Tornado Watch 85

Issued

May 12, 2018, 4:58 PM EDT (20:58 UTC)

Expired

May 12, 2018, 9:56 PM EDT

In force

5 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

1.5 in

Strongest gust expected

65 kt

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 121 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:00 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

30%

Ten or more severe wind reports

50%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

30%

Ten or more severe hail reports

20%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

20%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

70%

• Mesoscale Discussion 392May 12, 3:59 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 396May 12, 7:16 PM EDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 397May 12, 9:14 PM EDT

717 
WWUS20 KWNS 122055
SEL5  
SPC WW 122055
DEZ000-MDZ000-NJZ000-PAZ000-CWZ000-130500-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Tornado Watch Number 85
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
455 PM EDT Sat May 12 2018

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

* Tornado Watch for portions of 
  Delaware
  Central and eastern Maryland
  Southern New Jersey
  Southeast Pennsylvania
  Coastal Waters

* Effective this Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning from 455
  PM until 100 AM EDT.

* Primary threats include...
  A couple intense tornadoes possible
  Scattered damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 75
    mph possible
  Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

SUMMARY...Scattered strong to severe storms will spread east towards
the Mid-Atlantic Coast through the evening. Low-level wind profiles
on the cool side of a quasi-stationary front will favor a few
rotating storms with mainly a damaging wind and tornado risk.

The tornado watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles
either side of a line from 20 miles southwest of Harrisburg PA to 30
miles east southeast of Atlantic City NJ. For a complete depiction
of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS
WOU5).

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 84...

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 28035.

...Grams

Tornado Watches in Maryland, 2018Tornado Watches in Pennsylvania, 2018Tornado Watches in New Jersey, 2018Every tornado watch in 2018

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.