Tornado Watch 162

Issued

Apr 17, 2009, 3:44 PM CDT (20:44 UTC)

Expired

Apr 17, 2009, 10:00 PM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

2 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Houston radar (KHGX), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:44 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

10%

Ten or more severe wind reports

30%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

30%

Ten or more severe hail reports

50%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

30%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

70%

• Mesoscale Discussion 498Apr 17, 12:10 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 499Apr 17, 12:38 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 501Apr 17, 1:45 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 502Apr 17, 3:19 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 505Apr 17, 6:50 PM CDT

083 
WWUS20 KWNS 172045
SEL2  
SPC WW 172045
TXZ000-CWZ000-180300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 162
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
345 PM CDT FRI APR 17 2009

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

       TEXAS COASTAL PLAINS
       COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 345 PM UNTIL
1000 PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 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 55 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PORT
ARTHUR TEXAS TO 25 MILES WEST OF ALICE TEXAS.  FOR A COMPLETE
DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).

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 160...WW 161...

DISCUSSION...MCS OVER SE TX AND SEVERE CONVECTION WEST OF THE TX
COASTAL BEND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EWD ACROSS THE TEXAS COASTAL
PLAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. THE ENVIRONMENT IS
CHARACTERIZED BUT ABUNDANT LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE...STRONG LOW-LEVEL
SHEAR AND SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY FOR LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24020.


...BROYLES/HART

Tornado Watches in Texas, 2009Every tornado watch in 2009

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.