An upper trough and an associated cold front moved into the Lower Mississippi Valley during the evening of May 21st, 2013. Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of the system affecting the Mid-South.
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.
An upper trough and an associated cold front moved into the Lower Mississippi Valley during the evening of May 21st, 2013. Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of the system affecting the Mid-South. Some storms became severe producing large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding. The first round of storms moved through during the morning hours while a second round affected the region during the afternoon into the evening.
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 May 21, 2:04 PM CST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 304 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013 .DISCUSSION... VERY ACTIVE RADAR THIS AFTERNOON. OVERNIGHT/EARLY MORNING CONVECTION MAY HAVE US FROM A MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK TODAY...ALTHOUGH SEVERE POTENTIAL STILL EXISTS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTH MISSISSIPPI. FARTHER NORTH THE AIRMASS HAS BEEN WORKED OVER...AND ABUNDANT CLOUD COVER HAS KEPT TEMPERATURES QUITE A BIT COOLER. INSTABILITY IS HIGHEST IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI WHERE TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CLIMB INTO THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 80S. DEW POINTS ARE IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S RESULTING IN CAPES IN EXCESS OF 2500 J/KG AND LI'S BELOW -6C. JUST ACROSS THE STATE LINE IN MOST OF TN...THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...CAPES ARE GENERALLY BELOW 1500 J/KG WITH LI'S -4C OR GREATER. DEW POINTS ARE ALSO SLIGHTLY HIGHER. IN THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED IN NORTH MISSISSIPPI AND HAVE SHOWN SOME SIGNS OF ROTATION. 0-3KM HELICITY IS GENERALLY 50-90M^2/S^2 WHICH WOULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT ROTATING STORMS. UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT IS NOT CURRENTLY AS FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...ALTHOUGH BETTER SUPPORT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE IN TONIGHT. ANOTHER ROUND OF STORMS CAN BE SEEN OVER NORTH TEXAS INTO OKLAHOMA. THIS LINE WILL BRING ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE MIDSOUTH OVERNIGHT. NUMEROUS OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES WILL ONLY HELP SUPPORT FOCUS UPDRAFTS AND MAINTAIN A SEVERE THREAT. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH CURRENTLY OVER THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES WILL SHIFT TO THE EAST THIS EVENING AND APPROACH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BY SUNRISE. A SURFACE LOW HAS DEVELOPED OVER NORTH TEXAS AND SHOULD TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL ARKANSAS DURING THE NIGHT. WE WILL SEE A 40-45KT LLJ DEVELOP BY MIDNIGHT AND MUCH OF THE MIDSOUTH WILL BE IN THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF A 70-80KT UPPER LEVEL JET. THIS ADDITIONAL DYNAMIC SUPPORT WILL MOVE IN JUST AS WE LOSE DAYTIME THERMODYNAMIC SUPPORT. THUS FEEL LIKE THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL REMAIN ABOUT THE SAME DURING THE NIGHT...MARGINAL BUT CERTAINLY NOT ZERO. RESEARCHERS AT MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY LAUNCHED A WEATHER BALLOON MIDDAY ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREENWOOD MISSISSIPPI. IT SHOWS A BIT OF A CAP AT 10KFT...BUT CAPE IN EXCESS OF 3500 J/KG. FARTHER NORTH AT LITTLE ROCK A MIDDAY SOUNDING WAS INDICATIVE OF A WORKED OVER ENVIRONMENT...FEATURING ONLY 343 JOULES OF CAPE. ANY THREATS FROM STORMS IN WEST TENNESSEE AND EAST ARKANSAS WOULD BE PRIMARILY HAIL. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH TOMORROW BRINGING AN END TO THE PRECIPITATION. THE FRONT SHOULD MOVE INTO EAST ARKANSAS BY 10 AM...CROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER MIDDAY AND EXIT INTO CENTRAL TENNESSEE/NORTH ALABAMA DURING THE MID AFTERNOON HOURS. RAIN WILL LIKELY LIMIT TEMPERATURES AGAIN TOMORROW BUT AS RAIN ENDS...WE COULD SEE TEMPERATURES SURGE INTO THE LOW 80S DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE DIURNAL TEMPERATURE PROFILE WILL LIKELY BE TRICKY TOMORROW DUE THE RAINFALL AND FRONT. THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND LOOK MOSTLY DRY. TEMPERATURES THURSDAY WILL BE NEAR NORMAL...WITH COOLISH FRIDAY...THEN TRENDING GRADUALLY WARMER THROUGH THE WEEKEND. FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND OUR WEATHER SHOULD BE PRIMARILY INFLUENCED BY A WEAK RIDGE ALOFT AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RESULTING IN DRY CONDITIONS. && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE COMPLEX WEATHER PATTERN FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ONGOING CONVECTION..MAINLY OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI AT THIS TIME..WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND BRIEFLY AFFECT TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTH AT AROUND 10KTS ARE EXPECTED AT ALL SITES THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SOME BRIEF GUSTY WINDS GENERATED BY NEARBY TS. OVERNIGHT..EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 20KT POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST OF THE MIDSOUTH BETWEEN 10-12UTC WITH ADDITIONAL SHOWERS EXPECTED THROUGH THE MORNING. SAK && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... MEM 69 83 61 82 / 80 60 10 10 MKL 67 81 58 81 / 70 60 10 10 JBR 65 82 57 80 / 90 40 10 10 TUP 67 83 60 86 / 70 70 10 10 && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 318 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-222230- 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- 318 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE MID SOUTH TODAY AND TONIGHT. MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT AS A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS ALONG WITH A SECONDARY POTENTIAL FOR PERHAPS A TORNADO. LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS MAY BE NEEDED IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS TODAY AND TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1201 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0705 AM HAIL SEDGWICK 35.98N 90.86W
05/21/2013 E0.88 INCH LAWRENCE AR PUBLIC
ALSO TREE LIMBS DOWN IN THE AREA.
&&
ZDMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 138 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013 MSZ001-211915- DE SOTO MS- 138 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 215 PM CDT FOR... EASTERN DESOTO COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL OR LARGER AND WINDS AT LEAST 40 MPH WAS LOCATED 4 MILES EAST OF HERNANDO AT 138 PM CDT... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL OCCUR WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. PEOPLE IN DESOTO COUNTY...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR HERNANDO AND OLIVE BRANCH...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY. && LAT...LON 3499 8993 3499 8972 3477 8972 3477 9007 TIME...MOT...LOC 1838Z 210DEG 19KT 3485 8990
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
146 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
MSZ009-016-211915-
PRENTISS MS-LEE MS-
146 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 215 PM CDT FOR...
NORTHEASTERN LEE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...
PRENTISS COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL OR LARGER AND WINDS AT
LEAST 40 MPH WAS LOCATED 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF BALDWYN AT 146 PM
CDT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL
OCCUR WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
PEOPLE IN LEE AND PRENTISS COUNTIES...INCLUDING LOCATIONS NEAR
BALDWYN AND BOONEVILLE...SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
&&
LAT...LON 3447 8846 3447 8871 3476 8861 3476 8835
3474 8832
TIME...MOT...LOC 1846Z 217DEG 22KT 3454 8858PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
342 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0255 PM FUNNEL CLOUD TRUMANN 35.67N 90.52W
05/21/2013 POINSETT AR PUBLIC
0255 PM HAIL 3 NE TRUMANN 35.71N 90.48W
05/21/2013 E1.00 INCH CRAIGHEAD AR TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
ZEIPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
344 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0255 PM HAIL 12 SE BOONEVILLE 34.54N 88.42W
05/21/2013 E0.75 INCH PRENTISS MS PUBLIC
PENNY SIZE HAIL.
0255 PM FUNNEL CLOUD TRUMANN 35.67N 90.52W
05/21/2013 POINSETT AR PUBLIC
0255 PM HAIL 3 NE TRUMANN 35.71N 90.48W
05/21/2013 E1.00 INCH CRAIGHEAD AR TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
ZEIPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
352 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0255 PM HAIL 12 SE BOONEVILLE 34.54N 88.42W
05/21/2013 E0.75 INCH PRENTISS MS PUBLIC
PENNY SIZE HAIL.
0314 PM FUNNEL CLOUD TRUMANN 35.67N 90.52W
05/21/2013 POINSETT AR PUBLIC
0343 PM HAIL 3 NE TRUMANN 35.71N 90.48W
05/21/2013 E1.00 INCH CRAIGHEAD AR TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
ZEIThe Paducah radar (KPAH), 121 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:06 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds were measured at 60 mph in Malden. Scattered tree limbs and power lines were knocked down. Some fell on a few houses and vehicles.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, May 2013
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: 456255.