Tornado Watch 17

Issued

Feb 22, 2003, 3:35 AM CST (09:35 UTC)

Expired

Feb 22, 2003, 6:00 AM CST

In force

2 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 97 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:38 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 122Feb 22, 2:47 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 123Feb 22, 3:51 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 124Feb 22, 5:19 AM CST

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 220936
SEL7
SPC WW 220935
ALZ000-GAZ000-221200-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
435 AM EST SAT FEB 22 2003

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

   NORTHERN ALABAMA                            
   NORTHERN GEORGIA                            

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY MORNING FROM 435 AM UNTIL 700 AM EST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO
60 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 90 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LA GRANGE GEORGIA TO 45 MILES
NORTH OF ROME GEORGIA.

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 14...WW 15...WW 16...

DISCUSSION...WARM ATTM EXTENDING FROM N OF BHM TO S OF
ATL...EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MOVING NWD THIS MORNING IN RESPONSE TO
BACKING/STRENGTHENING OF DEEP SSW FLOW...AND SURFACE PRESSURE FALLS
OVER THE TN VLY.  THIS WILL ALLOW CONDITIONAL THREAT FOR TORNADOES/
MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL ALREADY PRESENT OVER CNTRL AL TO LIFT
NWD/EWD...WITH 0-1 KM SHEAR REMAINING ON THE ORDER OF 40 KTS. 

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1 INCH...EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 21050.

...CORFIDI

345,0833 325,0834 325,0864 345,0864

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