Tornado Watch 242

Issued

May 3, 1997, 2:00 AM CDT (07:00 UTC)

Expired

May 3, 1997, 8:00 AM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Birmingham radar (KBMX), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:02 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

875 
WWUS9 KMKC 030626
SEL2  
MKC WW 030626
ALZ000-GAZ000-031300-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 242
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
126 AM CDT SAT MAY 3 1997

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

   NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA                            
   NORTHERN AND CENTRAL GEORGIA                            

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY MORNING FROM 200 AM UNTIL 800 AM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1 3/4 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA
TO ATHENS GEORGIA.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO WATCH
NUMBER 239.  WATCH NUMBER 239 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 200 AM
CDT.  CONTINUE...WW 240...WW 241...

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...LOCALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE EWD
ALONG CONVECTIVE BOUNDARY EXTENDING ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF
ALABAMA AND GEORGIA.  AIR MASS SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY REMAINS VERY
MOIST WITH SURFACE DEW POINTS OF 65-70F...CONTRIBUTING TO MODERATE
INSTABILITY WITH LIFTED INDEX OF -3 TO -6.  VAD WIND PROFILES
INDICATE STRONG VEERING IN THE LOWEST 1 KM WITH SPEEDS GREATER THAN
50 KT ABOVE THE SURFACE LAYER.  THIS SUGGESTS FAVORABLE KINEMATIC
ENVIRONMENT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED
TORNADO DEVELOPMENT.  


AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1 3/4 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
480.  MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25050.


...WEISS

340,0881 345,0831 325,0831 315,0881

Tornado Watches in Georgia, 1997Tornado Watches in Alabama, 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.