Tornado Watch 53

Issued

Mar 18, 2003, 5:05 PM CST (23:05 UTC)

Expired

Mar 18, 2003, 11:00 PM CST

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

• Mesoscale Discussion 276Mar 18, 4:30 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 278Mar 18, 6:08 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 280Mar 18, 9:10 PM CST

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 182257
SEL3  
SPC WW 182305
LAZ000-MSZ000-CWZ000-190500-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 53
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
505 PM CST TUE MAR 18 2003

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

   SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA                          
   CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI                        
   AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 505 PM UNTIL 1100
PM CST.

 ...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
 
DAMAGING TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 60 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF BATON ROUGE LOUISIANA TO
15 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF GREENWOOD MISSISSIPPI.

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 51...WW 52...

DISCUSSION...LINE OF STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL LA
WILL PROGRESS EASTWARD INTO WESTERN MS DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. 
AIRMASS IS MOIST AND MODERATELY UNSTABLE AHEAD OF STORMS...WITH
VERTICAL SHEAR PROFILES EXPECTED TO INCREASE DRAMATICALLY THROUGH
THE EVENING.  PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT ISOLATED SUPERCELLS WILL
LIKELY DEVELOP AHEAD OF LINE...WITH THE THREAT OF TORNADOES. 
DAMAGING WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH SQUALL LINE.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24040.

...HART

333,0883 301,0890 301,0912 333,0910

Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 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.