Tornado Watch 70

Issued

Mar 20, 2003, 2:35 PM EST (19:35 UTC)

Expired

Mar 20, 2003, 9:00 PM EST

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

• Mesoscale Discussion 306Mar 20, 11:09 AM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 309Mar 20, 1:33 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 311Mar 20, 4:21 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 314Mar 20, 6:57 PM EST

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 201940
SEL0  
SPC WW 201935
FLZ000-GAZ000-SCZ000-CWZ000-210200-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 70
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
235 PM EST THU MAR 20 2003

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

   NORTHERN FLORIDA
   EASTERN FL PANHANDLE                         
   SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA                            
   SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA                     
   AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS                     

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 235 PM UNTIL 900
PM EST.

TORNADOES...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 75 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF TALAHASSEE FLORIDA TO 25
MILES NORTHWEST 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 65.  WATCH NUMBER 65 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 235 PM EST. 
CONTINUE...WW 66...WW 67...WW 68...WW 69...

DISCUSSION...SUPERCELLS CONTINUE ALONG QUASISTATIONARY BOUNDARY
WHERE AIR MASS IS VERY UNSTABLE.  SBCAPE VALUES ARE 2000-3000 J/KG
WITH DEEP LAYER SHEAR AROUND 70 KT.  


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 23035.


...MCCARTHY

301,0850 330,0813 330,0790 301,0823

Tornado Watches in Georgia, 2003Tornado Watches in Florida, 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.