Tornado Watch 262

Issued

May 1, 2011, 12:47 PM CDT (17:47 UTC)

Expired

May 1, 2011, 9:00 PM CDT

In force

8 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

3 in

Strongest gust expected

70 kt

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 128 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:48 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

60%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

30%

Ten or more severe wind reports

60%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

30%

Ten or more severe hail reports

80%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

50%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

95%

• Mesoscale Discussion 682May 1, 12:12 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 683May 1, 3:18 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 684May 1, 5:42 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 685May 1, 5:43 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 686May 1, 7:31 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 687May 1, 8:10 PM CDT

952 
WWUS20 KWNS 011749
SEL2
SPC WW 011749
ARZ000-LAZ000-MSZ000-TNZ000-TXZ000-020200-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 262
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1250 PM CDT SUN MAY 1 2011

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

       LARGE PART OF SOUTHERN AND EASTERN ARKANSAS
       PARTS OF NORTHWEST LOUISIANA
       PARTS OF NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI
       PARTS OF WESTERN TENNESSEE
       PARTS OF NORTHEAST TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1250 PM UNTIL
900 PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 40 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 60 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF
TYLER TEXAS TO 55 MILES NORTHEAST OF MEMPHIS TENNESSEE.  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 261...

DISCUSSION...WELL DEFINED FRONTAL ZONE EXPECTED TO BE THE FOCUS FOR
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON.  WITH STRONG SHEAR
PROFILES IN PLACE COUPLED WITH A VERY MOIST AND MDTLY UNSTABLE AIR
MASS...SUPERCELLS ARE LIKELY.  TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY
SUPERCELL ALONG WITH VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING
WINDS...PARTICULARLY WITH ANY BOWING SEGMENT THAT DEVELOPS.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
550. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.


...HALES

Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2011Tornado Watches in Texas, 2011Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 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.