Tornado Watch 785

Issued

Dec 18, 2002, 2:30 PM CST (20:30 UTC)

Expired

Dec 18, 2002, 9:00 PM CST

In force

7 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 182030
SEL5  
SPC WW 182030
ARZ000-MOZ000-190300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 785
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
230 PM CST WED DEC 18 2002

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

NORTH AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS                           
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI                           

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 230 PM UNTIL
900 PM CST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO
70 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 95 MILES SOUTHWEST OF JONESBORO ARKANSAS TO 20 MILES
NORTH NORTHWEST OF POPLAR BLUFF 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.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...  CONTINUE...WW 783...WW 784...

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE/INTENSITY AND
SPREAD NEWD FROM AR TOWARD SE MO THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. 
DESTABILIZATION FROM THE S AND STRONG VERTICAL SHEAR WILL SUPPORT
SUPERCELLS WITH TORNADOES IN SEVERAL NE-SW ORIENTED BANDS...AS WELL
AS A THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.  AN ISOLATED STRONG
TORNADO COULD OCCUR LATER THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING ALONG AN AXIS FROM
LIT TO ARG.


AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1 INCH...EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24045.


...THOMPSON

370,0890 345,0902 345,0931 370,0920

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