An unstable airmass allowed for a weak landspout to form over an open field in northeast Arkansas.
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The episode as NWS MEG wrote it up.
An unstable airmass allowed for a weak landspout to form over an open field in northeast Arkansas.
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 17, 11:20 AM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Memphis TN 1220 PM CDT Thu May 17 2018 .DISCUSSION... Updated for 18z Aviation Discussion. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 1106 AM CDT Thu May 17 2018/ DISCUSSION... MCV across east central Arkansas will continue to slowly shift east today...with current band of diffuse convection out ahead lifting north and east as well. The lack of denser clouds in the north is where the strongest convection is likely to form. Colliding outflows will also play a role in generating a few strong storms with near quarter size hail and possible microbursts. Coverage will slowly diminish this evening with the eastern counties continuing to see a few passing nocturnal showers. JAB && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 644 AM CDT Thu May 17 2018/ UPDATE... Updated for 12Z Aviation Forecast Discussion below. PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 403 AM CDT Thu May 17 2018/ DISCUSSION...Surface analysis this morning places a quasi- stationary boundary bisecting Arkansas and into Southeast Missouri. GOES-16 Satellite trends along with regional WSR-88D trends indicate yesterday's residual Mesoscale Convective Vortex (MCV) centered just east of Little Rock. Showers and thunderstorms have increased somewhat in coverage over Arkansas overnight. As of 3 AM CDT, temperatures across the Mid-South are predominantly in the 60s with a few locations in the lower 70s. The aforementioned MCV will slowly move east today across the Lower Mississippi Valley and into the Mid-South. Short term models including CAM solutions indicate scattered showers and thunderstorms becoming more numerous this afternoon as this MCV interacts with a warm, moist and unstable airmass. Overall shear remains weak with convective development leaning towards thunderstorms with pulse type characteristics. A few strong thunderstorms with perhaps an isolated severe thunderstorm will be possible especially this afternoon through early evening with damaging winds being the primary severe weather threat if thunderstorms can reach severe limits. Localized heavy rainfall will also be possible as precipitable water values are approaching 2 inches. Short term models indicate an upper level low over Northeast Kansas will gradually move Southeast towards East Central Missouri/Southern Illinois by Friday night. Additional showers and thunderstorms are possible especially during the afternoon/early evening peak heating but expecting coverage to decrease somewhat for Friday into Saturday as better convective coverage will be mostly northeast of the forecast area and weak shortwave ridging temporarily builds into the Lower Mississippi Valley. Long term models indicate an unsettled pattern will return to the region for next week starting out with southwest upper level flow aloft and the potential for showers and thunderstorms each day, especially during the afternoon/early evening hours. Potential may increase for perhaps the development of MCS's later next week as upper level flow transitions to northwest flow aloft and a weak front drops into the Lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys and becomes nearly quasi-stationary. CJC && .AVIATION... 18Z TAFs A slow eastward track of a pair of upper level disturbances will continue to trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms for all the TAF sites this period. This activity will likely bring periods MVFR and IFR conditions as well. Later in the period IFR stratus and patchy fog will effect the sites. Winds will be light with a slight directional bias from the north or east. Brief higher winds expected in thunderstorms. JAB && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. MO...None. MS...None. TN...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Memphis TN 407 AM CDT Thu May 17 2018 ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115- MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-181200- 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- 407 AM CDT Thu May 17 2018 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 thunderstorms to perhaps an isolated severe thunderstorm is possible this afternoon into early evening across the Mid-South. Damaging winds along with localized heavy rainfall are the threats if a thunderstorm develops and reaches severe limits. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Memphis TN
947 AM CDT THU MAY 17 2018
MSZ008-171515-
Tate MS-
947 AM CDT THU MAY 17 2018
...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 1015 AM CDT
FOR...
Tate County in northwestern Mississippi...
At 946 AM CDT...a strong thunderstorm producing winds at least 40 mph
was located over Senatobia, moving northeast at 15 mph.
Very heavy rain along with continuous cloud to ground lightning are
also possible with this thunderstorm.
People in Tate County should monitor this storm closely.
LAT...LON 3464 9009 3473 8997 3473 8996 3474 8996
3475 8993 3477 8991 3477 8973 3474 8972
3469 8972 3469 8970 3458 8967 3456 8967
3455 8977 3455 9000
TIME...MOT...LOC 1446Z 233DEG 13KT 3459 8995PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1132 AM CDT THU MAY 17 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0930 AM FLASH FLOOD BONO 35.91N 90.80W
05/17/2018 CRAIGHEAD AR PUBLIC
6 INCHES OF WATER FLOODED INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROAD
323 AND 324 NEAR BONO.
&&
MRMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1205 PM CDT THU MAY 17 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1030 AM FLASH FLOOD WALCOTT 36.03N 90.67W
05/17/2018 GREENE AR DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
STATE ROAD 141 NEAR WALCOTT CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.
&&
MRMThe Memphis radar (KNQA), 73 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:30 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm spotters reported a weak tornado in a field south of Monette. No damage was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Arkansas, 2018Warnings in Arkansas, May 2018
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: 753960.