Tornado Watch 18

Issued

Feb 22, 2003, 5:50 AM CST (11:50 UTC)

Expired

Feb 22, 2003, 11:00 AM CST

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Tallahassee radar (KTLH), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:49 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
• Mesoscale Discussion 125Feb 22, 8:27 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 128Feb 22, 9:59 AM CST

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 221155
SEL8
SPC WW 221150
ALZ000-FLZ000-GAZ000-SCZ000-CWZ000-221700-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 18
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
650 AM EST SAT FEB 22 2003

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

   EXTREME SOUTHEAST ALABAMA                            
   EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE AND NORTHERN FLORIDA                 
   GEORGIA                            
   WESTERN  AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA                     
   COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY MORNING FROM 650 AM UNTIL NOON 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 100 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF APALACHICOLA FLORIDA TO 50
MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF AUGUSTA 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...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO WATCH
NUMBER 15...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 17.  WATCH NUMBER 15...17 WILL NOT
BE IN EFFECT AFTER 650 AM EST.  CONTINUE...WW 16...

DISCUSSION...POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED STRONG TORNADOES EXPECTED TO
PERSIST ALONG BROKEN LINE OF STORMS MOVING E AT ABOUT 30 KTS ACROSS
EXTREME SE AL/WRN GA AND THE FL PANHANDLE.  STRENGTH OF LOW LEVEL
SHEAR /ON THE ORDER 40 KTS/ AND LOW LCLS SUGGEST CONTINUED THREAT
FOR EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS/TORNADOES.  

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

340,0803 292,0830 292,0862 340,0840

Tornado Watches in Georgia, 2003Tornado Watches in Florida, 2003Tornado Watches in South Carolina, 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.