Tornado Watch 863

Issued

Oct 18, 2004, 10:55 PM CDT (03:55 UTC)

Expired

Oct 19, 2004, 4:00 AM CDT

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:56 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 2331Oct 18, 9:09 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 2332Oct 18, 10:33 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 2333Oct 19, 2:04 AM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 2335Oct 19, 3:34 AM CDT

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 190358
SEL3  
SPC WW 190355
ALZ000-ARZ000-MOZ000-MSZ000-TNZ000-190900-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 863
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1055 PM CDT MON OCT 18 2004

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

       NORTHERN ALABAMA
       EASTERN ARKANSAS
       MISSOURI BOOTHEEL
       NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI
       WESTERN AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE

EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING FROM 1055 PM UNTIL
400 AM CDT.

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 80 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF JONESBORO
ARKANSAS TO 50 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NASHVILLE TENNESSEE.

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 860...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 861...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER
862. WATCH NUMBER 860 861 862 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 1055 PM
CDT. 

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL MORE
HOURS AS HIGH LEVEL JET MAX APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. ALTHOUGH SOME
DECOUPLING OF THE BOUNDARY LAYER IS EXPECTED...STRONG LOW/DEEP LAYER
SHEAR AND VERY MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER INDICATES A TORNADO THREAT WILL
CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE STRENGTH OF THE
SHEAR/INSTABILITY ALSO SUPPORTS LARGE HAIL. STORMS IN ERN AR AND NRN
TN MAY EVENTUALLY EVOLVE INTO LINES...WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE WIND
THREAT.

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 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27030.


...IMY

362,0905 364,0860 342,0860 340,0905

Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 2004Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2004Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2004Every tornado watch in 2004

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.