Tornado Watch 38

Issued

Feb 24, 2012, 1:19 PM EST (18:19 UTC)

Expired

Feb 24, 2012, 8:00 PM EST

In force

7 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1 in

Strongest gust expected

65 kt

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 94 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:20 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

50%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

20%

Ten or more severe wind reports

90%

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

10%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

90%

• Mesoscale Discussion 154Feb 24, 11:10 AM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 155Feb 24, 12:00 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 156Feb 24, 12:43 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 157Feb 24, 1:50 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 158Feb 24, 3:24 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 160Feb 24, 4:45 PM EST

763 
WWUS20 KWNS 241822
SEL8
SPC WW 241822
MDZ000-NCZ000-SCZ000-VAZ000-CWZ000-250100-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 38
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
120 PM EST FRI FEB 24 2012

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

       SOUTHERN MARYLAND
       CENTRAL AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA
       NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA
       CENTRAL AND EASTERN VIRGINIA
       COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 120 PM UNTIL 800
PM EST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 75 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 95 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 5 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF
PATUXENT RIVER MARYLAND TO 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MYRTLE BEACH
SOUTH CAROLINA.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).

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 35...WW 36...WW 37...

DISCUSSION...INTENSE BOW ECHO SYSTEM IS MOVING RAPIDLY ENEWD ACROSS
CENTRAL SD AND THIS WILL CONTINUE INTO NORTHEAST SC AND SOUTHEAST NC
DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.  FARTHER NORTH...STORMS ARE EXPECTED
TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND INTENSIFY ALONG/AHEAD OF THE RAPIDLY
MOVING COLD FRONT.  WARM SECTOR ENVIRONMENT HAS WARMED SUBSTANTIALLY
WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THE 70S TO LOW 80S...AND WITH DEW
POINTS IN THE 50S...SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY AND VERY STRONG LOW- AND
DEEP-LAYER SHEAR WILL SUPPORT POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS INCLUDING
A FEW SUPERCELLS.  PRIMARY THREATS ARE EXPECTED TO BE DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS AND A FEW TORNADOES.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1 INCH. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 65 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24050.


...WEISS

Tornado Watches in Virginia, 2012Tornado Watches in North Carolina, 2012Tornado Watches in South Carolina, 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.