 2011
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: 332922, 332933, 332937, 332936.