Alert archive / Mississippi / Tornado Watches in 2002

Tornado Watch 794

December 19, 200218 counties in Alabama; 13 parishes in Louisiana; 32 counties in Mississippi

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Dec 19, 2002, 11:40 AM CST for 18 counties in Alabama; 13 parishes in Louisiana; 32 counties in Mississippi. It was in force for 6 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Dec 19, 2002, 11:40 AM CST (17:40 UTC)
Expired
Dec 19, 2002, 6:00 PM CST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 63 counties

Autauga County, AL, Bibb County, AL, Chilton County, AL, Choctaw County, AL, Clarke County, AL, Dallas County, AL, Greene County, AL, Hale County, AL, Marengo County, AL, Mobile County, AL, Monroe County, AL, Perry County, AL, Pickens County, AL, Shelby County, AL, Sumter County, AL, Tuscaloosa County, AL, Washington County, AL, Wilcox County, AL, Ascension Parish, LA, Assumption Parish, LA, Livingston Parish, LA, Orleans Parish, LA, Saint Bernard Parish, LA, Saint Charles Parish, LA, Saint Helena Parish, LA, Saint James Parish, LA, Saint John the Baptist Parish, LA, Saint Tammany Parish, LA, St. Mary Parish, LA, Tangipahoa Parish, LA, Washington Parish, LA, Choctaw County, MS, Clarke County, MS, Covington County, MS, Forrest County, MS, George County, MS, Greene County, MS, Hancock County, MS, Harrison County, MS, Jackson County, MS, Jasper County, MS, Jefferson Davis County, MS, Jones County, MS, Kemper County, MS, Lamar County, MS, Lauderdale County, MS, Lawrence County, MS, Leake County, MS, Marion County, MS, Neshoba County, MS, Newton County, MS, Noxubee County, MS, Pearl River County, MS, Perry County, MS, Pike County, MS, Rankin County, MS, Scott County, MS, Simpson County, MS, Smith County, MS, Stone County, MS, Walthall County, MS, Wayne County, MS, Winston County, MS

Warnings issued inside it

43 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 19, 11:42 AM CSTTornado WarningMOBGreene5 hr
Dec 19, 11:43 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANLeake, Scott42 min
Dec 19, 11:48 AM CSTTornado WarningMOBWashington4 days
Dec 19, 12:06 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXOrleans, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard24 min
Dec 19, 12:20 PM CSTTornado WarningJANSimpson, Smith30 min
Dec 19, 12:23 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANJefferson Davis27 min
Dec 19, 12:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANScott30 min
Dec 19, 12:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXAscension, Iberville, Livingston, Saint Helena, Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa and 1 more59 min
Dec 19, 12:35 PM CSTTornado WarningLIXHarrison25 min
Dec 19, 12:51 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXPerry39 min
Dec 19, 12:51 PM CSTTornado WarningLIXHancock, Harrison24 min
Dec 19, 12:54 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANNewton31 min
Dec 19, 12:59 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBWashington4 days
Dec 19, 1:07 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXAssumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Saint Charles, Saint James, Saint John the Baptist and 1 more53 min
Dec 19, 1:14 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANMarion46 min
Dec 19, 1:17 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANJasper43 min
Dec 19, 1:17 PM CSTTornado WarningJANNewton28 min
Dec 19, 1:20 PM CSTTornado WarningJANLamar, Marion30 min
Dec 19, 1:22 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANCovington43 min
Dec 19, 1:26 PM CSTTornado WarningLIXWashington34 min
Dec 19, 1:30 PM CSTTornado WarningJANLauderdale25 min
Dec 19, 1:32 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBWashington4 days
Dec 19, 1:39 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANJones61 min
Dec 19, 1:48 PM CSTTornado WarningLIXWashington27 min
Dec 19, 1:49 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANLamar26 min
Dec 19, 1:51 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBClarke5 days
Dec 19, 1:52 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXSaint Tammany38 min
Dec 19, 1:55 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANLauderdale30 min
Dec 19, 1:59 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSumter46 min
Dec 19, 1:59 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXJefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles and 2 more91 min
Dec 19, 2:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANForrest40 min
Dec 19, 2:14 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANClarke31 min
Dec 19, 2:19 PM CSTTornado WarningLIXPearl River26 min
Dec 19, 2:23 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXPerry37 min
Dec 19, 2:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANLauderdale35 min
Dec 19, 2:35 PM CSTTornado WarningBMXBibb40 min
Dec 19, 2:39 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANForrest31 min
Dec 19, 2:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJANClarke, Lauderdale30 min
Dec 19, 2:46 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXSumter29 min
Dec 19, 2:56 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXHancock, Harrison, Pearl River64 min
Dec 19, 3:22 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBBaldwin, Clarke, Washington4 days
Dec 19, 3:51 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBMonroe4 days
Dec 19, 4:13 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningBMXMarengo32 min

The nearest sounding before it

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 12:00Z, 5.7 hours before the alert went out and 100 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 2002-12-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 668 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Slidell Radar S, LA at 12:00Z on 2002-12-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 304 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
668 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
480 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
304 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
417 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
5.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 191740
SEL4  
WWUS20 KWNS 191740
SPC WW 191740
ALZ000-LAZ000-MSZ000-CWZ000-200000-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 794
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1140 AM CST THU DEC 19 2002

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

   SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL ALABAMA                            
   SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA                          
   EASTERN MISSISSIPPI                        
   COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY MORNING AND EVENING FROM 1140 AM UNTIL 600
PM 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 95 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA TO
10 MILES NORTH OF TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA.

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 792...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 793.  WATCH NUMBER 792...793 WILL
NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 1140 AM CST.

DISCUSSION...MOIST UNSTABLE AIRMASS CONTINUES TO SPREAD NWD AHEAD
OF COLD FRONT ERN MS/AL.  WITH SURFACE LOW DEEPENING WRN TN...VERY
STRONG SHEAR PROFILES WILL SUPPORT POTENTIAL FOR TORNADIC
SUPERCELLS ALONG/AHEAD OF COLD FRONT EWD INTO WRN AL THRU THE
AFTERNOON.


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 23040.


...HALES

332,0855 293,0882 293,0913 332,0891

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 19, 9:35 AM CSTTornado WatchSPCAutauga, Choctaw, Clarke, Dallas, Marengo, Mobile and 3 more5 hr
Dec 19, 3:15 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCBarbour, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Clay, Coffee and 17 more6 hr
Dec 18, 8:55 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCBienville, Bossier, Caddo, Caldwell, Claiborne, De Soto and 13 more6 hr
Dec 19, 12:30 AM CSTTornado WatchSPCAllen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Evangeline7 hr
Dec 19, 2:25 AM CSTTornado WatchSPCAvoyelles, Bienville, Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia and 20 more8 hr
Dec 19, 6:30 AM CSTTornado WatchSPCAcadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Cameron and 26 more6 hr
Dec 18, 9:05 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCBenton, Coahoma, DeSoto, Lafayette, Marshall, Panola and 5 more6 hr

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2002Tornado Watches in Alabama, 2002Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 2002Every tornado watch in 2002

Sources

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.