Tornado Watch 196

Issued

Apr 25, 1997, 2:30 PM CDT (19:30 UTC)

Expired

Apr 25, 1997, 8:00 PM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

270 
WWUS9 KMKC 251858
SEL6  
MKC WW 251858
TXZ000-260100-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 196
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
158 PM CDT FRI APR 25 1997

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS                              
   AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 230 PM UNTIL 800
PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 140 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF PALACIOS TEXAS TO 10
MILES EAST OF COLLEGE STATION TEXAS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. 
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING
ALONG AND NORTH OF WARM FRONT EXTENDING FM NORTH OF SAT TO NR GLS. 
AIR MASS SOUTH OF THE FRONT IS VERY UNSTBL WITH LIFTED INDEX TO -8
AND CAPE TO 4000 J/KG.  GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS IN THE WARM SECTOR
ARE CREATING STRONG LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG THE BOUNDARY...AND
LOW LEVEL WARM ADVECTION WILL ENHANCE UPWARD MOTION.  EASTERLY
SURFACE WINDS NORTH OF THE FRONT ARE ENHANCING VERTICAL SHEAR
SUGGESTING POTENTIAL FOR SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT...AND FAVORABLE
STORM-RELATIVE FLOW OVR THE AREA WILL INCREASE RISK OF ISOLATED
TORNADO DEVELOPMENT. 


AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 19035.


...WEISS

283,0985 303,0983 303,0935 283,0941

Tornado Watches in Texas, 1997Every tornado watch in 1997

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.