Tornado Watch 802

Issued

Dec 23, 2002, 7:10 PM CST (01:10 UTC)

Expired

Dec 24, 2002, 3:00 AM CST

In force

8 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Houston radar (KHGX), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:09 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 240112
SEL2  
SPC WW 240110
LAZ000-TXZ000-CWZ000-240900-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 802
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
710 PM CST MON DEC 23 2002

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

   SOUTHERN AND WESTERN LOUISIANA                          
   SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS                              
   COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING FROM 710 PM UNTIL
300 AM CST.

 ...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
 
DAMAGING TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 95 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 55 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF BEEVILLE TEXAS TO
25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ALEXANDRIA LOUISIANA.

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 799...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 800.  WATCH NUMBER
799...800 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 710 PM CST.  CONTINUE...WW
801...

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS/SUPERCELLS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN
COVERAGE/INTENSITY THROUGH THE EVENING ACROSS THE MIDDLE AND UPPER
TX GULF COASTAL PLAIN...WHERE STRONG FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH CNTRL
TX UPPER TROUGH WILL ENCOUNTER VERY RICH BOUNDARY LAYER GULF INFLOW
/DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 60S TO AROUND 70/.  COUPLED WITH RELATIVELY
STEEP LAPSE RATES PRESENT AT MID LEVELS...AND LIKELY DEVELOPMENT OF
A SURFACE WAVE WHERE UPPER FORCING INTERSECTS WITH SE TX COLD FRONT
...SETUP APPEARS FAVORABLE FOR NUMEROUS LONG-LIVED SUPERCELLS. 
THREAT WILL EXIST FOR A COUPLE STRONG TORNADOES IN ADDITION TO
BOWING SEGMENTS WITH HIGH WINDS/HAIL AS ACTVITY MOVES/DEVELOPS
ENEWD.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24050.

...CORFIDI

300,0983 323,0920 294,0920 271,0983

Tornado Watches in Texas, 2002Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 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.