Tornado Watch 26

Issued

Feb 24, 2016, 11:16 AM EST (16:16 UTC)

Expired

Feb 24, 2016, 7:00 PM EST

In force

8 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 149 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:18 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

80%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

60%

Ten or more severe wind reports

60%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

20%

Ten or more severe hail reports

20%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

10%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

80%

• Mesoscale Discussion 141Feb 24, 10:46 AM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 142Feb 24, 11:16 AM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 145Feb 24, 1:18 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 148Feb 24, 2:55 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 150Feb 24, 4:46 PM EST
• Mesoscale Discussion 151Feb 24, 6:40 PM EST

207 
WWUS20 KWNS 241615
SEL6  
SPC WW 241615
NCZ000-SCZ000-250000-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 26
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1115 AM EST WED FEB 24 2016

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 
  MOST OF NORTH CAROLINA
  CENTRAL AND NORTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA

* EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING AND EVENING FROM 1115 AM UNTIL
  700 PM EST.

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...
  SEVERAL TORNADOES AND A COUPLE INTENSE TORNADOES LIKELY
  SCATTERED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH LIKELY
  ISOLATED LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE

SUMMARY...TWO AREAS OF SEVERE STORMS SHOULD EVOLVE NORTHEASTWARD
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. PRIMARY AREA OF STORMS WITHIN A QUASI-LINEAR
BAND SHOULD SPREAD ACROSS THE PIEDMONT WITH TORNADOES AND DAMAGING
WINDS AS THE MAIN HAZARDS. A SECONDARY AREA OF SPORADIC TORNADO/WIND
POTENTIAL MAY PERSIST ACROSS PARTS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN IN SOUTHERN
NORTH CAROLINA.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 125 STATUTE
MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 5 MILES WEST OF GREENSBORO NORTH
CAROLINA TO 40 MILES EAST OF FLORENCE SOUTH CAROLINA.  FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

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.

&&

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
450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 21040.


...GRAMS

Tornado Watches in North Carolina, 2016Tornado Watches in South Carolina, 2016Every tornado watch in 2016

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.