Tornado Watch 253

Issued

May 2, 2008, 4:43 PM CDT (21:43 UTC)

Expired

May 3, 2008, 12:00 AM CDT

In force

7 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

2 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Columbus AFB radar (KGWX), 136 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:44 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.

Two or more tornadoes

40%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

20%

Ten or more severe wind reports

30%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

30%

Ten or more severe hail reports

40%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

30%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

70%

• Mesoscale Discussion 774May 2, 2:21 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 776May 2, 3:35 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 779May 2, 7:09 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 781May 2, 11:04 PM CDT

000
WWUS20 KWNS 022142
SEL3  
SPC WW 022142
ALZ000-MSZ000-TNZ000-030500-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 253
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
445 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008

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

       PART OF NORTHERN ALABAMA
       PARTS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
       MUCH OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON FROM 445 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT 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 APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 60 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF
NASHVILLE TENNESSEE TO 95 MILES SOUTHWEST OF COLUMBUS
MISSISSIPPI.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).

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...CONTINUE...WW 251...WW 252...

DISCUSSION...SUPERCELLS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP EWD AHEAD OF STRONG
UPPER TROUGH. WITH VERY FAVORABLE SHEAR AND INSTABILITY...POTENTIAL
WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE WATCH ARE FOR TORNADOS AND SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE EVENING.

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 24035.


...HALES

Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 2008Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2008Tornado Watches in Alabama, 2008Every tornado watch in 2008

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.