Tornado Watch 56

Issued

Mar 2, 2012, 9:25 AM CST (15:25 UTC)

Expired

Mar 2, 2012, 2:19 PM CST

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:25 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

30%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

30%

Ten or more severe hail reports

40%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

30%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

70%

• Mesoscale Discussion 204Mar 2, 9:07 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 210Mar 2, 11:46 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 212Mar 2, 12:57 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 214Mar 2, 1:58 PM CST

323 
WWUS20 KWNS 021527
SEL6
SPC WW 021527
ALZ000-GAZ000-TNZ000-022100-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 56
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
930 AM CST FRI MAR 2 2012

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

       NORTHERN ALABAMA
       NORTHWEST GEORGIA
       MIDDLE AND EASTERN TENNESSEE

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 930 AM UNTIL 300
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 60 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF
CROSSVILLE TENNESSEE TO 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HUNTSVILLE ALABAMA.
 FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

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 55...

DISCUSSION...A NE-SW ORIENTED BAND OF TSTMS HAS RECENTLY INTENSIFIED
WITH A COUPLE OF CELLS SHOWING SIGNS OF ROTATION.  MODIFICATION OF
12Z BNA AND HUNTSVILLE SOUNDINGS FOR CURRENT SURFACE CONDITIONS
INDICATES THAT THE AIR MASS IS UNCAPPED WITH MLCAPE VALUES OF
500-1000 J/KG.  GIVEN THE PRESENCE OF THE STRONG VERTICAL
SHEAR...THE SETUP WILL BE SUPPORTIVE FOR SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT WITH
AN ATTENDANT THREAT FOR A COUPLE OF TORNADOES IN ADDITION TO SEVERE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

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
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25040.


...MEAD

Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 2012Tornado Watches in Alabama, 2012Tornado Watches in Georgia, 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.