Tornado Watch 99

Issued

Mar 4, 2008, 5:53 PM EST (22:53 UTC)

Expired

Mar 5, 2008, 3:00 AM EST

In force

9 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:53 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

50%

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

5%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

90%

• Mesoscale Discussion 354Mar 4, 9:56 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 355Mar 5, 12:23 AM EST

000
WWUS20 KWNS 042254
SEL9  
SPC WW 042254
DCZ000-MDZ000-NCZ000-VAZ000-CWZ000-050800-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 99
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
550 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008

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

       DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
       MARYLAND
       EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA
       EASTERN AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA
       COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND WEDNESDAY MORNING FROM 550
PM UNTIL 300 AM EST.

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 60 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF
NEW BERN NORTH CAROLINA TO 40 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF WASHINGTON
DISTRICT OF COLUM.  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 96...WW 97...WW 98...

DISCUSSION...VERY INTENSE VERTICAL MOTION FIELDS AND LOW/DEEP LAYER
SHEAR WILL OVERSPREAD THIS REGION THROUGH TONIGHT AS STRONG UPPER
SYSTEM BEGINS TO LIFT NEWD ACROSS THE APPALACHIANS.  ALTHOUGH
INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN MEAGER...MOISTENING LOW LEVELS CONCURRENT
WITH 70+ KT SLY LLJ WILL ENHANCE THE POTENTIAL FOR LOW LEVEL
ROTATION AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES.  ACTIVITY MAY OCCUR IN TWO
BANDS...ONE NOW MOVING INTO CENTRAL NC/VA AND ANOTHER SPREADING
ENEWD ALONG THE MAIN COLD FRONT LATER TONIGHT.  SEVERE/TORNADO
THREAT MAY PERSIST WELL INTO THE NIGHT UNTIL THE LATER BAND MOVES
OFFSHORE.

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 400.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23040.


...EVANS

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