Tornado Watch 280

Issued

May 6, 2003, 11:50 PM CDT (04:50 UTC)

Expired

May 7, 2003, 6:00 AM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

• Mesoscale Discussion 807May 6, 9:35 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 810May 6, 11:32 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 811May 7, 1:16 AM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 812May 7, 1:41 AM CDT

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 070448
SEL0  
SPC WW 070450
ALZ000-ILZ000-INZ000-KYZ000-MSZ000-TNZ000-071100-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 280 
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 
1150 PM CDT TUE MAY 6 2003

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

       NORTHERN ALABAMA
       EXTREME SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS
       SOUTHERN INDIANA
       WESTERN AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY
       NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI
       WESTERN AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING FROM 1150 PM
UNTIL 600 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 120 STATUTE MILES EAST AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY
TO 55 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF MUSCLE SHOALS ALABAMA.

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 275. WATCH NUMBER 275 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER
1150 PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 276...WW 279...


DISCUSSION...SEVERAL CONVECTIVE MODES POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WATCH AREA
FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.  THE REMNANTS OF THE INTENSE CONVECTIVE
CLUSTER/EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS CONTINUES TO SPREAD EWD INTO WRN KY. 
ADDITIONAL CONVECTION IS DEVELOPING TO THE S ACROSS NRN MS/AL AND
TN.  VERTICAL SHEAR AND INSTABILITY ARE FAVORABLE FOR ORGANIZED
SEVERE STORMS/SUPERCELLS ACROSS THE BROAD WATCH AREA.  CONVECTIVE
COVERAGE WILL LIKELY INCREASE OVERNIGHT AS ANOTHER EMBEDDED SPEED
MAX APPROACHES FROM TX/AR/LA AND CONTRIBUTES TO A STRENGTHENING
LOW-LEVEL JET AND LIFT N OF THE DIFFUSE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY ACROSS NRN
MS/AL.	LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MORE COMMON
THREATS...THOUGH A FEW TORNADOES WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE.

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 26035.


...THOMPSON

381,0840 342,0862 342,0903 381,0882

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