Tornado Watch 13

Issued

Feb 21, 2003, 8:15 PM CST (02:15 UTC)

Expired

Feb 22, 2003, 2:00 AM CST

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

• Mesoscale Discussion 113Feb 21, 5:50 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 115Feb 21, 7:26 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 117Feb 21, 10:22 PM CST

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 220211
SEL3
SPC WW 220215
ALZ000-FLZ000-LAZ000-MSZ000-CWZ000-220800-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 13
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
815 PM CST FRI FEB 21 2003

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

   SOUTHERN ALABAMA                            
   WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE                          
   SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA                          
   SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI                        
   COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING FROM 815 PM UNTIL
200 AM 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 150 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 65 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA TO 30
MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF LAUREL MISSISSIPPI.

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 12.  WATCH NUMBER 12 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 815 PM CST.

DISCUSSION...ENVIRONMENT REMAINS VERY FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELLS
INCLUDING A FEW TORNADOES AS THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE INCREASING
ACROSS THE CENTRAL GULF COAST REGION OVERNIGHT.  SURFACE WARM FRONT
WILL LIKELY SHIFT NWD ACROSS MUCH OF THE WW AS SLY LLJ STRENGTHENS
AHEAD OF EJECTING UPPER TROUGH.  THIS WILL BOTH INCREASE
INSTABILITY AND LOW LEVEL SHEAR OVER THIS AREA...SUSTAINING A
TORNADO THREAT SOUTH AND JUST NORTH OF THE WARM FRONT.


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 22045.


...EVANS

314,0860 291,0870 291,0915 314,0911

Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 2003Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2003Tornado Watches in Alabama, 2003Every tornado watch in 2003

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.