Tornado Watch 273

Issued

May 6, 2003, 3:05 PM CDT (20:05 UTC)

Expired

May 6, 2003, 9:00 PM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Norman radar (KTLX), 158 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:08 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 796May 6, 2:47 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 802May 6, 5:33 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 806May 6, 7:53 PM CDT

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 062003
SEL3  
SPC WW 062005
ARZ000-OKZ000-070200-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 273 
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 
305 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

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

       WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS
       SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 305 PM UNTIL 900
PM CDT.

...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...

DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE 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 90 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 20 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF FORT SMITH ARKANSAS TO
15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DURANT OKLAHOMA.

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 266...WW 268...WW 269...WW
270...WW 271...WW 272...


DISCUSSION...DRY LINE IS BECOMING MORE ACTIVE AND SHOULD QUICKLY
INITIATE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SERN OK...AS CAP WEAKENS.	VERY
STRONG INSTABILITY AND SHEAR PARAMETERS WILL SUPPORT LONG-LIVED
SUPERCELLS WITH THE THREAT OF A FEW STRONG TORNADOES WELL INTO THE
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 500.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25025.


...EVANS

352,0930 334,0943 334,0974 352,0961

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