Tornado Watch 39

Issued

Feb 18, 2000, 2:00 PM CST (20:00 UTC)

Expired

Feb 18, 2000, 7:00 PM CST

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:03 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.

650 
WWUS9 KMKC 181925
SEL9  
MKC WW 181925
ARZ000-MOZ000-MSZ000-TNZ000-190100-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 39
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
125 PM CST FRI FEB 18 2000

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

   EASTERN ARKANSAS                           
   MISSOURI BOOTHEEL
   NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI                        
   WESTERN TENNESSEE                          

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 200 PM UNTIL 700
PM CST.

 ...THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION...
 
DAMAGING TORNADOES...LARGE 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 75 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 5 MILES WEST OF GREENVILLE MISSISSIPPI TO 35 MILES
NORTH OF DYERSBURG TENNESSEE.

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...  CONTINUE...WW 38...

DISCUSSION...CLUSTER OF SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS WITH HISTORY OF
TORNADOES OVER CENTRAL AR WILL TRACK EAST-NORTHEASTWARD INTO TN/MS
DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.  SURFACE-BASED CAPE VALUES OF 1500-
2000 J/KG AND 3KM HELICITY VALUES OVER 300 M2/S2 INDICATE A
CONTINUED THREAT OF TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS.

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 24040.


...HART

332,0922 363,0904 363,0880 332,0894

Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2000Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2000Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 2000Every tornado watch in 2000

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.