Tornado Watch 68

Issued

Mar 3, 2012, 6:35 AM CST (12:35 UTC)

Expired

Mar 3, 2012, 1:00 PM CST

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Tallahassee radar (KTLH), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:36 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

40%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

20%

Ten or more severe hail reports

30%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

20%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

70%

• Mesoscale Discussion 229Mar 3, 4:47 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 230Mar 3, 9:12 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 231Mar 3, 11:45 AM CST

617 
WWUS20 KWNS 031234
SEL8
SPC WW 031234
ALZ000-FLZ000-GAZ000-CWZ000-031900-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 68
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
735 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012

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

       EXTREME SOUTHEAST ALABAMA
       THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE
       SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST GEORGIA
       COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 735 AM UNTIL
200 PM EST.

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 50 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF
PANAMA CITY FLORIDA TO 75 MILES NORTHEAST OF VALDOSTA GEORGIA.
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 67...

DISCUSSION...PRE-FRONTAL STORMS HAVE BEEN GRADUALLY INCREASING IN
COVERAGE/INTENSITY ACROSS THE FL PANHANDLE AND SW GA...AND THIS
TREND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING AS SURFACE HEATING BEGINS TO
DESTABILIZE THE BOUNDARY LAYER.  MLCAPE IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO
1000-1500 J/KG WITH DAYTIME HEATING...AND VERTICAL SHEAR WILL REMAIN
FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A FEW TORNADOES.
OTHERWISE...DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE
STRONGER STORMS THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON.

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 24040.


...THOMPSON

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