Tornadoes · United States · Arkansas · 2011

EF1 tornado, Wimef to Briark, Arkansas, May 25, 2011

From Wimef to Briark, this EF1 tornado ran 2.5 miles across Crittenden County on May 25, 2011, touching down at 6:48 PM CDT and reaching 100 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $500,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF1
Date
May 25, 2011
Touchdown
6:48 PM CDT (23:48 UTC)
Lifted
6:51 PM CDT (23:51 UTC)
On the ground
3 minutes
Path length
2.5 miles (4.1 km)
Path width
100 yards (91 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$500,000
County
Crittenden County
Touchdown point
35.139, -90.181
Lift-off point
35.147, -90.137
Record number
1105251748-01

What the Weather Service recorded

A developing surface low moved into the Mid Mississippi Valley while the associated cold front moved toward the Mid South on the afternoon of May 25, 2011. A moist and very unstable airmass was in place across the Mid-South and showers and thunderstorms started to develop in advance of the front during the late afternoon hours across Eastern Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel. Many storms were severe with large hail, damaging winds and even a couple of tornadoes. The showers and thunderstorms began to merge into a line as they approached the Mississippi River during the early evening hours.

A tornado touched down in West Memphis and a large storage building received major roof damage with numerous contents removed and a few walls crippled. A mobile home received extensive damage and a tree fell on one residence. A few other tree limbs were snapped and a power pole was knocked down just east of the intersection of Highway 70 and Club Road. The estimated peak wind was 90 mph.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a High Risk, with a 0.30 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 19:39 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at May 25, 5:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 25, 5:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
535 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK GRADUALLY UNFOLDING ACROSS THE MID
SOUTH LATE THIS AFTERNOON...

.DISCUSSION...WATER VAPOR SATELLITE/UPPER AIR PROFILER TRENDS THIS
AFTERNOON PLACE AN UPPER LEVEL LOW ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS WESTERN
MISSOURI. MEANWHILE...20Z SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES A SURFACE LOW
OVER CENTRAL MISSOURI AND A TRAILING COLD FRONT ACROSS EAST
OKLAHOMA/WEST ARKANSAS. VISIBLE SATELLITE/REGIONAL WSR-88D RADAR
TRENDS OVER THE PAST ONE TO TWO HOURS HAVE SHOWN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF A LINE OF DISCRETE SUPERCELLS FROM WALNUT RIDGE ARKANSAS BACK
THROUGH CENTRAL/SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS. TEMPERATURES AS OF 4PM CDT
ARE PREDOMINANTLY IN THE MIDDLE 80S TO AROUND 90 DEGREES. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY IS THE MAIN CONCERN
IN THIS AFTERNOON/S FORECAST PACKAGE.

.SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT)...A VERY VOLATILE
ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE MID SOUTH TONIGHT AS A
SURFACE/UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVE ACROSS MISSOURI INTO ILLINOIS AND A
TRAILING COLD FRONT ACROSS ARKANSAS SLOWLY MOVES ACROSS THE MID
SOUTH TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY. VERY FAVORABLE UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE
PRODUCED BY THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF A 95 KT 250 MB UPPER LEVEL JET
STREAK...STEEP 700-500 MB LAYER MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES AROUND 7
C/KM...SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES BETWEEN 3000-3500 J/KG...LI/S
BETWEEN -8 TO -9...0-1KM STORM RELATIVE HELICITIES BETWEEN 350-400
M2/S2...0-6 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES AROUND 60 KTS...AND CURVED
HODOGRAPHS STILL SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR DISCRETE
SUPERCELLS...SOME OF WHICH COULD PRODUCE STRONG/LONG TRACK
TORNADOES ACROSS THE MID SOUTH TONIGHT. AS INSTABILITY BEGINS TO
DIMINISH LATER TONIGHT WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING...DISCRETE
SUPERCELLS MAY BEGIN TO CONGEAL INTO A QUASI- LINEAR CONVECTIVE
SYSTEM BEFORE WEAKENING SOMEWHAT OVERNIGHT. /QLCS/ WILL CONTINUE
TO MENTION LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...AND
TORNADOES SOME OF WHICH COULD BE STRONG/LONG TRACK TORNADOES IN
THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AROUND 1.5
INCHES AND FREEZING LEVELS AROUND 14 KFT SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR
LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAINFALL ESPECIALLY LATER THIS
EVENING AS THE CONVECTIVE MODE GRADUALLY BEGINS TO TRANSITION TO A
QLCS. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR SHORT TERM WIND TRENDS BUT AT THIS
TIME PLANNING TO ALLOW WIND ADVISORY TO EXPIRE AT 7 PM CDT.

A SMALL WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY WILL EXIST THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
MID DAY THURSDAY FOR A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI/ALABAMA
STATE LINE AS THE COLD FRONT GRADUALLY DEPARTS THE MID SOUTH.
SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES AROUND 2500 J/KG...LI/S APPROACHING
-8...MODERATELY STEEP 700-500 MB LAYER MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES
AROUND 6.5 C/KM...AND 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES BETWEEN 35-40
KTS...FAVOR THE POTENTIAL OF BOWING SEGMENTS WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS AS THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS. KEPT HIGH
END CHANCE/LIKELY POPS IN FOR THURSDAY AND LOW END CHANCE POPS
ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA. RAIN CHANCES ARE
EXPECTED TO COME TO AND END BY THURSDAY EVENING ACROSS THE ENTIRE
MID SOUTH.

SHORT TERM MODELS ARE INDICATING A WARM FRONT AND A MID LEVEL
SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT INTO
SATURDAY MORNING. THIS WILL PRODUCE AN ADDITIONAL CHANCE FOR
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS AREAS OF THE MID SOUTH
PREDOMINANTLY NORTH OF I-40 FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING.
HOWEVER...OVERALL STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL REMAINS
VERY LOW AT BEST.

.LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...12Z GFS/ECMWF LONG
RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE
MOVING OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
WEEKEND THROUGH WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL BRING RAIN FREE
WEATHER TO THE MID SOUTH AND VERY WARM TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S AS
925 MB TEMPERATURES WARM TO BETWEEN 22-24C. MODELS DO INDICATE THE
POTENTIAL FOR A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT TO ENTER NORTHERN SECTIONS OF
THE MID SOUTH LATE NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER...WILL ADDRESS THIS
POTENTIAL IN LATER FORECASTS AS THIS IS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE
CURRENT FORECAST PACKAGE.

CJC
&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAF CYCLE

STRONG GRADIENT WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. EXPECTING
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARKANSAS BY 22Z
AND BEGIN MOVING ACROSS THE MIDSOUTH. KJBR WILL BE THE FIRST TO BE
HIT BY STORMS...AND KTUP THE LAST. EXPECTING POSSIBLY 2 ROUNDS OF
THUNDERSTORMS. FIRST ROUND WILL BE A BROKEN LINE...WITH THE SECOND
ROUND A SOLID LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF TWO
ROUNDS OF STORMS...HAVE LEFT A 4 HOUR TEMPO GROUP AT ALL SITES
EXCEPT KTUP DUE TO SOME UNCERTAINTY OF THE TIMING OF THE STORMS.
LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THUNDERSTORMS.
STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE OUT BY LATE TONIGHT/EARLY TOMORROW
MORNING. WINDS WILL WEAKEN AND VEER TO THE SOUTHWEST AFTER STORMS
MOVE THROUGH. EXPECT SOME CLEARING ONCE THE STORMS MOVE
OUT...HOWEVER A LOW CLOUD DECK WILL SWING AROUND ON THE BACK SIDE
OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND BRING MVFR CONDITIONS TO ALL SITES
BY THURSDAY MORNING. WINDS WILL BECOME MORE WESTERLY AS THE COLD
FRONT PASSES THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.

SWC

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
MEM  66  77  59  82 /  80  30  10  10
MKL  66  76  54  79 /  80  40  10  10
JBR  63  74  55  78 /  70  20  10  10
TUP  70  82  58  82 /  80  60  10  10

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR CLAY-CRAIGHEAD-
     CRITTENDEN-CROSS-GREENE-LAWRENCE-LEE AR-MISSISSIPPI-
     PHILLIPS-POINSETT-RANDOLPH-ST. FRANCIS.

MO...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR DUNKLIN-PEMISCOT.

MS...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR COAHOMA-DESOTO-
     PANOLA-QUITMAN-TALLAHATCHIE-TATE-TUNICA.

TN...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR DYER-LAKE-
     LAUDERDALE-OBION-SHELBY-TIPTON.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 12:46 PM CDT, 6 hours 2 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
1246 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-
MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>021-048>055-088>092-261200-
ALCORN-BENTON MS-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-
1246 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST ARKANSAS...
THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...NORTH MISSISSIPPI...AND WEST TENNESSEE.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK IS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE
MID SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. THERE IS A HIGH RISK FOR
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS EAST AND
NORTHEAST ARKANSAS...THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...AND MOST OF WEST
TENNESSEE...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM SOMERVILLE TO
DECATURVILLE TENNESSEE. A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
EXISTS ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE MID SOUTH.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO QUICKLY DEVELOP ACROSS THE
LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND QUICKLY MOVE EAST TO NORTHEAST ACROSS
THE MID SOUTH. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...AND
TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT BECOME SEVERE.
SOME OF THESE TORNADOES MAY ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME STRONG
AND LONG TRACK TORNADOES. ALONG WITH THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
THREAT...LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING FROM HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO
POSSIBLE WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS.

STRONG GRADIENT WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WESTERN
HALF OF THE MIDSOUTH THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. A WIND
ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT.

MODERATE RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
NEAR OSCEOLA...AND ALONG THE ST FRANCIS RIVER SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

THERE WILL BE A CONTINUED THREAT FOR A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ON
THURSDAY MAINLY ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI.

THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WILL REMAIN ABOVE FLOOD STAGE THROUGH MOST
OF THIS WEEK...WHICH WILL CONTRIBUTE TO BACKWATER TRIBUTARY FLOODING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

KRM/CJC

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 25, 6:17 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
617 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0601 PM     HAIL             2 E FORREST CITY        35.01N 90.75W
05/25/2011  E1.00 INCH       ST. FRANCIS        AR   BROADCAST MEDIA

&&

TLSJR/JAB
Local storm report, May 25, 6:24 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
624 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0623 PM     TSTM WND DMG     PORTAGEVILLE            36.43N 89.70W
05/25/2011                   PEMISCOT           MO   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREE LIMBS DOWN AND DAMAGE TO CARPORT.

&&

CDG
Local storm report, May 25, 6:25 PM CDT, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
625 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0625 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     6 N HUGHES              35.04N 90.47W
05/25/2011                   ST. FRANCIS        AR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            POSSIBLE TORNADO

&&

CDG
Local storm report, May 25, 6:31 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
631 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0617 PM     HAIL             1 N LUCERNE             35.09N 90.55W
05/25/2011  E1.75 INCH       ST. FRANCIS        AR   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

TLSJR/JAB/KSP
Local storm report, May 25, 6:35 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
635 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0635 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     2 W BLYTHEVILLE         35.93N 89.96W
05/25/2011                   MISSISSIPPI        AR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            POSSIBLE TORNADO

&&

CDG
Local storm report, May 25, 6:40 PM CDT, 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
640 PM CDT WED MAY 25 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0635 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     3 N NEUHARDT            35.10N 90.33W
05/25/2011                   CRITTENDEN         AR   AMATEUR RADIO

            FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR HWY 147

&&

TLSJR/JAB/KSP

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), 12:00Z

11.8 hours before the tornado, 40 km from the path. May 25, 2011.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2011-05-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 2124 joules per kilogram, CIN -14, lifted condensation level 600 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Little Rock, AR at 12:00Z on 2011-05-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 445 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 69 knots.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2124 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-14 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1926 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
600 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
69 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
445 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
413 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
6.0
Supercell composite
20.1
0-3 km lapse rate
5.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Little Rock, AR (KLZK), 00:00Z

0.2 hours after it, 40 km from the path. May 26, 2011.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2011-05-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 2 joules per kilogram, CIN -10, lifted condensation level 2470 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Little Rock, AR at 00:00Z on 2011-05-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 65 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 64 knots.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-10 J/kg
Surface CAPE
167 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2470 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
64 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
65 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
163 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1
0-3 km lapse rate
8.6 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

West Memphis Municipal (AWM), 7 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 34 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:47 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2011 tornado in ArkansasEvery tornado in Arkansas since 1950Warnings in force in Arkansas nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of May 25, 2011

93 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 251:30 AM CDTEF1Webster, MO9.3100$20,000
May 257:35 AM CDTEF1Macon, IL1.075$165,000
May 257:39 AM CDTEF1Macon, IL1.575$100,000
May 259:04 AM CDTEF1Kankakee, IL5.850$250,000
May 259:13 AM CDTEF0Newton, IN0.120$25,000
May 259:19 AM CDTEF2Newton, IN1.9300$50,000
May 259:24 AM CDTEF1Jasper, IN2.9100$500
May 259:26 AM CDTEF1Jasper, IN1.9100$50,000
May 2510:45 AM EDTEF0Pulaski, IN0.850
May 2510:45 AM CDTEF0Miami, KS0.140$5,000
May 2511:10 AM CDTEF0Johnson, KS0.760$10,000
May 2511:22 AM CDTEF0Johnson, KS0.140
May 2511:35 AM CDTEF0Cass, MO0.140
May 2511:38 AM CDTEF0Johnson, KS0.140
May 2512:22 PM CDTEF2Pettis, MO2.150020$4.0 million
May 2512:33 PM CDTEF0Clay, MO0.140
May 2512:45 PM CDTEF0Clay, MO0.140
May 2512:52 PM CDTEF0Pettis, MO0.140
May 251:04 PM CDTEF0Cooper, MO0.140
May 251:07 PM CDTEF0Lafayette, MO0.140
May 252:15 PM CDTEF1Montgomery, MO7.1100
May 253:26 PM EDTEF0Van Wert, OH0.140
May 252:56 PM CDTEF1Oregon, MO2.5100$20,000
May 253:49 PM CDTEF3Carter, MO47.41,2002$800,000
May 254:13 PM CDTEF1Jackson, AR5.5500$40,000
May 255:15 PM EDTEF1Decatur, IN0.8600$500,000
May 255:20 PM EDTEF1Decatur, IN0.1400$250,000
May 254:35 PM CDTEF1Madison, MO5.540
May 254:37 PM CDTEF1Wayne, MO17.8150$70,000
May 254:44 PM CDTEF0Carter, MO0.550$2,000
May 254:45 PM CDTEF1Des Moines, IA4.8100$250,000
May 254:46 PM CDTEF1Madison, MO5.3440
May 254:47 PM CDTEF1Madison, MO4.3580
May 254:51 PM CDTEF0Perry, MO0.360$3,000
May 254:58 PM CDTEF0Ripley, MO0.750
May 256:00 PM EDTEF1Huron, OH8.050$250,000
May 255:00 PM CDTEF1Des Moines, IA3.650$50,000
May 255:14 PM CDTEF0Butler, MO0.740
May 256:14 PM EDTEF0Hardin, OH0.225
May 255:26 PM CDTEF1Bollinger, MO13.0250$30,000
May 256:06 PM CDTEF0McLean, IL0.925$8,000
May 256:09 PM CDTEF1McLean, IL10.375$10,000
May 257:10 PM EDTEF0Montgomery, OH0.125$5,000
May 256:18 PM CDTEF1Cape Girardeau, MO2.1250$20,000
May 256:18 PM CDTEF0St. Francis, AR1.1100
May 256:28 PM CDTEF2Jefferson, IL13.5250$4.0 million
May 256:30 PM CDTEF0Scott, MO0.450$1,000
May 257:30 PM EDTEF0Summit, OH4.250$200,000
May 256:39 PM CDTEF1Union, IL2.0125$150,000
May 256:40 PM CDTEF1Pulaski, IL5.5250$50,000
May 256:45 PM CDTEF1Pulaski, IL10.0120$40,000
May 256:55 PM CDTEF2Pulaski, IL19.9325$255,000
May 256:58 PM CDTEF0Champaign, IL0.215$5,000
May 257:58 PM EDTEF3Lawrence, IN6.8300$150,000
May 255:08 PM PDTEF1Glenn, CA21.6120$200,000
May 255:12 PM PDTEF1Glenn, CA26.4120$150,000
May 257:18 PM CDTEF1Clay, IL1.075$510,000
May 257:35 PM CDTEF0Richland, IL0.210
May 257:57 PM CDTEF2Crawford, IL5.5200$920,000
May 257:58 PM CDTEF0Union Parish, LA5.5150

All 94 of them

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.