An upper level low pressure system moved into the Mid-South and remained nearly stationary. As a result, a few diurnal showers and thunderstorms developed.
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 level low pressure system moved into the Mid-South and remained nearly stationary. As a result, a few diurnal showers and thunderstorms developed. One storm became severe producing damaging winds and large hail.
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 31, 11:38 AM CST, 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 1238 PM CDT SUN MAY 31 2015 .DISCUSSION... UPDATED FOR THE 18Z AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 911 AM CDT SUN MAY 31 2015/ UPDATE... UPDATED FOR INCREASED MORNING POPS. DISCUSSION... LARGE SWATH OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED THUNDER WILL CONTINUE TO PIVOT NORTHEAST ALONG A STALLED FRONT IN THE MS RIVER VALLEY THIS MORNING...WITH RAINFALL RATES AVERAGING A QUARTER OF AN INCH AN HOUR. HAVE INCREASED POPS IN THIS REGION THROUGH NOON. IN ADDITION...STORM COVERAGE WILL INCREASE BY NOON TO THE EAST OF THE FRONT WITH SOME STRONG AND POSSIBLY SEVERE OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI AND A LARGE PORTION OF WEST TENNESSEE. THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST...WITH SLIGHTLY COOLER HIGH TEMPERATURES...IS STILL ON TRACK THIS MORNING. JAB && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 415 AM CDT SUN MAY 31 2015/ DISCUSSION... GOES WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWED AN UPPER LEVEL LONGWAVE TROF OVER THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS...PRECEDED BY A SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE PLUME EXTENDING NORTHWARD FROM MEXICO...THROUGH THE MS AND OH RIVER VALLEYS. THIS LONGWAVE TROF WILL DROP INTO THE LOWER/MID MS RIVER VALLEY THROUGH EARLY MONDAY. IN THE INTERIM...A SERIES OF WEAK IMPULSES SHOULD LIFT THROUGH THE MIDSOUTH AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING TROF. AS IN THE PAST FEW DAYS...COVERAGE OF STORMS SHOULD INCREASE WITH DAYTIME HEATING. A FEW STORMS MAY APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS OVER NORTHEAST MS...WHERE PREFRONTAL INSTABILITY WILL BE SLIGHTLY GREATER. TODAY/S 00Z MODELS CONTINUE TO CUT OFF THE UPPER TROF OVER THE SOUTHEAST U.S. EARLY IN THE WEEK. HOWEVER...TODAY/S MODELS /THE GFS IN PARTICULAR/ DRIFT THE CUTOFF LOW FURTHER WEST TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. THIS WOULD RESULT IN RAIN CHANCES PERSISTING NEAR THE TN RIVER VALLEY... WITH ISOLATED STORMS POSSIBLE AS FAR WEST AS THE MEMPHIS METRO. CUT OFF LOWS ARE TYPICALLY A CHALLENGE FOR THE MODELS...AS TODAY/S ECMWF/GFS DIFFERENCES BEYOND 60 HOURS SHOW. THUS FORECAST LOWER THAN NORMAL WITH RESPECT TO RAIN CHANCES BEYOND MONDAY. FEW CHANGES FOR THE EXTENDED PERIODS...WITH LATE WEEK TEMPS LIKELY WARMING. ECMWF CONTINUES TO BUILD THE SOUTHERN PLAINS UPPER RIDGE EASTWARD...SUGGESTING LOWER 90S POSSIBLE OVER THE MIDSOUTH BY NEXT WEEKEND. PWB && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF CYCLE A MIX OF IFR AND MVFR CIGS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AT ALL OF THE TAF SITES. RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO CONTINUE AND WILL IMPACT MOST LOCATIONS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. A FRONT STRETCHED ACROSS THE AREA WILL SLOWLY MOVE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE DAY...WITH NORTH WINDS TO THE NORTH OF THE FRONT AND SOUTHERLY WINDS SOUTH. ALL WIND SPEEDS SHOULD REMAIN FAIRLY LIGHT TODAY AT 6 KTS OR LESS. THE DISTURBANCE PRODUCING THE PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE OUT TO THE NORTHEAST THIS EVENING BRINGING AN END TO THE RAIN BY LATER THIS EVENING. LOW IFR AND EVEN LIFR CIGS SHOULD DEVELOP LATER TONIGHT AND BE SLOW TO LIFT BACK TO MVFR LATE IN THE TAF FORECAST PERIOD. WINDS WILL BE MAINLY FROM THE NORTH AT 8 KTS OR LESS AT ALL SITES EXCEPT KTUP WHERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED INTO MONDAY MORNING. JLH && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...NONE. MO...NONE. MS...NONE. TN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 321 AM CDT SUN MAY 31 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>092-011030- 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- 321 AM CDT SUN MAY 31 2015 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 SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY... MAINLY OVER NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. PWB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1220 PM CDT SUN MAY 31 2015
MSZ003>005-TNZ089-090-311800-
BENTON MS-TIPPAH MS-ALCORN MS-HARDEMAN TN-FAYETTE TN-
1220 PM CDT SUN MAY 31 2015
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL UNTIL 100 PM CDT FOR...
NORTHERN BENTON COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN MISSISSIPPI...
NORTHERN TIPPAH COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN MISSISSIPPI...
NORTHWESTERN ALCORN COUNTY IN NORTHEASTERN MISSISSIPPI...
SOUTHERN HARDEMAN COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...
SOUTHEASTERN FAYETTE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...
AT 1220 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL OR
LARGER AND WINDS AT LEAST 40 MPH WAS LOCATED NEAR CANAAN...OR 17
MILES SOUTHEAST OF WILLISTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
PEOPLE IN NORTHERN BENTON...NORTHERN TIPPAH...NORTHWESTERN ALCORN...
SOUTHERN HARDEMAN AND SOUTHEASTERN FAYETTE COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR
THIS STORM CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3485 8880 3494 8932 3523 8926 3521 8878
3500 8879 3499 8877
TIME...MOT...LOC 1720Z 236DEG 27KT 3497 8916SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1250 PM CDT SUN MAY 31 2015
TNZ054-055-311815-
DECATUR TN-HENDERSON TN-
1250 PM CDT SUN MAY 31 2015
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL UNTIL 115 PM CDT FOR...
CENTRAL DECATUR COUNTY IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE...
EAST CENTRAL HENDERSON COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE...
AT 1250 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING WINDS AT LEAST 40
MPH WAS LOCATED OVER DARDEN...OR 10 MILES EAST OF LEXINGTON...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
PEOPLE IN CENTRAL DECATUR AND EAST CENTRAL HENDERSON COUNTIES SHOULD
MONITOR THIS STORM CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3576 8799 3572 8803 3569 8803 3568 8802
3566 8802 3562 8804 3557 8801 3554 8824
3564 8828 3579 8798 3578 8798
TIME...MOT...LOC 1750Z 246DEG 11KT 3562 8820The Ft Campbell radar (KHPX), 143 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:07 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Straight line winds knocked down trees in Parsons. One tree fell on a house.
Nickel to quarter size hail fell in Parsons.
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, May 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: 582844, 582845.