Tornado Watch 133

Issued

Apr 3, 2012, 12:08 PM CDT (17:08 UTC)

Expired

Apr 3, 2012, 9:00 PM CDT

In force

9 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

2.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 30 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:07 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

50%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

40%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

70%

• Mesoscale Discussion 428Apr 3, 8:36 AM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 429Apr 3, 11:47 AM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 430Apr 3, 1:12 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 434Apr 3, 2:21 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 435Apr 3, 3:05 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 436Apr 3, 4:38 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 438Apr 3, 5:00 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 440Apr 3, 6:53 PM CDT

699 
WWUS20 KWNS 031710
SEL3  
SPC WW 031710
TXZ000-040100-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 133
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1210 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

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

       NORTH-CENTRAL TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1210 PM UNTIL
800 PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2.5 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 65 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 55 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF
DALLAS TEXAS TO 15 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF TEMPLE TEXAS.  FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).

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 132...

DISCUSSION...LATEST SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY
BECOMING BETTER DEFINED ALONG OR JUST N OF THE I-20 CORRIDOR.  AIR
MASS ALONG AND S OF THIS BOUNDARY HAS WARMED INTO THE MID-UPPER
70S...AND WHEN COUPLED WITH DEWPOINTS OF 67-70 F...ENVIRONMENT IS
ALREADY MODERATELY UNSTABLE WITH MLCAPE OF 2000-2500 J/KG. 
MOREOVER...CURRENT FWD VAD IS INDICATING 0-1 KM SHEAR OF AROUND 20
KT...AND 0-6 KM SHEAR OF 60 KT...WHICH WILL SUPPORT DEEP UPDRAFT
ROTATION.  CURRENT THINKING IS THAT TORNADO THREAT WILL INCREASE
THIS AFTERNOON WITH MATURE STORMS CROSSING THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY
WHERE LOW-LEVEL SHEAR/VORTICITY IS ENHANCED.  OTHERWISE...EXPECT THE
MOST INTENSE STORMS TO BE CAPABLE OF VERY LARGE HAIL.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22025.


...MEAD

Tornado Watches in Texas, 2012Every tornado watch in 2012

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.