URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 5 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 520 PM CST SUN JAN 22 2012
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
EASTERN ARKANSAS THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI WESTERN TENNESSEE
EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON FROM 520 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST.
...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
NUMEROUS TORNADOES INTENSE TORNADOES LIKELY WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH LIKELY SCATTERED LARGE HAIL ISOLATED HAIL TO 2.0 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 85 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF DYERSBURG TENNESSEE TO 25 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF GREENVILLE MISSISSIPPI. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).
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.
DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE/INTENSITY THE NEXT FEW HOURS ACROSS CENTRAL/ERN AR AS THE LOW LEVELS DESTABILIZE AND ASCENT OVERSPREADS THE AREA FROM W TO E...IN ADVANCE OF A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH NOW OVER ERN OK. LOW-LEVEL SHEAR AND MOISTURE WILL INCREASES THROUGH THE EVENING ACROSS NE AR/WRN TN...AND STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO EVOLVE INTO A BROKEN BAND WITH BOTH EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS AND EMBEDDED BOWING SEGMENTS. VERTICAL SHEAR...MOISTURE...AND THE MIXED STORM MODES WILL FAVOR A RISK OF A FEW STRONG TORNADOES...ALONG WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THROUGH TONIGHT.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24045.
...THOMPSON
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/ww0005.html [graphics will update]