Tornado Watch 56

Issued

Mar 23, 2011, 3:45 PM EDT (19:45 UTC)

Expired

Mar 23, 2011, 10:00 PM EDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

2 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 108 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:48 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

30%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

20%

Ten or more severe wind reports

30%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

20%

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 255Mar 23, 12:02 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 257Mar 23, 2:40 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 258Mar 23, 3:38 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 259Mar 23, 3:54 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 261Mar 23, 4:48 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 262Mar 23, 7:10 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 265Mar 23, 8:39 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 266Mar 23, 9:21 PM EDT

327 
WWUS20 KWNS 231946
SEL6
SPC WW 231946
NCZ000-TNZ000-VAZ000-WVZ000-240200-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 56
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
350 PM EDT WED MAR 23 2011

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

       WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
       EASTERN TENNESSEE
       SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
       SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 350 PM UNTIL
1000 PM EDT.

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 85 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF ROANOKE
VIRGINIA TO 60 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF KNOXVILLE TENNESSEE.  FOR
A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

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 55...

DISCUSSION...SEMI-DISCRETE STRONG/SEVERE TSTMS WILL CONTINUE TO
STEADILY PROGRESS EASTWARD THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
FROM EASTERN TN INTO SOUTHWEST VA/WESTERN NC. SEVERE HAIL/WINDS WILL
BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN...BUT AN ISOLATED TORNADO THREAT WILL EXIST
AS WELL GIVEN THE DEGREE OF LOW LEVEL SHEAR.

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
400. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27040.


...GUYER

Tornado Watches in Virginia, 2011Tornado 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.