Tornado Watch 227

Issued

May 3, 2003, 8:05 PM CDT (01:05 UTC)

Expired

May 4, 2003, 2:00 AM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:07 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 713May 3, 6:10 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 720May 3, 10:00 PM CDT

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 040110
SEL7  
SPC WW 040105
OKZ000-TXZ000-040700-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 227 
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 
805 PM CDT SAT MAY 3 2003

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

       WESTERN OKLAHOMA
       EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE AND NORTHWEST TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AND 5t5X05x0MORNING FROM
805 PM UNTIL 200 AM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 95 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 20 MILES EAST OF GAGE OKLAHOMA TO 15 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHEAST OF ABILENE TEXAS.

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 222. WATCH NUMBER 222 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 805
PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 223...WW 224...WW 225...WW 226...


DISCUSSION...LEFT AND RIGHT MOVING SUPERCELLS WILL PERSIST FOR
ANOTHER COUPLE OF HOURS ACROSS NW TX AND SW OK.  THE ENVIRONMENT
OVER WRN OK IS BECOMING MORE FAVORABLE FOR RIGHT MOVING SUPERCELLS
WITH INCREASING LOW-LEVEL SHEAR...ALONG THE AXIS OF 2000-3000 J/KG
MLCAPE CAPE AND 65-70 DEW POINTS.  THERE IS SOME CONCERN THAT THE
CAP WILL INHIBIT ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT GIVEN THE LOSS OF DAYTIME
HEATING...BUT CONVERGENCE ALONG THE DRYLINE REMAINS PRONOUNCED AND A
MID-UPPER SPEED MAX WILL APPROACH THE NW TX PANHANDLE IN THE NEXT
3-6 HOURS.  VERY LARGE HAIL AND A COUPLE OF TORNADOES WILL BE
POSSIBLE... ESPECIALLY IF ADDITIONAL STORMS CAN FORM ACROSS WRN OK
THIS EVENING.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 600.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 29020.


...THOMPSON

361,0974 321,0975 321,1011 361,1010

Tornado Watches in Texas, 2003Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, 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.