Tornado Watch 544

Issued

Jul 28, 2002, 3:55 PM CDT (20:55 UTC)

Expired

Jul 28, 2002, 9:00 PM CDT

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 113 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:55 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.

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 282055
SEL4  
SPC WW 282055
IAZ000-MNZ000-WIZ000-290200-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 544
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
355 PM CDT SUN JUL 28 2002

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

   NORTHERN IOWA                               
   SOUTHERN MINNESOTA                          
   WESTERN WISCONSIN                          

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 355 PM UNTIL 900
PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 95 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 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MASON CITY IOWA TO 35 MILES
NORTHEAST OF MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA.

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 542...WW 543...

DISCUSSION...CLUSTER OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHWEST MN
WILL LIKELY EVOLVE INTO A FAST-MOVING BOW ECHO DURING THE NEXT FEW
HOURS.  ENHANCED SHEAR ALONG EXISTING BOUNDARY MAY CONTINUE TO POSE
A THREAT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES.  HOWEVER...GREATEST RISK IS OF VERY
DAMAGING WINDS AS BOW TRACKS EASTWARD ACROSS MN.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 80 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27040.

...HART

451,0910 425,0920 425,0951 451,0942

Tornado Watches in Minnesota, 2002Tornado Watches in Iowa, 2002Tornado Watches in Wisconsin, 2002Every tornado watch in 2002

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.