A strong upper level disturbance generated scattered severe thunderstorms across portions of western Tennessee during the afternoon and evening hours of June 21st.
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 strong upper level disturbance generated scattered severe thunderstorms across portions of western Tennessee during the afternoon and evening hours of June 21st.
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 Jun 21, 1:10 PM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Memphis TN 210 PM CDT Thu Jun 21 2018 .DISCUSSION... The Midsouth was becoming increasingly unstable ahead of an approaching cold front extending from southeast Missouri into central Arkansas. Radar showing spotty convection forming along and ahead of the boundary with one lone severe storm. In the wake of the overnight precipitation skies were currently a mix of cu and sun over the area with temperatures in 80s. Dewpoints were in the low 70's and winds were breezy from the west southwest. SPC meso-analysis was indicated CAPE amounts of 1000 to 2000 j/kg with effective bulk shear of 35 kts. For this afternoon through tonight...CAMs are agreement that current storms will intensify and congeal into a broken line over the remaining afternoon hours and into the evening as the front tracks through the region. A few storms likely to produce damaging winds and large hail. A SVR watch has been issued through 9pm for most of the CWA. Activity should scour out the atmosphere across the northern and western counties by late this evening...leaving higher pops to remain across North Mississippi after midnight. Overnight lows will drop to around 70F with some patchy fog forming. General rainfall totals will range between a half to potentially two inches. Friday through Sunday...models are in very good agreement that the current upper level low in northern Missouri with drop into the St. Louis area tonight...then slowly track towards the Eastern Great Lakes through Saturday becoming an open wave. This will leave a west northwest upper flow over the Midsouth of 30-50kts with embedded shortwaves likely to trigger new storms. The first of these disturbances will arrive tomorrow night and a second late Saturday into early Sunday. So rain chances will continue to be stout this weekend shifting from the southern counties to the northern counties as the aforementioned upper low pulls northeast. A few strong to severe storms will also suffice in this better sheared environment. Temperatures from precipitation and lingering cloud cover will be seasonal with highs ranging from the mid 80s to near 90...with lows in the upper 60s and low 70s. Monday through next Thursday...expected daily rain chances to slowly dwindle this period as long range model solutions show upper heights building. 90F+ temperatures will return along with triple digit heat indices. Heat advisories may be required for portions of the area. JAB && .AVIATION.../18z TAFs/ VFR cigs have returned to all terminals as of late morning as the low stratus has mixed out. The atmosphere continues to quickly destabilize as heating combines with a moist airmass and approaching upper low/mid level height falls. As a result, convection is developing across north central Arkansas early this afternoon. Storms should increase in coverage and intensity and impact the terminals from northwest to southeast through the afternoon and evening. Added tempos for thunder to cover this threat. A few severe storms may occur this afternoon as well with strong wind gusts and hail possible. Gusty southwest winds will continue across the region this afternoon. Convection will end later this evening with lingering mid level cloud cover. Still expecting VFR conditions at all sites except KTUP, where some IFR cigs should develop after 09z. Decks will gradually lift back to MVFR Saturday morning at KTUP and remain VFR elsewhere. Winds should weaken overnight but increase again to around 10 kts from the west on Saturday. JLH && .MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AR...None. MO...None. MS...None. TN...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Memphis TN 208 PM CDT Thu Jun 21 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>092-222115- 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- 208 PM CDT Thu Jun 21 2018 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 this afternoon and this evening across a large portion of the Midsouth. Damaging winds and large hail will be the main threats. Localized heavy rain will also be possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday A few strong to severe storms will be possible again Friday into Sunday with passing disturbances. Damaging winds...large hail and heavy rainfall will be the primary threats. Triple digit heat indices are anticipated to return to the Midsouth next week. Heat advisories may be needed. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be possible this afternoon and evening and again throughout the weekend. JAB
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
223 PM CDT THU JUN 21 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0215 PM HAIL WALDENBURG 35.56N 90.93W
06/21/2018 E1.50 INCH POINSETT AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
PING PONG SIZED HAIL REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT IN
WALDENBURG ARKANSAS.
&&
HGWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
242 PM CDT THU JUN 21 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0208 PM TSTM WND GST WALNUT RIDGE 36.07N 90.96W
06/21/2018 M51 MPH LAWRENCE AR AWOS
THERE WAS A 51 MPH PEAK WIND GUST REPORTED BY THE AWOS IN
WALNUT RIDGE.
&&
HGWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
313 PM CDT THU JUN 21 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0200 PM HAIL 2 SSW CASH 35.77N 90.95W
06/21/2018 E1.00 INCH CRAIGHEAD AR PUBLIC
QUARTER SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED BETWEEN CASH AND PITTS
OFF OF HIGHWAY 18.
&&
HGWThe Memphis radar (KNQA), 11 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:24 UTC.
11 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees down at Herring Hill Road and St. Paul Road.
Trees down at the intersection of Shelby Road and Shakerag Road.
Trees down at the intersection of Mudville and Edmond Orgill Roads.
Trees down at Pleasant Ridge and Osborntown Roads.
Roof ripped off motel.
Power-lines and trees down near Bells and Cypress communities. A shed was also destroyed.
Large trees down blocking roadway on Christmasville Road just north of Key Senter Road.
Tree on a car on Highway 70 east at Highway 412.
Multiple trees down in town.
Tree down across Georgia Avenue and 7th Street.
Large tree down on 1400 Old Town Loop Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, June 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: 767554, 767555, 767556, 767557, 767563, 767558, 767559, 767560, 767561, 767562, 767566.