Tornado Watch 959

Issued

Dec 27, 2008, 4:30 AM CST (10:30 UTC)

Expired

Dec 27, 2008, 12:00 PM CST

In force

8 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

Two or more tornadoes

40%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

20%

Ten or more severe wind reports

50%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

20%

Ten or more severe hail reports

30%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

5%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

80%

• Mesoscale Discussion 2529Dec 27, 3:32 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2530Dec 27, 8:03 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2532Dec 27, 9:34 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2533Dec 27, 9:41 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2535Dec 27, 10:26 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2536Dec 27, 11:46 AM CST

824 
WWUS20 KWNS 271035
SEL9  
SPC WW 271035
ILZ000-KSZ000-MOZ000-271800-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 959
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
430 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008

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

       WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS
       SOUTHEAST KANSAS
       MUCH OF MISSOURI

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY MORNING FROM 430 AM UNTIL NOON CST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1.5 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 130 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 70 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF
ALTON ILLINOIS TO 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MONETT MISSOURI.  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...CONTINUE...WW 955...WW 956...WW
957...WW 958...

DISCUSSION...TSTMS ALONG COLD FRONT IN ERN KS EXPECTED TO REMAIN
STRONG AND POSSIBLY INCREASE AS FRONT CONTINUES ESE INTO MO BENEATH
STRENGTHENING UPR DIFFLUENCE/ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH PROGRESSIVE SRN
HI PLNS UPR VORT.  ACTIVITY MAY ALSO BE ENHANCED BY LOW LVL
CONVERGENCE DOWNSTREAM FROM CNTRL OK SFC WAVE.  OTHER STORMS MAY
SLOWLY INCREASE FROM NRN AR NNE INTO CNTRL MO...ALONG ERN SIDE OF
SSWLY LLJ.  WITH SHEAR FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELL STRUCTURES THROUGHOUT
WW...COMBINATION OF CONTINUED MOIST INFLOW...MODEST SFC HEATING
...AND INCREASING UVV SUGGESTS POTENTIAL FOR SCTD SUSTAINED STORMS
WITH A THREAT FOR TORNADOES...IN ADDITION TO HIGH WIND AND POSSIBLY
SVR HAIL.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23050.


...CORFIDI

Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2008Tornado Watches in Illinois, 2008Tornado Watches in Kansas, 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.