Tornado Watch 44

Issued

Feb 29, 2012, 1:14 AM CST (07:14 UTC)

Expired

Feb 29, 2012, 12:00 PM CST

In force

11 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

65 kt

The St Louis radar (KLSX), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:18 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

60%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

30%

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

95%

• Mesoscale Discussion 176Feb 29, 12:49 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 178Feb 29, 3:53 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 180Feb 29, 8:07 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 182Feb 29, 11:11 AM CST

038 
WWUS20 KWNS 290722
SEL4
SPC WW 290722
ILZ000-INZ000-KYZ000-MOZ000-291500-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 44
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
115 AM CST WED FEB 29 2012

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

       CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
       SOUTHWEST INDIANA
       WESTERN KENTUCKY
       EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING FROM 115 AM UNTIL 900 AM CST.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 75 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 125 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF
SALEM ILLINOIS TO 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF POPLAR BLUFF MISSOURI.
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU4).

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 42...WW 43...

DISCUSSION...CNTRL/SRN MO SQLN WITH EMBEDDED SUSTAINED SUPERCELLS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ENEWD AT ABOUT 50 KTS.  THE STORMS MAY
STRENGTHEN AS THEY MOVE BEYOND THE OZARKS AND ENCOUNTER RICHER
BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE /PW AOA 1.50 INCHES AND SFC DEWPOINTS IN THE
UPR 50S TO LOW 60S F/ SPREADING RAPIDLY NNE UP THE MS VLY.  INTENSE
LOW TO MID LVL WIND FIELD...WITH 60-70 KT SWLY LLJ VEERING TO 70-80
KT WSW FLOW AT 500 MB...WILL MAINTAIN POTENTIAL FOR EMBEDDED
SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF TORNADOES/DMGG WIND DESPITE TIME OF DAY.
ADDITIONAL STORMS MAY FORM E OF THE SQLN AS STRENGTHENING LLJ/LARGE
SCALE ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH POTENT NEB/IA UPR VORT INTERACT WITH
REMNANT WARM FRONT OVER REGION.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 65 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25055.


...CORFIDI

Tornado Watches in Illinois, 2012Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2012Tornado Watches in Kentucky, 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.