Tornado Watch 87

Issued

Mar 28, 2009, 4:50 AM CDT (09:50 UTC)

Expired

Mar 28, 2009, 9:25 AM CDT

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Eglin Afb radar (KEVX), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:52 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

30%

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

30%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

70%

• Mesoscale Discussion 312Mar 28, 3:14 AM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 313Mar 28, 4:25 AM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 315Mar 28, 6:48 AM CDT

242 
WWUS20 KWNS 280950
SEL7  
SPC WW 280950
ALZ000-FLZ000-GAZ000-MSZ000-CWZ000-281700-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 87
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
450 AM CDT SAT MAR 28 2009

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

       SOUTHERN ALABAMA
       FLORIDA PANHANDLE
       SOUTHWESTERN GEORGIA
       FAR SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
       COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY MORNING FROM 450 AM UNTIL NOON 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 45 MILES WEST OF MOBILE
ALABAMA TO 30 MILES EAST OF MOULTRIE GEORGIA.  FOR A COMPLETE
DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE
(WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).

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 85. WATCH NUMBER 85 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 450
AM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 84...WW 86...

DISCUSSION...AIR MASS WILL REMAIN UNSTABLE NEAR THE GULF COAST AHEAD
OF STRONG SURFACE COLD FRONT NOW MOVING ACROSS THE LOWER MS RIVER
VALLEY.  GIVEN VERY STRONG LOW LEVEL AND DEEP LAYER
SHEAR...SUPERCELLS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE ALONG AND NORTH OF COASTAL
WARM FRONT EXTENDING ALONG THE GULF COAST.  TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL
AND DAMAGING WINDS REMAIN POSSIBLE...WITH THREAT EXPANDING NEWD
THROUGH THE MORNING AS STRONG SLY LLJ SPREADS INTO NWRN FL/SWRN GA.

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
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.


...EVANS

Tornado Watches in Georgia, 2009Tornado Watches in Florida, 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.