Tornado Watch 57

Issued

Mar 19, 2003, 11:30 AM CST (17:30 UTC)

Expired

Mar 19, 2003, 6:00 PM CST

In force

7 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 67 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:33 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 285Mar 19, 9:28 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 287Mar 19, 11:58 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 290Mar 19, 2:06 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 293Mar 19, 3:52 PM CST

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 191732
SEL7
SPC WW 191730
ALZ000-GAZ000-KYZ000-TNZ000-200000-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 57
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1130 AM CST WED MAR 19 2003

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

   NORTHEAST ALABAMA                            
   NORTHWEST GEORGIA                            
   SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY                           
   MUCH OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE                          

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING AND EVENING FROM 1130 AM UNTIL 600
PM CST.

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 50 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF ROME GEORGIA TO 35 MILES
WEST NORTHWEST OF LONDON KENTUCKY.

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 56.  WATCH NUMBER 56 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 1130 AM
CST.

DISCUSSION...SEVERE STORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE NNEWD IN ENVIRONMENT
WITH MODERATE INTSABILITY AND STRONG SHEAR.  ACTIVITY IS BEING
ENHANCED BY 70-80 KT SWLY MID LEVEL JET OVER 40-50 KT LOW LEVEL
JET. HELICITY VALUES ARE 300-400 M2/S2 ACROSS THE AREA CONTINUING
THE THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS AND SOME TORNADOES.


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 22040.


...MCCARTHY

340,0864 371,0853 371,0834 340,0850

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