Tornado Watch 161

Issued

May 15, 2013, 6:01 PM CDT (23:01 UTC)

Expired

May 16, 2013, 2:00 AM CDT

In force

8 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

3 in

Strongest gust expected

65 kt

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 69 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:03 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

50%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

30%

Ten or more severe hail reports

95%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

50%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

95%

• Mesoscale Discussion 643May 15, 2:59 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 644May 15, 3:04 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 646May 15, 5:24 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 647May 15, 5:40 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 648May 15, 7:18 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 649May 15, 7:40 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 650May 15, 9:02 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 651May 15, 11:39 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 652May 16, 1:26 AM CDT

246 
WWUS20 KWNS 152303
SEL1  
SPC WW 152303
OKZ000-TXZ000-160600-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 161
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
600 PM CDT WED MAY 15 2013

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 
  SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
  CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS

* EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING FROM 600 PM
  UNTIL 100 AM CDT.

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...
  SEVERAL TORNADOES POSSIBLE
  NUMEROUS LARGE HAIL EVENTS EXPECTED WITH SEVERAL VERY LARGE HAIL
    EVENTS TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE
  SEVERAL DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WITH A FEW SIGNIFICANT GUSTS TO 75
    MPH POSSIBLE

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 65 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF ARDMORE
OKLAHOMA TO 60 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF BROWNWOOD TEXAS.  FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 160...

DISCUSSION...TSTMS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN STRENGTH ALONG SSW-NNE
CONFLUENCE AXIS ATTM EXTENDING FROM NEAR WICHITA FALLS TX TO W OF
BROWNWOOD TX. ACTIVITY WILL BE FOSTERED BOTH BY CONTINUED SFC
HEATING AND BY ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH UPR IMPULSE NOW MOVING ESE
ACROSS W TX. AREA VWP DATA SHOW AMPLE DEEP SHEAR/VEERING WIND
PROFILES FOR SUPERCELLS. IN ADDITION..MOIST...15-20 KT S TO SSELY
SFC FLOW AHEAD OF CONFLUENCE AXIS WILL MAINTAIN RISK FOR LOW-LVL
MESOS WITH ANY SUSTAINED UPDRAFTS. THE STORMS MAY EVOLVE INTO A
BROKEN SQLN WITH EMBEDDED LEWPS CONTINUING TO POSE A RISK FOR SVR
HAIL/WIND AND ISOLD TORNADOES THROUGH LATE TNGT.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 65 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27020.


...CORFIDI

Tornado Watches in Texas, 2013Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, 2013Every tornado watch in 2013

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.