Tornado Watch 900

Issued

Dec 22, 2011, 3:20 PM EST (20:20 UTC)

In effect from

Dec 22, 2011, 3:25 PM EST

Expired

Dec 22, 2011, 9:07 PM EST

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

0.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 48 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:22 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

5%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

5%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

70%

• Mesoscale Discussion 2391Dec 22, 2:02 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2392Dec 22, 3:51 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2393Dec 22, 6:25 PM EST

705 
WWUS20 KWNS 222025
SEL0  
SPC WW 222025
GAZ000-NCZ000-SCZ000-TNZ000-230400-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 900
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
325 PM EST THU DEC 22 2011

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

       NORTHERN AND CENTRAL GEORGIA
       FAR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
       FAR NORTHWEST SOUTH CAROLINA
       FAR SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 325 PM UNTIL
1100 PM EST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 0.5 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 80 STATUTE
MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM MACON GEORGIA TO 75 MILES
NORTHEAST OF ROME GEORGIA.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH
SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).

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 899...

DISCUSSION...QLCS WITH EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS AND BOWING STRUCTURES
ONGOING OVER CNTRL AL IS EXPECTED TO  MOVE/DEVELOP NEWD ACROSS THE
WATCH AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN ADVANCE OF MIDLEVEL TROUGH
TRANSLATING ACROSS THE TN VALLEY.  LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS INDICATES
A CONCENTRATED ZONE OF PRESSURE FALLS ACROSS THE SRN APPALACHIANS
WHICH WILL ENHANCE LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE FLUX AND AID IN LOW-LEVEL
CONVERGENCE AND UPLIFT ALONG THE HIGHER TERRAIN.  WIDESPREAD CLOUDS
WILL CONTINUE TO LIMIT THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY WITH MLCAPE OF LESS
THAN 500 J/KG.  HOWEVER...GIVEN THE STRENGTHENING FORCING FOR ASCENT
AND STRONG LOW- AND DEEP-LAYER SHEAR...A CONTINUED RISK FOR A COUPLE
TORNADOES AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL EXIST WITH TSTMS AS THEY MOVE
ACROSS THE REGION.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 0.5 INCH. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
400. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22040.


...MEAD

Tornado Watches in Georgia, 2011Tornado Watches in North Carolina, 2011Tornado Watches in South 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.