Tornado Watch 231

Issued

Apr 27, 2011, 11:27 AM EDT (15:27 UTC)

Expired

Apr 27, 2011, 5:00 PM EDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

2 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:28 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 621Apr 27, 12:39 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 625Apr 27, 2:03 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 626Apr 27, 2:05 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 627Apr 27, 3:22 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 629Apr 27, 3:56 PM EDT

886 
WWUS20 KWNS 271525
SEL1  
SPC WW 271525
NCZ000-TNZ000-272100-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 231
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1025 AM CDT WED APR 27 2011

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

       EXTREME WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
       SOUTHERN TENNESSEE

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 1025 AM UNTIL
400 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 35 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF MUSCLE
SHOALS ALABAMA TO 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KNOXVILLE TENNESSEE.  FOR
A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

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 229...WW 230...

DISCUSSION...LINE OF INTENSE STORMS ALONG THE MS/AL BORDER WILL
LIKELY TRACK EASTWARD AND BUILD NORTHWARD THROUGH THE MID AFTERNOON
OVER THE WATCH AREA.  RAPIDLY MOISTENING AIR MASS WILL HELP TO
SUPPORT A RISK OF LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL IN STRONGER CELLS.
 STRONG LOW LEVEL SHEAR PROFILES ALSO INDICATE A RISK OF TORNADOES
IN THIS AREA.

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 25035.


...HART

Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 2011Tornado Watches in North Carolina, 2011Every tornado watch in 2011

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.