Tornado Watch 781

Issued

Dec 18, 2002, 3:30 AM CST (09:30 UTC)

Expired

Dec 18, 2002, 8:00 AM CST

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Springfield radar (KSGF), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:31 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 180930
SEL1  
SPC WW 180930
ARZ000-ILZ000-KSZ000-MOZ000-OKZ000-181400-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 781
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
330 AM CST WED DEC 18 2002

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

   FAR NORTHWEST ARKANSAS                           
   WEST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS                           
   FAR SOUTHEAST KANSAS                             
   SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL MISSOURI                           
   FAR NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA                           

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING FROM 330 AM UNTIL 800 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 NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JOPLIN MISSOURI TO 15
MILES NORTHEAST OF ALTON ILLINOIS.

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 779.  WATCH NUMBER 779 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 330 AM
CST.  CONTINUE...WW 780...

DISCUSSION...SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED 90+ KT MID LEVEL SPEED
MAX WILL CONTINUE TO EJECT ENEWD ACROSS OK.  THIS WILL MAINTAIN
TORNADIC SUPERCELL THREAT ACROSS WW FOR AT LEAST 4-5 MORE HOURS. 
VWP/S AND PROFILERS INDICATE EXTREME SHEAR IN PLACE OVER SWRN MO
WITH SR-HELECITIES IN EXCESS OF 600 M2/S2...SUGGESTING PERSISTENT/
LONG-TRACK TORNADIC SUPERCELLS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE /MAINLY ACROSS
WRN PORTION OF WW/.  FARTHER EAST...INSTABILITY REMAINS WEAKER
THOUGH SEVERAL LINES AND/OR SUPERCELLS WILL MAINTAIN A THREAT OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EWD TOWARDS THE STL AREA AND FAR WRN IL
THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING.


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 400. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24045.


...EVANS

374,0950 400,0895 380,0895 354,0950

Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2002Tornado Watches in Illinois, 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.