Tornado Watch 31

Issued

Feb 18, 2012, 4:48 PM CST (22:48 UTC)

Expired

Feb 18, 2012, 8:54 PM CST

In force

4 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1 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, Lafourche Parish, LA, Plaquemines Parish, LA, Terrebonne Parish, LA

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 69 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:51 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

60%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

10%

Ten or more severe hail reports

10%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

5%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

90%

• Mesoscale Discussion 127Feb 18, 1:03 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 128Feb 18, 2:02 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 129Feb 18, 2:21 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 130Feb 18, 3:41 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 131Feb 18, 4:29 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 132Feb 18, 7:05 PM CST

804 
WWUS20 KWNS 182255
SEL1
SPC WW 182255
ALZ000-FLZ000-LAZ000-CWZ000-190600-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 31
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
450 PM CST SAT FEB 18 2012

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

       SOUTHERN ALABAMA
       THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE
       FAR SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA
       COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON FROM 450 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 45 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 20 MILES EAST OF CRESTVIEW
FLORIDA TO 120 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF BOOTHVILLE LOUISIANA.  FOR
A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

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...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO
WATCH NUMBER 29. WATCH NUMBER 29 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 450
PM CST. CONTINUE...WW 30...

DISCUSSION...PREFRONTAL SQLN NOW EXTENDING SSW FROM THE MOBILE AREA
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE E INTO THE FL PANHANDLE AND FAR SRN AL.
EMBEDDED SUSTAINED STORMS/SUPERCELLS WILL POSE A CONTINUED RISK FOR
ISOLD TORNADOES AND SMALL BOWS WITH DMGG WIND.  FARTHER
W...ADDITIONAL STRONG TO SVR STORMS MAY GLANCE FAR SE LA AND THE
ADJACENT CSTL WATERS AS COLD FRONT OVERTAKES SWRN EXTENSION OF THE
SQLN AND ASSOCIATED OUTFLOW BOUNDARY OVER THE NRN GULF.  WITH LOW TO
MID LVL WIND FIELD EXPECTED TO SOMEWHAT INCREASE OVER REGION GIVEN
CONTINUED EWD MOTION OF E TX UPR TROUGH...SVR THREAT MAY PERSIST AND
POSSIBLY INCREASE THIS EVE DESPITE GRADUAL VEERING OF LOW LVL FLOW.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1 INCH. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24040.


...CORFIDI

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