Tornado Watch 72

Issued

Mar 26, 2009, 5:56 PM CDT (22:56 UTC)

Expired

Mar 27, 2009, 1:00 AM CDT

In force

7 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

2 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

Two or more tornadoes

50%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

20%

Ten or more severe wind reports

40%

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

80%

• Mesoscale Discussion 280Mar 26, 5:36 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 286Mar 26, 11:53 PM CDT

814 
WWUS20 KWNS 262255
SEL2  
SPC WW 262255
ALZ000-LAZ000-MSZ000-CWZ000-270600-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 72
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
555 PM CDT THU MAR 26 2009

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

       SOUTHWEST ALABAMA
       EASTERN LOUISIANA
       SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
       COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY MORNING FROM 555 PM
UNTIL 100 AM 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 95 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF
LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA TO 45 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MOBILE ALABAMA.  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 70...WW 71...

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP EASTWARD ACROSS LA
THIS AFTERNOON IN VICINITY OF A RETREATING WARM FRONT.  VERTICAL
SHEAR WILL SLOWLY INCREASE THROUGH THE EVENING PROVIDING A RISK OF
SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED
TORNADOES.  THE THREAT FOR SEVERE STORMS MAY LINGER IN THIS REGION
UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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 24035.


...HART

Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2009Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 2009Tornado Watches in Alabama, 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.