Tornado Watch 559

Issued

Dec 23, 2015, 11:57 AM CST (17:57 UTC)

Expired

Dec 23, 2015, 9:00 PM CST

In force

9 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Particularly dangerous situation

Yes

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

65 kt

The Memphis radar (KNQA), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:55 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

90%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

80%

Ten or more severe wind reports

60%

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

20%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

95%

• 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
• Mesoscale Discussion 2045Dec 23, 2:49 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2051Dec 23, 6:35 PM CST
• Mesoscale Discussion 2052Dec 23, 7:41 PM CST

584 
WWUS20 KWNS 231755
SEL9  
SPC WW 231755
ARZ000-LAZ000-MSZ000-TNZ000-240200-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 559
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1155 AM CST WED DEC 23 2015

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 
  SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS
  FAR NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
  NORTHERN AND WESTERN MISSISSIPPI
  WESTERN TENNESSEE

* EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING AND EVENING FROM 1155 AM UNTIL
  800 PM CST.

...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...
  SEVERAL TORNADOES AND A FEW INTENSE TORNADOES LIKELY
  SCATTERED DAMAGING WINDS LIKELY WITH ISOLATED SIGNIFICANT GUSTS
    TO 75 MPH POSSIBLE
  ISOLATED LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE

SUMMARY...ONGOING SEVERE STORMS EAST OF LITTLE ROCK SHOULD INTENSIFY
THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WITH ADDITIONAL STORMS FORMING SOUTHWARD
ACROSS THE ARK-LA-MISS REGION. ENVIRONMENT IS CONDUCIVE TO
LONG-TRACK SUPERCELLS WITH SIGNIFICANT TORNADOES AND DAMAGING WINDS
AS THE PRIMARY HAZARDS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 100 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF
DYERSBURG TENNESSEE TO 50 MILES EAST OF MONROE LOUISIANA.  FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU9).

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 557...WW 558...

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
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22045.


...GRAMS

Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2015Tornado Watches in Arkansas, 2015Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 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.