Tornado Watch 965

Issued

Dec 27, 2008, 1:52 PM CST (19:52 UTC)

Expired

Dec 27, 2008, 7:00 PM CST

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 163 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:56 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.

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

30%

Ten or more severe hail reports

10%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

5%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

70%

• Mesoscale Discussion 2535Dec 27, 10:26 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2537Dec 27, 1:20 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2540Dec 27, 3:46 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2541Dec 27, 5:06 PM CST

534 
WWUS20 KWNS 271952
SEL5  
SPC WW 271952
ARZ000-ILZ000-KYZ000-MOZ000-280100-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 965
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
150 PM CST SAT DEC 27 2008

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

       CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN ARKANSAS
       SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
       FAR WESTERN KENTUCKY
       SOUTHEAST MISSOURI INCLUDING THE BOOTHEEL

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 150 PM UNTIL
700 PM CST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 70 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF MOUNT
VERNON ILLINOIS TO 15 MILES SOUTH OF LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS.  FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

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 960. WATCH NUMBER 960 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER
150 PM CST. CONTINUE...WW 961...WW 962...WW 963...WW 964...

DISCUSSION...BROKEN LINE OF TSTMS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE RACING ENEWD
AHEAD OF STRONG SURFACE COLD FRONT AS DEEP ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH
EJECTING UPPER TROUGH SKIRTS THE AREA.  WINDS ALOFT ARE VERY STRONG
AND WILL LIKELY MIX DOWNWARD FROM CONVECTIVE PROCESSES...SUPPORTING
THREAT OF WIND DAMAGE UNTIL COOLING/STABILIZING OF BOUNDARY LAYER
COMMENCES LATER THIS EVENING.  IN ADDITION...EXTREME SHEAR WARRANTS
THREAT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES WITH THE MORE ORGANIZED STORMS.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1 INCH. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23045.


...EVANS

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