Tornado Watch 59

Issued

Feb 16, 2008, 8:25 PM CST (02:25 UTC)

Expired

Feb 17, 2008, 2:27 AM CST

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

70 kt

The Houston radar (KHGX), 60 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:24 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

50%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

30%

Ten or more severe wind reports

40%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

30%

Ten or more severe hail reports

5%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

10%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

70%

• Mesoscale Discussion 244Feb 16, 5:57 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 246Feb 16, 7:18 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 247Feb 16, 10:41 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 250Feb 17, 1:33 AM CST

000
WWUS20 KWNS 170228
SEL9  
SPC WW 170228
LAZ000-TXZ000-CWZ000-170900-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 59
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
825 PM CST SAT FEB 16 2008

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

       SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA
       SOUTHEAST TEXAS
       COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING FROM 825 PM
UNTIL 300 AM CST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 65 STATUTE
MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES SOUTH OF ANGLETON TEXAS
TO 25 MILES EAST OF FORT POLK LOUISIANA.  FOR A COMPLETE
DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU9).

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 58. WATCH NUMBER 58 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 825
PM CST. 

DISCUSSION...BAND OF TSTMS IS FCST TO MOVE EWD ACROSS REGION IN
ENVIRONMENT OF MARGINAL BUOYANCY...BUT VERY STRONG MAGNITUDES OF LOW
LEVEL SRH AND DEEP-LAYER SHEAR.  ALTHOUGH PRIMARY CONVECTIVE MODE
SHOULD REMAIN LINEAR...EMBEDDED BOW/LEWP CIRCULATIONS MAY POSE
TORNADO POTENTIAL...AND SOME THREAT REMAINS FOR SUPERCELLS TO
DEVELOP EITHER WITHIN MAIN LINE OR JUST TO ITS E.  DAMAGING WIND
ALSO IS A DISTINCT THREAT WITH THIS SYSTEM...ESPECIALLY AS PARENT
UPPER TROUGH OVER TX PIVOTS NEWD AND ASSOCIATED/ENHANCED GRADIENT
WINDS ALOFT OVERSPREAD WW AREA.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23035.


...EDWARDS/HART

Tornado Watches in Texas, 2008Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 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.