Tornado Watch 557

Issued

Dec 23, 2015, 6:20 AM CST (12:20 UTC)

Expired

Dec 23, 2015, 1:00 PM CST

In force

7 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Shreveport radar (KSHV), 131 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:23 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

20%

Ten or more severe wind reports

80%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

10%

Ten or more severe hail reports

40%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

10%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

95%

• Mesoscale Discussion 2029Dec 23, 4:39 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2030Dec 23, 6:13 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2032Dec 23, 9:05 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2034Dec 23, 10:12 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2036Dec 23, 10:58 AM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2040Dec 23, 12:48 PM CST

561 
WWUS20 KWNS 231219
SEL7  
SPC WW 231219
ARZ000-LAZ000-OKZ000-TXZ000-231900-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 557
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
620 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 
  SOUTHWEST THROUGH MUCH OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS
  NORTHWEST LOUISIANA
  SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
  NORTHEAST TEXAS

* EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 620 AM
  UNTIL 100 PM CST.

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...
  A FEW TORNADOES LIKELY
  WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH LIKELY
  SCATTERED LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE

SUMMARY...FORCING FOR ASCENT ASSOCIATED WITH A SHORT WAVE TROUGH
OVERSPREADING THE ARKLATEX REGION AND MUCH OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS
THROUGH MID DAY IS EXPECTED TO SUPPORT INCREASING SEVERE STORM
DEVELOPMENT.  THIS WILL INCLUDE THE RISK FOR SUPERCELLS...WITH A FEW
TORNADOES...IN ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG SURFACE GUSTS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 85 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES SOUTH OF LONGVIEW
TEXAS TO 25 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF WALNUT RIDGE ARKANSAS.  FOR
A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).

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 556...

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
400. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24045.


...KERR

Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2015Tornado Watches in Texas, 2015Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 2015Every tornado watch in 2015

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.