Tornado Watch 16

Issued

Feb 22, 2003, 12:35 AM CST (06:35 UTC)

Expired

Feb 22, 2003, 6:00 AM CST

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:38 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 116Feb 21, 9:03 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 117Feb 21, 10:22 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 118Feb 21, 10:40 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 120Feb 21, 11:14 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 121Feb 22, 2:02 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 122Feb 22, 2:47 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 123Feb 22, 3:51 AM CST

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 220636
SEL6
SPC WW 220635
ALZ000-FLZ000-LAZ000-MSZ000-CWZ000-221200-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 16
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1235 AM CST SAT FEB 22 2003

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

   ALABAMA                            
   THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE                            
   SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA                          
   CENTRAL AND EASTERN MISSISSIPPI                        
   COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY MORNING FROM 1235 AM UNTIL 600 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 125 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 80 MILES EAST OF BOOTHVILLE LOUISIANA TO 50 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 13...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 14.  WATCH NUMBER
13...14 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 35 AM CST.  CONTINUE...WW 15...

DISCUSSION...STRONG PRESSURE FALLS AND STRENGTHENING SHEAR PROFILES
SUGGEST THAT TORNADO THREAT WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD NWD INTO PARTS
OF CNTRL MS/AL LATER THIS MORNING AS BOUNDARY LAYER AIR MASS
RECOVERY CONTINUES.  SFC-1 KM SHEAR IS ON THE ORDER OF 40 KTS
ACROSS E CNTRL MS AND CNTRL AL ATTM.

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 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22050.

...CORFIDI

335,0852 291,0860 291,0900 335,0894

Tornado Watches in Alabama, 2003Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2003Tornado Watches in Florida, 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.