Tornado Watch 179

Issued

Apr 15, 2012, 4:25 PM CDT (21:25 UTC)

Expired

Apr 15, 2012, 10:25 PM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Little Rock radar (KLZK), 29 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:27 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

40%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

30%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

70%

• Mesoscale Discussion 549Apr 15, 1:38 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 551Apr 15, 3:44 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 552Apr 15, 4:22 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 556Apr 15, 7:28 PM CDT

865 
WWUS20 KWNS 152127
SEL9
SPC WW 152127
ARZ000-160500-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 179
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
425 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

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

       CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARKANSAS

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON FROM 425 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1.5 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 75 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF
FLIPPIN ARKANSAS TO 15 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF EL DORADO
ARKANSAS.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU9).

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 177...WW 178...

DISCUSSION...PRE-FRONTAL BAND OF TSTMS IS IN THE PROCESS OF SLOWLY
INTENSIFYING THIS AFTERNOON AS IT ENCOUNTERS A MOIST...DESTABILIZING
AIR MASS WHERE MLCAPE HAS INCREASED TO AROUND 1000 J/KG.  CURRENT
LITTLE ROCK VAD INDICATES THE PRESENCE OF STRONG WIND FIELD WITH 0-1
KM SRH OF 250-300 M2/S2.  AS SUCH...THE POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR
EMBEDDED BOWING AND SUPERCELL STRUCTURES WITH AN ATTENDANT RISK FOR
DAMAGING WINDS AND A COUPLE TORNADOES.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.


...MEAD

Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 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.