Tornado Watch 232

Issued

May 3, 2012, 4:20 PM CDT (21:20 UTC)

Expired

May 4, 2012, 12:00 AM CDT

In force

8 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

2 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Lincoln radar (KILX), 22 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:20 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

20%

Ten or more severe wind reports

40%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

30%

Ten or more severe hail reports

30%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

30%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

60%

• Mesoscale Discussion 680May 3, 3:53 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 685May 3, 6:42 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 687May 3, 10:29 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 688May 3, 11:18 PM CDT

659 
WWUS20 KWNS 032121
SEL2
SPC WW 032121
ILZ000-040500-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 232
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
420 PM CDT THU MAY 3 2012

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

       WESTERN ILLINOIS

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON FROM 420 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT 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 70 STATUTE
MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF
CHAMPAIGN ILLINOIS TO 65 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF MOLINE
ILLINOIS.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).

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 229...WW 230...WW 231...

DISCUSSION...STORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP WITHIN INSTABILITY AXIS
ORIENTED ALONG REMNANT OUTFLOW BOUNDARY ACROSS WRN IL. DEEP-LAYER
SHEAR WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF STORM ORGANIZATION WITH SUPERCELLS
POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...RELATIVELY STRONG LOW LEVEL FLOW...AND SOME
BACKING OF THE FLOW ACROSS CNTRL PORTIONS OF IL...MAY RESULT IN A
CORRIDOR OF STRONGER LOW LEVEL SRH THAT COULD ENHANCE THE CHANCE FOR
TORNADOES GIVEN THE MAGNITUDE OF EXISTING INSTABILITY.

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 25025.


...CARBIN

Tornado Watches in Illinois, 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.