2/24/07 NOW: LA / AR / TX / MS

[Justin Bailey]

nice meso still evident with potentially tornadic superdell between pine bluff, ar and greenville, ms. curious to see how this cell merger will affect it over the next couple min.

EDIT: appears that the intensifying cell NE of shreveport and just N of I-20 is trying to develop rotation! T-storm warning up for it now but expect a TOR in a few min.

SPC is reporting a tornado touchdown near bradley, ar. g2g shear ~40 mi. SE of pine bluff is looking real impressive. i wouldn't be surprised to see this storm drop another tornado or two.

EDIT: TOR warn now in effect for the cell that i pointed out earlier now S of el dorado just across the state line.

numerous reports of Buildings damaged around Dumas, AR due to tornado touchdown.

the big storm appears to be weakening as it gets closer to Memphis, however, the cell SE of El Dorado looks like it could drop a tornado at any min. if it hasn't done so already.

EDIT: the cell NE of El Dorado appears to be quickly gaining a TVS. warning should be issued shortly.

 

[George Tincher]

I just heard a report of "cars in trees" in Dumas, AR along HWY 65, to go along with the building damage.

CNN is also reporting injuries in Dumas, though the severity or how many is unknown at this point.

I also believe I heard them say the damage path there may be as much as a half mile wide.

 

[Mark Farnik]

Unfortunately it looks like Dumas may be getting hit by a second tornado at this time. From KLZK:

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CST FOR
NORTHWESTERN DESHA COUNTY...

AT 416 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED JUST SOUTHWEST OF
DUMAS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

The storm has a very intense circulation and in all likelihood is producing a tornado. What are the odds of one town getting hit by two tornadoes within four hours of eachother?

 

[Stuart Robinson]

Offical LSR report does indeed quote cars in trees near to Dumas.

TORNADO Feb 24 20:55 UTCDUMASDESHAARTRAINED SPOTTERRECEIVED REPORT OF CARS IN TREES NORTH OF DUMAS ON HIGHWAY 65. TIME REPORTED IS APPROXIMATE.

 

[Mark Farnik]

The tail end charlie storm has officially gone tornadic in Ashely County, Arkansas as of a few minutes ago:

AT 431 PM CST...THE PUBLIC REPORTED A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS
LOCATED NEAR NORTH CROSSETT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 70 MPH.

The circulation is very tight and very intense and in all likelihood this is a strong or violent tornado. It should pass over the town of Hamburg, Arkansas momentarily. I hope everyone gets to shelter in time, as this 'nader is hauling at 70 mph! It also looks like this storm may eventually affect Greenville, Mississippi in about forty five minutes. This is a very dangerous situation, to say the least.
There is also another intense couplet over central Desha County west of Rohwer, Arkansas which probably has a tornado on the ground attm.

 

[rdale]

Nader motion is not 70mph, it appears to be a met just taking the storm icon output. If you look at radar, actual motion is closer to 45-50mph. I'm not sure that you can classify this as violent based on radar returns - SRV and NROT are not too high up the scale.

 

[Mark Farnik]

I'm not saying the Ashely Co. tornado IS violent, just given the environment the storm is in and the fact that there's a PDS watch out with specific wording about possible significant tornadoes in the area, I'm just saying that it's possible. The SRV is still fairly impressive, so maybe not a violent tornado, but probably a strong one. Now the couplet in Desha County, on the other hand... check that out!

 

[ReidVaughan]

DP In West Alabama...

Dewpoints have been in the 30's and 40's across much of Alabama today, but the DP here has been moving rapidly north... We are at 52 now just after 1700. It appears that things may be heating up in West Alabama later this evening.

 

[rdale]

With the rain showers increasing over much of MS it would make sense that some of the tornadic potential will be on the decrease as the line moves eastward...

 

[Mark Farnik]

Tornado warnings now for Bolivar and Washington County, Mississippi as the supercells will cross the Mississippi River memomentarily. Cleveland and Greenville are included in the warnings. With the aforementioned shower activity in northern Mississippi, these storms should weaken as they move into the less favorable environment.

Further south, it looks like the storms on the southern end of the squall line are really beginning to get their act together. A tornado warned cell with a decent hook on base reflectivity is just northwest of Bastrop, Louisiana attm, and should cross into Arkansas in a few minutes. A very nasty severe warned supercell has exploded just west of Monroe, Louisiana and will likely become tornadic shortly. Other supercells are forming along the dryline from southwest of Monroe to northeast of Jasper, TX. The latest MD from the SPC hints that a tornado watch may be issued shortly for central and southern Louisiana given the recent convective trends, the strongly sheared environment and the fact that boundary layer moisture is increasing significantly across the area. Louisiana's undoubtedly going to have some pretty rough weather the next three to five hours as this line moves through.

 

[ReidVaughan]

Dew Points...

Dew Point in this area continues its impressive climb. We are now at 58 degrees at 1908. At 1200 we were sitting on 40.

CRV

 

[Jason A.C. Brock]

WOW

Thats an impressive line with tons of embedded supercells. I cant wait to see all the great photogenic tornadoes that come out of the SE! How did Arkansas fair so far? Maybe some good pics from ones from the cold core event in Kansas as well!? Look like Winona? is in trouble. I wish I could have been out there.