Tornado Watch 162

Issued

Apr 24, 2003, 11:45 PM CDT (04:45 UTC)

Expired

Apr 25, 2003, 5:00 AM CDT

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

• Mesoscale Discussion 569Apr 24, 9:03 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 570Apr 24, 10:51 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 571Apr 25, 1:15 AM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 572Apr 25, 3:05 AM CDT

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 250446
SEL2  
SPC WW 250445
ARZ000-MSZ000-TNZ000-251000-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 162 
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 
1145 PM CDT THU APR 24 2003

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

       NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL ARKANSAS
       MISSISSIPPI MISSISSIPPI
       WESTERN TENNESSEE

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING FROM 1145 PM UNTIL 
500 AM CDT.

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 75 STATUTE MILES EITHER SIDE
OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF DYERSBURG TENNESSEE TO
50 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF JACKSON 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 160...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 161. WATCH NUMBER
160...161... WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 1145 PM CDT. 


DISCUSSION...MULTIPLE BANDS OF STRONG/SEVERE STORMS ARE CONTINUING
TO PROGRESS EWD ACROSS ERN AR INTO WRN AND EAST CENTRAL MS.  LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY ARE OPTIMIZED WITHIN WARM SECTOR FROM
SRN AR INTO LA AND SRN MS...WITH SURFACE-BASED INSTABILITY
DECREASING TO THE EAST OF HE WARM FRONT FROM ERN AR INTO SERN MS. 
LOW LEVEL SHEAR AND HELICITY IS MAXIMIZED ALONG AND EAST OF THE WARM
FRONT...SUGGESTING CONTINUED POTENTIAL FOR TORNADIC SUPERCELLS TO
DEVELOP NEAR THIS BOUNDARY.  DEEP LAYER SHEAR REMAINS FAVORABLE FOR
ORGANIZED SEVERE STORM THREAT INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS IN ADVANCE OF
STRONG UPPER LOW MOVING EWD INTO MO.

AVIATION...TORDADOES 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 26035.


...WEISS

360,0882 313,0882 313,0910 360,0910

Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2003Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 2003Tornado 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.