Tornado Watch 97

Issued

Mar 8, 1998, 3:00 PM CST (21:00 UTC)

Expired

Mar 8, 1998, 9:00 PM CST

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

478 
WWUS9 KMKC 082031
SEL7  
MKC WW 082031
ALZ000-FLZ000-GAZ000-090300-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 97
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
331 PM EST SUN MAR 8 1998

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

   SOUTHERN ALABAMA                            
   NORTHERN FLORIDA                            
   SOUTHERN GEORGIA                            
   AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 400 PM UNTIL 1000
PM EST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 75 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 20 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF PENSACOLA FLORIDA
TO 25 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF BRUNSWICK GEORGIA.

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.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO WATCH
NUMBER 93 AND TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 94.  WATCHES NUMBER 93 AND 94
WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 400 PM EST.  CONTINUE...WW 95...WW
96...

DISCUSSION...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING OVER NORTHWEST
FLORIDA AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA ALONG AND AHEAD OF ADVANCING COLD
FRONT.  OTHER STORMS ARE NOW FORMING OVER NORTHERN FLORIDA AND
SOUTHERN GEORGIA NEAR OUTFLOW-ENHANCED BOUNDARY NEAR THE
GEORGIA/FLORIDA STATE LINE.  AIR MASS OVER THE NORTHEAST GULF AND
NORTHERN FLORIDA IS MODERATELY UNSTABLE WITH CAPE OF 1500-2000
J/KG.  STRONGEST SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL JET IS FORECAST TO SPREAD INTO
NORTH FLORIDA ANDF SOUTH GEORGIA INTO THE EVENING WHERE MOST
FAVORABLE VERTICAL SHEAR IS EXPECTED...PARTICULARLY ALONG AND JUST
NORTH OF OUTFLOW BOUNDARY.  THIS FAVORS POTENTIAL FOR A FEW
TORNADIC SUPERCELLS IN THIS REGION...WITH POSSIBILITY OF OTHER
ROTATING STORMS OVER NORTHWEST FLORIDA/SOUTH ALABAMA WHERE STORM-
SCALE INTERACTIONS ARE LIKELY. 


AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22050.


...WEISS

314,0872 320,0810 295,0810 292,0872

Tornado Watches in Georgia, 1998Tornado Watches in Florida, 1998Tornado Watches in Alabama, 1998Every tornado watch in 1998

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.