Tornado Watch 397

Issued

May 16, 2003, 5:45 PM CDT (22:45 UTC)

Expired

May 17, 2003, 12:00 AM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 94 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:46 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 1027May 16, 2:12 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 1028May 16, 3:18 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 1032May 16, 5:06 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 1033May 16, 5:59 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 1035May 16, 6:39 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 1036May 16, 8:14 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 1037May 16, 8:38 PM CDT

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 162249
SEL7  
SPC WW 162245
ARZ000-LAZ000-TXZ000-170500-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 397 
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 
545 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003

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

       CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
       NORTHERN LOUISIANA
       NORTHEAST TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON FROM 545 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT 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 100 STATUTE MILES EAST AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 65 MILES NORTH OF LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS TO 50
MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF LONGVIEW 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 393. WATCH NUMBER 393 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 545
PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 392...WW 394...WW 395...WW 396...


DISCUSSION...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...INCLUDING A FEW TORNADIC
SUPERCELLS...ARE STILL EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF THE
EVENING AHEAD OF SURFACE FRONT NOW PUSHING EWD INTO WRN AR AND NERN
TX.  SURFACE LOW IS ALSO EXPECTED TO SHIFT INTO CENTRAL AR...WITH
ASSOCIATED WARM FRONT LIFTING SLOWLY NWD EAST OF THIS LOW CENTER. 
LOW LEVEL SHEAR WILL BE ENHANCED WITHIN WARM SECTOR...ESPECIALLY IN
AR...WHICH WILL INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT TORNADOES. 
ALONG THE DRY LINE INTO TX/LA...TORNADO THREAT SHOULD BE MORE
ISOLATED THROUGH VERY LARGE HAIL IS ANTICIPATED.

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 25030.


...EVANS

353,0902 314,0924 314,0960 353,0940

Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2003Tornado Watches in Texas, 2003Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 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.