Tornado Watch 239

Issued

May 4, 2003, 6:55 PM CDT (23:55 UTC)

Expired

May 5, 2003, 1:00 AM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

• Mesoscale Discussion 739May 4, 5:01 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 743May 4, 7:34 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 747May 4, 9:26 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 748May 4, 9:42 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 749May 4, 11:37 PM CDT

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 042351
SEL9  
SPC WW 042355
ARZ000-KYZ000-MOZ000-MSZ000-TNZ000-050600-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 239 
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 
655 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

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

       NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
       WESTERN KENTUCKY
       THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL
       NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI
       WESTERN TENNESSEE

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING FROM 655 PM UNTIL
100 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 100 STATUTE MILES EAST AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 10 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF PADUCAH KENTUCKY
TO 45 MILES SOUTH OF MEMPHIS TENNESSEE.

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 234...WW 235...WW 236...WW
237...WW 238...


DISCUSSION...THE ENVIRONMENT IS BECOMING QUITE FAVORABLE FOR
SUPERCELLS WITH TORNADOES ALONG THE WARM FRONT FROM NE AR/SE MO EWD
ACROSS WRN TN/WRY KY.  STRONG LOW-LEVEL/DEEP LAYER SHEAR COEXISTS
WITH BOUNDARY LAYER DEW POINTS IN THE UPPER 60S AND MLCAPE VALUES
NEAR 2000 J/KG.  STORMS DEVELOPING IN THE WAA ZONE ACROSS NE AR MAY
SPREAD EWD ACROSS WRN TN AND BECOME SURFACE-BASED SUPERCELLS...WITH
THE THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND A FEW TORNADOES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS.

AVIATION...TORNADOES 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 27035.


...THOMPSON

371,0870 342,0881 342,0914 371,0903

Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 2003Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2003Tornado Watches in Kentucky, 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.