Tornado Watch 159

Issued

Apr 24, 2003, 3:25 PM CDT (20:25 UTC)

Expired

Apr 24, 2003, 8:00 PM CDT

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 75 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:24 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.

• Mesoscale Discussion 561Apr 24, 12:47 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 564Apr 24, 3:28 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 567Apr 24, 5:52 PM CDT

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 242025
SEL9  
SPC WW 242025
ARZ000-250100-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 159 
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 
325 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

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

       NORTHERN ARKANSAS

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 325 PM UNTIL 
800 PM CDT.

...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...

DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 60 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF HARRISON ARKANSAS TO 10
MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF HOT SPRINGS ARKANSAS.

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 156...WW 157...WW 158...


DISCUSSION...VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS TOWERING
CUMULUS/DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS OVER N CENTRAL AR.  EXPECT
CONVECTIVE INITIATION IN THE NEXT 1-2 HOURS IN CONJUNCTION WITH
CONTINUED SURFACE HEATING AND INCREASING ASCENT IN ADVANCE OF A
SHORTWAVE TROUGH ROTATING TOWARD AR FROM OK.  DEEP LAYER/LOW-LEVEL
SHEAR AND INSTABILITY APPEAR FAVORABLE FOR INTENSE SUPERCELLS
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL AND POSSIBLY STRONG TORNADOES
THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS.

AVIATION...TORDADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25030.


...THOMPSON

362,0912 342,0915 342,0935 362,0933

Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.