Tornado Watch 65

Issued

Mar 20, 2003, 8:40 AM EST (13:40 UTC)

Expired

Mar 20, 2003, 3:00 PM EST

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

• Mesoscale Discussion 304Mar 20, 6:12 AM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 306Mar 20, 11:09 AM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 309Mar 20, 1:33 PM EST

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 201341
SEL5
SPC WW 201340
GAZ000-SCZ000-CWZ000-202000-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 65
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
840 AM EST THU MAR 20 2003

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

   SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA                            
   SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA                     
   COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 840 AM UNTIL 300
PM EST.

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 60 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 5 MILES SOUTH OF VALDOSTA GEORGIA TO 45 MILES
NORTHEAST OF CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA.

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 64.  WATCH NUMBER 64 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 840 AM EST.

DISCUSSION...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM SWRN GA INTO ERN SC
IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY SHIFT EWD...WITH NEW CELLS DEVELOPING
AHEAD OF THE LINE BY MID/LATE MORNING.  STRONG HEATING OVER SERN GA
AND NRN FL WILL RESULT IN DEVELOPMENT OF SURFACE-BASED INSTABILITY
WITH CAPE TO 2000 J/KG.  STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY WITHIN
SEVERAL HOURS AS MID/UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK LIFTS NEWD FROM THE
LOWER MS VALLEY TOWARD THE SRN APPALACHIANS.  CONTINUED STRONG LOW
LEVEL SHEAR/HELICITY SUGGESTS POTENTIAL FOR SUPERCELLS TO DEVELOP
WITH THREAT FOR A FEW 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 23040.


...WEISS

304,0841 332,0803 332,0782 304,0821

Tornado Watches in Georgia, 2003Tornado Watches in South Carolina, 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.