A line of showers and thunderstorms developed along an advancing cold front as it moved across West Tennessee. Isolated wind damage occurred as the line moved through during the afternoon hours on April 3, 2015.
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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.
A line of showers and thunderstorms developed along an advancing cold front as it moved across West Tennessee. Isolated wind damage occurred as the line moved through during the afternoon hours on April 3, 2015.
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 Apr 3, 11:01 AM CST, 3 hours 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1201 PM CDT FRI APR 3 2015 .UPDATE...AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1114 AM CDT FRI APR 3 2015/ DISCUSSION...15Z SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES A QUASI-STATIONARY BOUNDARY OVER THE OHIO VALLEY...A SURFACE LOW OVER SOUTHERN ILLINOIS/INDIANA...AND A COLD FRONT STRETCHING FROM THE SURFACE LOW BACK INTO OKLAHOMA AND WEST TEXAS. 00Z RAOB FROM KLZK/KOHX SHOWS A FAIRLY DECENT LOW LEVEL CAPPING INVERSION BETWEEN 925MB- 850MB THIS MORNING. KNQA WSR-88D RADAR TRENDS SHOW SOME LIGHT RETURNS INDICATIVE OF SOME WARM ADVECTION RAIN SHOWERS OCCURRING BELOW THE CAPPING INVERSION. NAM/HRRR SHORT TERM TRENDS INDICATE THE LOW LEVEL CAPPING INVERSION WILL BREAK THIS AFTERNOON AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST ROTATES THROUGH THE MIDDLE/LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND THE SUBSEQUENT COLD FRONT BEGINS TO MOVE INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. DESPITE LESS THAN IMPRESSIVE FORCING...0-6 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES AROUND 50 KTS...STEEPENING 700-500 MB LAYER MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AROUND 7 C/KM...SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES APPROACHING 2000 J/KG...AND SURFACE BASED LI/S BETWEEN -4 TO -6 SUGGEST A POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO PERHAPS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON...PREDOMINANTLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-40. AT THIS TIME...CONFIDENCE IS HIGHER WITH LARGE HAIL/DAMAGING WINDS AS THE PRIMARY THREATS AND A DECREASING POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES AS THE BEST LOW LEVEL HELICITY SHIFTS EAST THROUGH THE DAY. WILL UPDATE FORECAST TO ADJUST SHORT TERM ELEMENTS AS NEEDED. OTHERWISE...FORECAST OVERALL IN GOOD SHAPE. CJC PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 624 AM CDT FRI APR 3 2015/ DISCUSSION... UPDATED FOR 12Z AVIATION DISCUSSION. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 430 AM CDT FRI APR 3 2015/ DISCUSSION... CURRENTLY...A 1003 MB SURFACE LOW IS SITUATED NEAR KOKC WITH A WARM FRONT EXTENDING ACROSS SOUTHERN MO INTO THE OH VALLEY. AN MCS DEVELOPED A FEW HOURS AGO ALONG THE WARM FRONT ACROSS SOUTHERN MO AND HAS SAGGED ESE INTO NE AR/MO BOOTHEEL. THIS FEATURE HAS BEEN SUSTAINED BY A 45 KT LOW LEVEL JET AND MODERATE INSTABILITY ALOFT. SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY IS WANING BUT MUCAPES REMAIN ABOVE 1000 J/KG WITH MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES OF 7 C/KM. AS THE CONVECTION HEADS EAST CONDITIONS BECOMES MORE UNFAVORABLE SO THE COMPLEX SHOULD WEAKEN OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. TORNADO THREAT IS PROBABLY WANING AS SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY DIMINISHES. ANTICIPATE AN EARLY CANCELLATION OF THE WATCH. ELSW CONDS ARE BREEZY AND MILD WITH TEMPS IN THE 60S AND LOWER 70S AND GUSTY SOUTH WINDS AT 15 TO 20 MPH. TODAY...LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK QUICKLY ALONG THE WARM FRONT INTO SOUTHERN MO BY MID MORNING AND INTO THE OH VALLEY BY 18Z. THE COMPLEX OVER NE AR AND THE MO BOOTHEEL ATTM WILL TRACK ACROSS NW TN AND WEAKEN WITH A DIMINISHING SEVERE WX THREAT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. BEST CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE MORNING HOURS WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER CLOSER TO THE WARM FRONT AND SURFACE LOW. THE TRAILING COLD FRONT WILL BEGIN ENTERING NE AR AROUND 18Z. AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT EXPECT GOOD DESTABILIZATION TO OCCUR WITH SURFACE TEMPS CLIMBING WELL INTO THE 70S AND PERHAPS 80 ACROSS NE MS AND SURFACE DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 60S. SBCAPES WILL CLIMB TO NEAR 2000 J/KG. THE UPPER TROF IS BROAD BUT WIND FIELDS ARE STRONG WITH 500 MB WINDS OF 50-60 KTS THIS AFTERNOON AND 0-6KM BULK SHEAR VALUES OF ABOUT 50 KTS. EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT AS IT MOVES ACROSS NE AR BY EARLY AFTERNOON. ACTIVITY WILL INTENSIFY AS THE FRONT MOVES EAST OF THE MS RIVER INTO INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE AIR. THE FRONT WILL MOVE QUICKLY SE...THROUGH MEMPHIS AND JACKSON AROUND 5 PM AND THEN TUPELO AROUND 7 PM. SINCE THE UPPER LEVEL FORCING IS NOT OVERWHELMING STORMS MAY RETAIN SOME DISCRETE SUPERCELLULAR CHARACTERISTICS. HAIL AND WIND WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT. A FEW TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE BEST CHANCES ACROSS WEST TENNESSEE WHERE LOW LEVEL SHEAR WILL BE HIGHEST THIS AFTERNOON...0-1KM HELICITY VALUES AROUND 200 M2/S2 WITH LESSER VALUES TOWARD NORTH MS. SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL TAPER OFF ACROSS NE MS EARLY THIS EVENING AS THE FRONT PUSHES SE OF THE AREA. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL FILTER INTO THE REGION FROM NW TO SE STARTING THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS NE AR AND CONTINUING THROUGH TONIGHT. BY SATURDAY MORNING IT WILL BE MUCH COLDER WITH LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S NORTH TO MID 40S SOUTH WITH CLEARING SKIES. SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD QUICKLY INTO THE AREA ON SATURDAY WITH MUCH COOLER AND DRIER WEATHER. HIGHS WILL RANGE FROM 60 TO 65 WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE. SATURDAY NIGHT WILL BE CHILLY WITH LOWS IN THE MID 30S AND POSSIBLE FROST ALONG THE TN RIVER TO LOWER 40S IN THE DELTA. CLOUDS WILL INCREASE ON SUNDAY AS A WARM FRONT RETURNS NORTH SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY. PRECIP CHANCES WILL BE ON THE INCREASE DURING THAT TIME FRAME. MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NORTH AND REMAIN BASICALLY STATIONARY THROUGH THE WEEK FROM KANSAS CITY INTO THE OH VALLEY. THIS WILL PUT THE MIDSOUTH IN A WARM AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS THROUGH THE WEEK. BEST CHANCES WILL BE ACROSS THE NORTH MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS DISTURBANCES IN SW FLOW ALOFT MAY KICK OFF ISOLD-SCT THUNDERSTORMS FROM TIME TO TIME. HOWEVER WE SHOULD SEE A GOOD AMOUNT OF RAIN FREE WEATHER DURING THE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT TIME FRAME. BY THURSDAY A POTENT MID LEVEL TROF MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS MAY BRING A MORE ORGANIZED THREAT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE MIDSOUTH THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. SJM && .AVIATION...18Z TAF CYCLE MOSTLY MVFR CIGS THIS AFTERNOON WITH RAPID IMPROVEMENT TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS THE REGION. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD INCREASE IN COVERAGE AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT NOW ENTERING EAST ARKANSAS. IT SHOULD MOVE ACROSS MEM AND MKL AROUND 23Z AND TUP BY 00Z. IFR CONDITIONS DUE TO HEAVY RAIN IS POSSIBLE FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME IN ASSOCIATION WITH THUNDERSTORMS...BUT PREVAILING VIS SHOULD REMAIN AT WORST MVFR. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG...FROM THE SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST AHEAD OF THE FRONT...ABRUPTLY SHIFTING NORTH TO NORTHWEST BEHIND THE FRONT. SPEEDS SHOULD BE 12-18KTS WITH GUSTS OVER 25KT AHEAD OF THE FRONT AS WELL AS BEHIND THE FRONT. TONIGHT...WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH TO AROUND 10KT...SHIFTING FROM THE NORTHEAST. VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AREA WIDE BY MORNING. && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1221 PM CDT FRI APR 3 2015 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-041145- ALCORN-BENTON MS-BENTON TN-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- 1221 PM CDT FRI APR 3 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS... THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST TENNESSEE AND NORTH MISSISSIPPI THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING...WITH A SLIGHT RISK ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE MID SOUTH. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS BUT TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE ENHANCED RISK AREA. LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. THE BEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON CONTINUING INTO EARLY THIS EVENING ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS.
The Memphis radar (KNQA), 29 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:15 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds snapped and uprooted several trees in Garland.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, April 2015
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: 569142.