Tornado Watch 135

Issued

Apr 3, 2012, 2:36 PM CDT (19:36 UTC)

Expired

Apr 3, 2012, 10:00 PM CDT

In force

7 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

2 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 94 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:36 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

50%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

30%

Ten or more severe wind reports

30%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

30%

Ten or more severe hail reports

60%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

40%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

80%

• Mesoscale Discussion 432Apr 3, 1:46 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
• Mesoscale Discussion 441Apr 3, 7:01 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 442Apr 3, 8:47 PM CDT

893 
WWUS20 KWNS 031938
SEL5
SPC WW 031938
ARZ000-LAZ000-TXZ000-040300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 135
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
235 PM CDT TUE APR 3 2012

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

       FAR SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
       NORTHWEST LOUISIANA
       EASTERN TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 235 PM UNTIL
1000 PM CDT.

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 65 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 75 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF
SHREVEPORT LOUISIANA TO 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LUFKIN TEXAS.  FOR
A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

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...WW 133...WW 134...

DISCUSSION...SEVERE STORMS IN PROGRESS OVER N-CNTRL TX ARE EXPECTED
TO MOVE/DEVELOP EWD ACROSS THE WATCH AREA THIS AFTERNOON INTO
EVENING IN ADVANCE OF MIDLEVEL VORTICITY MAXIMUM LIFTING NEWD
THROUGH THE RED RIVER VALLEY.  AMBIENT WARM SECTOR AIR MASS
/CHARACTERIZED BY MLCAPE OF 2000-2500 J PER KG/ WILL REMAIN BOUND ON
THE N BY AN W-E ORIENTED OUTFLOW BOUNDARY SITUATED JUST N OF THE
I-20 CORRIDOR.  BOTH LOW AND DEEP-LAYER SHEAR WILL STRENGTHEN WITH
THE EWD PROGRESSION OF THE VORTICITY MAXIMUM...RESULTING IN AN
ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTIVE OF SUPERCELLS.  THE GREATEST RISK FOR
TORNADOES WILL EXIST WITH STORMS INTERACTING WITH OUTFLOW BOUNDARY
WHERE LOW-LEVEL SHEAR/VORTICITY IS ENHANCED.  IN ADDITION TO THE
TORNADO THREAT...VERY LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE AS WILL LOCALLY
DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS.

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
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22030.


...MEAD

Tornado Watches in Texas, 2012Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2012Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 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.