Tornado Watch 98

Issued

Mar 4, 2008, 4:31 PM EST (21:31 UTC)

Expired

Mar 5, 2008, 12:59 AM EST

In force

8 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

70 kt

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:31 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

80%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

50%

Ten or more severe hail reports

30%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

10%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

95%

• Mesoscale Discussion 347Mar 4, 2:03 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 354Mar 4, 9:56 PM EST

000
WWUS20 KWNS 042134
SEL8  
SPC WW 042134
GAZ000-NCZ000-SCZ000-TNZ000-VAZ000-050500-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 98
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
430 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008

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

       PARTS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA
       MUCH OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
       PARTS OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA
       PARTS OF EASTERN TENNESSEE
       PARTS OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON FROM 430 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST.

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 90 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES NORTHEAST OF
RALEIGH NORTH CAROLINA TO 15 MILES SOUTH OF ASHEVILLE NORTH
CAROLINA.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).

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 96...WW 97...

DISCUSSION...POWERFUL UPPER TROUGH AND 100KT MID LEVEL WIND MAX
TRACKING ENEWD FROM TN VALLEY THIS EVENING.  MOIST AND MODESTLY
UNSTABLE AIRMASS HAS SPREAD NWD THRU THE WATCH AREA.  WITH VERY
STRONG SHEAR PROFILES IN PLACE COUPLED WITH APPROACH OF UPPER
TROUGH...INTENSE SQUALL LINE IS DEVELOPING AND WILL MOVE EWD ACROSS
WATCH AREA.  ADDITIONALLY ROTATING STORMS ARE POSSIBLE WELL AHEAD OF
SQUALL LINE THRU CENTRAL CAROLINAS TO SRN VA THIS EVENING. 
TORNADOES POSSIBLE WITH BOTH SQUALL LINE AND THE AREA FURTHER E. IN
ADDITION DAMAGING WINDS EXPECTED TO BE INCREASING ASSOCIATED WITH
THE SQUALL LINE DURING THE EVENING.

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
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24040.


...HALES

Tornado Watches in North Carolina, 2008Tornado Watches in Virginia, 2008Tornado Watches in South Carolina, 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.