Tornado Watch 74

Issued

Mar 27, 2009, 12:48 AM CDT (05:48 UTC)

Expired

Mar 27, 2009, 8:00 AM CDT

In force

7 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

Two or more tornadoes

40%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

20%

Ten or more severe wind reports

30%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

30%

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

80%

• Mesoscale Discussion 286Mar 26, 11:53 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 287Mar 27, 2:23 AM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 289Mar 27, 4:37 AM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 290Mar 27, 6:35 AM CDT

207 
WWUS20 KWNS 270549
SEL4  
SPC WW 270549
ALZ000-FLZ000-LAZ000-MSZ000-CWZ000-271300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 74
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1250 AM CDT FRI MAR 27 2009

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

       SOUTHERN ALABAMA
       FAR WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE
       SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
       SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
       COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY MORNING FROM 1250 AM UNTIL 800 AM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1.5 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 65 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES WEST OF HOUMA
LOUISIANA TO 30 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF EVERGREEN ALABAMA.  FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU4).

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 72. WATCH NUMBER 72 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 1250
AM CDT. 

DISCUSSION...LARGE MCS COMPOSED OF EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS AND SMALL BOW
ECHOES WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT STEADILY ENEWD ACROSS THE CENTRAL GULF
COAST REGION OVERNIGHT.  SURFACE MESOLOW WILL LIFT NEWD AWAY FROM
SERN LA AND ALLOW WARM FRONT TO LIFT NWD INTO SWRN LA/WRN FL
PANHANDLE.  DESPITE MARGINAL INSTABILITY...VERY MOIST AIR MASS/LOW
CLOUD BASES AND EXTREME SHEAR WILL MAINTAIN THREATS OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS... INCLUDING ISOLATED TORNADOES.  VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THIS ACTIVITY.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26035.


...EVANS

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