Tornado Watch 778

Issued

Dec 17, 2002, 7:35 PM CST (01:35 UTC)

Expired

Dec 18, 2002, 1:00 AM CST

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 48 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:39 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 180133
SEL8  
SPC WW 180135
ARZ000-KSZ000-MOZ000-OKZ000-180700-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 778
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
735 PM CST TUE DEC 17 2002

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

   NORTHWEST ARKANSAS                           
   SOUTHEAST KANSAS                             
   CENTRAL AND WESTERN MISSOURI                           
   NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA                           

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING FROM 735 PM
UNTIL 100 AM CST.

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 70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 15 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS TO
10 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF KIRKSVILLE MISSOURI.

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...CONVECTION IS RAPIDLY INCREASING OVER NORTHEAST OK AND
SOUTHWEST MO.  THIS AREA IS AHEAD OF STRONG UPPER TROUGH AND IN
REGION OF STRONG LOW/DEEP LAYER SHEAR PROFILES.  DESPITE RATHER
WEAK INSTABILITY...CONTINUED DESTABILIZATION OVER THE NEXT FEW
HOURS SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL FOR SUPERCELL STORMS CAPABLE OF LARGE
HAIL AND TORNADOES.

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 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.

...HART

401,0911 354,0924 354,0951 401,0935

Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2002Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2002Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, 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.