Tornado Watch 29

Issued

Feb 18, 2012, 11:49 AM CST (17:49 UTC)

Expired

Feb 18, 2012, 5:00 PM CST

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

Counties Baldwin County, AL, Covington County, AL, Escambia County, AL, Mobile County, AL, Escambia County, FL, Okaloosa County, FL, Santa Rosa County, FL, George County, MS, Stone County, MS

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 57 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:50 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

20%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

20%

Ten or more severe hail reports

20%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

10%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

60%

• Mesoscale Discussion 126Feb 18, 11:21 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 127Feb 18, 1:03 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 128Feb 18, 2:02 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 130Feb 18, 3:41 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 131Feb 18, 4:29 PM CST

186 
WWUS20 KWNS 181755
SEL9
SPC WW 181755
ALZ000-FLZ000-MSZ000-CWZ000-182300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 29
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1150 AM CST SAT FEB 18 2012

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

       SOUTHERN ALABAMA
       WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE
       SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
       COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 1150 AM UNTIL
500 PM CST.

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 70 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF
PENSACOLA FLORIDA TO 55 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF PENSACOLA
FLORIDA.  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 28...

DISCUSSION...MESOLOW AND ASSOCIATED COMPACT SVR MCS CONTINUE TO
TRACK EAST ALONG A WARM FRONT OVER SOUTHEAST LA. EXPECT THIS
DISTURBANCE TO MOVE ACROSS THE DELTA TO MOBILE BAY OVER THE NEXT
COUPLE OF HOURS AS LARGER SYNOPTIC LOW TAKES FORM ACROSS THE WRN
GULF. WITH TRUE MARITIME TROPICAL AIRMASS REMAINING TO THE SOUTH OF
THE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX...OVERALL SVR STORM COVERAGE APPEARS TO HAVE
DIMINISHED SOMEWHAT OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS. DESPITE THIS
TREND...FORCED ASCENT WITH THE MESOLOW...AND ALONG THE WARM
FRONT...WILL CONTINUE TO ACT ON A WEAKLY UNSTABLE AIRMASS WITH AN
INCREASING CHANCE THAT PARCELS BECOME SURFACE-BASED THIS AFTERNOON.
MORE THAN ADEQUATE SHEAR AND FORCING SHOULD PERSIST WITH THE
MESOSLOW AS IT SPREADS EAST TO SUPPORT EPISODES OF OCCASIONAL STORM
INTENSIFICATION AND A CHANCE FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND A TORNADO OR
TWO.

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
400. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24040.


...CARBIN

Tornado Watches in Alabama, 2012Tornado Watches in Florida, 2012Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 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.