Alert archive / Alabama / Tornado Watches in 2024

Tornado Watch 721

December 28, 202412 counties in Alabama; 11 parishes in Louisiana; 9 counties in Mississippi

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Dec 28, 2024, 6:34 PM CST for 12 counties in Alabama; 11 parishes in Louisiana; 9 counties in Mississippi. It was in force for 9 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Dec 28, 2024, 6:34 PM CST (00:34 UTC)
Expired
Dec 29, 2024, 4:00 AM CST
In force
9 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Largest hail expected
1.5 in
Strongest gust expected
70 kt
All 32 counties

Baldwin County, AL, Butler County, AL, Choctaw County, AL, Clarke County, AL, Conecuh County, AL, Covington County, AL, Crenshaw County, AL, Escambia County, AL, Mobile County, AL, Monroe County, AL, Washington County, AL, Wilcox County, AL, Assumption Parish, LA, Jefferson Parish, LA, Lafourche Parish, LA, Orleans Parish, LA, Plaquemines Parish, LA, Saint Bernard Parish, LA, Saint Charles Parish, LA, Saint James Parish, LA, Saint John the Baptist Parish, LA, Saint Tammany Parish, LA, Terrebonne Parish, LA, George County, MS, Greene County, MS, Hancock County, MS, Harrison County, MS, Jackson County, MS, Pearl River County, MS, Perry County, MS, Stone County, MS, Wayne County, MS

The radar

The Mobile radar (KMOB), 29 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:39 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.

What SPC expected

The probabilities SPC published with the watch, for the watch area over its life.

Two or more tornadoes
80%
One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes
50%
Ten or more severe wind reports
70%
One or more gusts of 65 knots or more
50%
Ten or more severe hail reports
30%
One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more
10%
Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports
80%

Warnings issued inside it

35 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 28, 6:51 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile39 min
Dec 28, 7:05 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBMobile24 min
Dec 28, 7:17 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXAscension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston, Saint James and 1 more43 min
Dec 28, 7:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLIXLivingston, Saint Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington45 min
Dec 28, 7:42 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin48 min
Dec 28, 7:53 PM CSTTornado WarningLIXPearl River, Walthall17 min
Dec 28, 8:34 PM CSTTornado WarningLIXSaint Tammany29 min
Dec 28, 8:36 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBGreene, Perry, Wayne54 min
Dec 28, 8:48 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningLIXSaint Charles, Saint John the Baptist2 hr
Dec 28, 9:03 PM CSTFlash Flood WarningLIXJefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles3 hr
Dec 28, 9:03 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBWayne27 min
Dec 28, 9:08 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChoctaw67 min
Dec 28, 9:24 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChoctaw, Washington66 min
Dec 28, 9:36 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBChoctaw, Washington24 min
Dec 28, 10:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile49 min
Dec 28, 10:13 PM CSTTornado WarningLIXHarrison, Jackson15 min
Dec 28, 10:19 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBChoctaw, Clarke, Monroe, Washington, Wilcox41 min
Dec 28, 10:25 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBConecuh, Monroe25 min
Dec 28, 10:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin, Clarke, Mobile, Monroe, Washington62 min
Dec 28, 10:29 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBMobile31 min
Dec 28, 10:52 PM CSTTornado Warning Tornado observedMOBBaldwin, Mobile23 min
Dec 28, 10:56 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBButler, Conecuh, Monroe49 min
Dec 28, 10:57 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBClarke, Conecuh, Monroe, Washington, Wilcox63 min
Dec 28, 11:12 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBButler, Conecuh33 min
Dec 28, 11:36 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBMobile39 min
Dec 28, 11:37 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBButler38 min
Dec 28, 11:42 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBMobile33 min
Dec 28, 11:48 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBButler, Conecuh, Covington, Monroe, Wilcox57 min
Dec 28, 11:56 PM CSTTornado WarningMOBButler, Conecuh, Monroe, Wilcox21 min
Dec 29, 12:04 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBConecuh, Escambia41 min
Dec 29, 12:13 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBBaldwin62 min
Dec 29, 12:27 AM CSTTornado WarningMOBBaldwin33 min
Dec 29, 12:30 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBButler, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Escambia60 min
Dec 29, 12:45 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBConecuh, Covington, Escambia60 min
Dec 29, 1:13 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMOBCovington62 min

Discussions around it

SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.

The nearest sounding before it

Slidell Radar S, LA (KSIL), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 172 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2024-12-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1026 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Slidell Radar S, LA at 00:00Z on 2024-12-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 474 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1026 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-29 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
501 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
53 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
474 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
513 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.9
Supercell composite
19.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

891 
WWUS20 KWNS 290031
SEL1  
SPC WW 290031
ALZ000-FLZ000-LAZ000-MSZ000-CWZ000-290800-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Tornado Watch Number 721
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
630 PM CST Sat Dec 28 2024

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

* Tornado Watch for portions of 
  Southern Alabama
  The Western Florida Panhandle
  Southeast Louisiana
  Southern Mississippi
  Coastal Waters

* Effective this Saturday night and Sunday morning from 630 PM
  until 200 AM CST.

* Primary threats include...
  Several tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes
    possible
  Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 80 mph possible
  Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

SUMMARY...Thunderstorms will continue to pose a threat for tornadoes
and severe/damaging winds this evening and overnight. The most
intense winds may reach 70-80 mph within the developing line of
thunderstorms. A strong tornado also appears possible with any
sustained supercell that can be maintained ahead of the line.

The tornado watch area is approximately along and 70 statute miles
east and west of a line from 40 miles north northwest of Evergreen
AL to 70 miles south of Slidell LA. For a complete depiction of the
watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

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 720...

AVIATION...Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
storm motion vector 26040.

...Gleason

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 28, 6:59 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAutauga, Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Colbert, Coosa and 21 more91 min
Dec 28, 7:39 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaldwin, Escambia, Mobile, Washington66 min
Dec 28, 8:09 PM CSTTornado WatchSPCAutauga, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun and 44 more7 hr
Dec 28, 9:43 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAutauga, Bibb, Blount, Chilton, Colbert, Cullman and 21 more92 min
Dec 28, 10:08 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBaldwin, Butler, Clarke, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Escambia and 3 more97 min
Dec 28, 11:34 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAutauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun and 27 more116 min
Dec 29, 12:54 AM CSTTornado WatchSPCCoffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston7 hr
Dec 29, 1:21 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarbour, Bullock, Chambers, Lee, Macon, Russell and 1 more54 min
Dec 29, 3:06 AM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCHenry, Houston84 min
Dec 28, 6:00 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAcadia, Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia and 21 more60 min
Dec 28, 6:04 PM CSTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAttala, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Claiborne and 22 more86 min

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Alabama, 2024Tornado Watches in Louisiana, 2024Tornado Watches in Mississippi, 2024Every tornado watch in 2024

Sources

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.