Tornado Watch 73

Issued

Apr 18, 2015, 2:27 PM CDT (19:27 UTC)

Expired

Apr 18, 2015, 8:32 PM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

2.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Altus AFB radar (KFDR), 137 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:27 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

10%

Ten or more severe hail reports

70%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

30%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

90%

• Mesoscale Discussion 354Apr 18, 12:45 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 355Apr 18, 1:52 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 357Apr 18, 4:07 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 362Apr 18, 6:03 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 367Apr 18, 7:46 PM CDT

195 
WWUS20 KWNS 181925
SEL3  
SPC WW 181925
OKZ000-TXZ000-190200-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 73
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
225 PM CDT SAT APR 18 2015

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 
  WESTERN OKLAHOMA
  WESTERN NORTH TEXAS AND THE EASTERN PANHANDLE

* EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 225 PM UNTIL
  900 PM CDT.

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...
  A FEW TORNADOES POSSIBLE
  SCATTERED LARGE HAIL LIKELY WITH ISOLATED VERY LARGE HAIL EVENTS
    TO 2.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE
  SCATTERED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH POSSIBLE

SUMMARY...ISOLATED SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM
ALONG THE DRYLINE ALONG THE TX/OK BORDER THIS AFTERNOON AND TRACK
EASTWARD INTO WESTERN OK.  STRENGTHENING SOUTHEASTERLY SURFACE WINDS
MAY AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES...ALONG WITH LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN THE STRONGER STORMS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 55 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF
ALVA OKLAHOMA TO 55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WICHITA FALLS TEXAS.  FOR
A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).

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 72...

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24030.


...HART

Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, 2015Tornado Watches in Texas, 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.