Tornado Watch 232

Issued

May 2, 1997, 12:15 PM CDT (17:15 UTC)

Expired

May 2, 1997, 7:00 PM CDT

In force

7 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

319 
WWUS9 KMKC 021700
SEL2  
MKC WW 021700
MSZ000-020000-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 232
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1200 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 1997

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

   CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI                        

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1215 PM UNTIL 700
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 80 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 60 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF LAUREL MISSISSIPPI TO 40
MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF OXFORD MISSISSIPPI.


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...POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES LIKELY TO INCREASE THIS
AFTERNOON AS SURFACE HEATING AND ADVECTION OF STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE
RATES DESTABLIZES REGION IN VICINITY OF SURFACE TRIPLE POINT.
VERTICAL SHEAR WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS
FLOW STRENGHTENS ALOFT.

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 520. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23035.

...CORFIDI

312,0912 345,0904 345,0875 312,0884

Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 1997Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 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.