Tornado Watch 7

Issued

Feb 15, 2003, 3:05 PM CST (21:05 UTC)

Expired

Feb 15, 2003, 9:00 PM CST

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

• Mesoscale Discussion 77Feb 15, 1:48 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 79Feb 15, 5:18 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 80Feb 15, 5:51 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 82Feb 15, 7:44 PM CST

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 152106
SEL7
SPC WW 152105
LAZ000-MSZ000-160300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 7
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
305 PM CST SAT FEB 15 2003

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

A SMALL PART OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA                          
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI                        

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 305 PM UNTIL 900
PM CST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO
60 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 70 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF LAUREL MISSISSIPPI TO 35
MILES WEST OF COLUMBUS AFB 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.


DISCUSSION...MESOLOW HAS FORMED JUST SW OF MCB IN THE VICINITY OF
A PERSISTENT THUNDERSTORM CLUSTER.  SURFACE TEMPERATURES HAVE
WARMED INTO THE MID 70S WITH DEW POINTS IN THE MID-UPPER 60S...
SUPPORTING SBCAPE VALUES OF 1000-1500 J/KG IN ADVANCE OF THESE
STORMS.  THE COMBINATION OF A MOIST AIR MASS...BACKED LOW-LEVEL
FLOW NE OF THE MESOLOW...AND WEAK TO MODERATE INSTABILITY COULD
SUPPORT ISOLATED TORNADOES AND A FEW STRONG WIND GUSTS THROUGH THIS
EVENING ACROSS MS.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1 INCH...EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 400. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22035.


...THOMPSON

333,0881 304,0884 304,0902 333,0895

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.