A weak cold front triggered several severe thunderstorms across a large portion of the Midsouth during the late afternoon and early evening hours of July 15th.
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.
A weak cold front triggered several severe thunderstorms across a large portion of the Midsouth during the late afternoon and early evening hours of July 15th.
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 15, 1:56 PM CST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Memphis TN 256 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016 .DISCUSSION... Skies are partly cloudy across much of the forecast area with temperatures from the mid 80s to lower 90s. Some thunderstorm activity was over portions of northeast Arkansas and also over portions of north-central Mississippi. A weak cold front extended from northeast Ohio through southern Missouri and into eastern Colorado. The front will drop south into the forecast area later tonight with additional thunderstorm development possible. Temperatures will remain on the warm side with lows Saturday morning in the low to mid 70s. The front will stall out briefly over the region Saturday morning and then start to lift back north as a warm front by Saturday afternoon. This will mean that there will be a chance of thunderstorms during the day on Saturday. Temperatures will be quite warm on Saturday with highs in the lower 90s. The warm front should be north of the region by Saturday evening so dry weather is expected. By Sunday, an upper level ridge will start to build into the region. This will mean more dry weather with temperatures warming some with highs in the low to mid 90s. More dry and hot weather is expected through Monday as well with heat index values exceeding 100 in many locations. Upper level disturbances will drop through Missouri and into the forecast area on Tuesday and Wednesday bringing a chance of thunderstorms each day. Temperatures will remain rather hot with highs in the low to mid 90s. Dry weather returns for Thursday and next Friday as the upper level ridge remains in control. ARS && .AVIATION...18Z TAF cycle VFR conditions expected to prevail except in thunderstorms. Thunderstorms look most likely between 00 and 06z as a complex of storms develops and shifts across Arkansas and shifts across the Midsouth. Brief periods of MVFR or IFR vis due to heavy rain and locally gusty wind is possible. Light winds anticipated through the period. Patchy fog may occur late tonight at MKL AND TUP. 30 && .MEG Watches/Warnings/Advisories... AR...None. MO...None. MS...None. TN...None. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN 908 AM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-161615- 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- 908 AM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016 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 A MARGINAL RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE MID SOUTH TODAY. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF LOCALIZED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...HEAVY RAINFALL WITH LOCALIZED FLOODING...SMALL HAIL...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. THE GREATEST RISK OF ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY DANGEROUS HEAT IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE IN THE WEEKEND AND PERSIST THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. HEAT INDEX VALUES MAY EXCEED 105 DEGREES DURING THIS TIME PERIOD AND HEAT ADVISORIES MAY BECOME NECESSARY FOR LARGE PORTIONS OF THE MID SOUTH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY ISOLATED WIND DAMAGE OR FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS TENNESSEE.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
510 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0505 PM FLASH FLOOD SENATH 36.13N 90.16W
07/15/2016 DUNKLIN MO PUBLIC
MAIN STREET FLOODED IN NEIGHBORHOOD IN SENATH.
&&
AJCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
511 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0503 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 SE MIDTOWN MEMPHIS 35.08N 89.92W
07/15/2016 SHELBY TN PUBLIC
AN AWNING WAS BLOWN OFF A BUILDING ON LAMAR AVENUE.
&&
AJCSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
512 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016
ARZ018-028-MOZ113-115-152300-
MISSISSIPPI AR-GREENE AR-PEMISCOT MO-DUNKLIN MO-
512 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 600 PM CDT FOR...
NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
EAST CENTRAL GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN ARKANSAS...
SOUTHWESTERN PEMISCOT COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI...
SOUTHEASTERN DUNKLIN COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI...
AT 509 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL OR
LARGER AND WINDS AT LEAST 40 MPH WAS LOCATED OVER HORNERSVILLE...OR 8
MILES NORTH OF MANILA
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG WITH CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE
ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.
PEOPLE IN NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI...EAST CENTRAL GREENE...SOUTHWESTERN
PEMISCOT AND SOUTHEASTERN DUNKLIN COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THIS STORM
CLOSELY.
LAT...LON 3590 8970 3590 8976 3587 8978 3575 9026
3619 9031 3622 8992
TIME...MOT...LOC 2209Z 341DEG 7KT 3600 9012PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
518 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0506 PM TSTM WND DMG 8 SE MIDTOWN MEMPHIS 35.95N 89.33W
07/15/2016 DYER TN PUBLIC
MULTIPLE TREES DOWN NEAR INTERSECTION OF WINCHESTER AND
PERKINS. TIME IS RADAR ESTIMATED.
&&
AJCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
522 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0506 PM TSTM WND DMG 8 SE MIDTOWN MEMPHIS 35.05N 89.88W
07/15/2016 SHELBY TN PUBLIC
MULTIPLE TREES DOWN NEAR INTERSECTION OF WINCHESTER AND
PERKINS. TIME IS RADAR ESTIMATED.
&&
AJCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
525 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0450 PM HAIL 6 ESE MIDTOWN MEMPHIS 35.10N 89.89W
07/15/2016 E0.88 INCH SHELBY TN PUBLIC
NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED AT APPLE TREE CENTER ON MOUNT
MORIAH.
&&
AJCThe Memphis radar (KNQA), 60 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:31 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A few tree limbs greater than 6 inches down on HWY 18 in Roseland.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, July 2016
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: 643321.