Tornado Watch 901

Issued

Dec 27, 2011, 1:15 PM EST (18:15 UTC)

Expired

Dec 27, 2011, 5:00 PM EST

In force

4 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

0.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Morehead City radar (KMHX), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:18 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

30%

Ten or more severe wind reports

20%

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

50%

• Mesoscale Discussion 2396Dec 27, 12:05 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2397Dec 27, 3:59 PM EST

539 
WWUS20 KWNS 271814
SEL1
SPC WW 271814
NCZ000-CWZ000-280000-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 901
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
115 PM EST TUE DEC 27 2011

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

       EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA
       COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 115 PM UNTIL
700 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 60 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF
CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA TO 10 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF
GOLDSBORO NORTH CAROLINA.  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.

DISCUSSION...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT EASTERN
NC THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...IN ASSOCIATION WITH AN
INTENSE UPPER TROUGH MOVING ACROSS TN/WV/VA.  EXTREMELY STRONG LOW
LEVEL WIND FIELDS /3KM SRH VALUES EXCEEDING 1000 M2/S2/ COUPLED WITH
SURFACE DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 50S/LOWER 60S MAY BE SUFFICIENT FOR
ISOLATED SUPERCELL/BOW ECHO DEVELOPMENT.  ANY SUSTAINED UPDRAFT MAY
ATTAIN ROTATION AND POSE A THREAT OF LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS OR
TORNADOES.

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 24050.


...HART

Tornado 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.