URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 4
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
310 AM CDT THU JAN 21 2010
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
WESTERN AND SOUTHERN ALABAMA
THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
COASTAL WATERS
EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY MORNING FROM 310 AM UNTIL 1000 AM CDT.
TORNADOES…HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 80 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 90 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF
SELMA ALABAMA TO 30 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF MARIANNA FLORIDA.
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU4).
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 3…
DISCUSSION…NNE/SSW QLCS IN CNTRL MS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
ENEWD…WHILE ADDITIONAL STORMS/CLUSTERS CONTINUE TO FORM NEAR
SHALLOW WARM FRONT NOW EXTENDING FROM S CNTRL MS TO THE WRN FL
PANHANDLE. DEEP WIND FIELD ACROSS REGION…ALREADY SUPPORTIVE OF
SUPERCELLS… SHOULD FURTHER STRENGTHEN AS EXIT REGION OF 100+ KT
250 MB JET STREAK CONTINUES ESE ALONG THE CNTRL GULF CST. ALTHOUGH
WEAK BOUNDARY LAYER INSTABILITY/RESIDUAL RAIN-COOLED SFC LAYER
LIKELY WILL MITIGATE OVERALL SVR THREAT…POTENTIAL WILL
NEVERTHELESS EXIST FOR SPORADIC DMGG WIND GUSTS AND TORNADOES. THE
LATTER THREAT MAY BE GREATEST WITH EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS IN THE
QLCS…AND WITH ANY MORE DISCRETE/LONGER-LASTING STRUCTURES NEAR
WARM FRONT. OVERALL THREAT SHOULD SHIFT GRADUALLY ENE WITH TIME.
AVIATION…TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1 INCH. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24040.
ALABAMA COUNTIES IN NEW TORNADO WATCH
(Note: This new Tornado Watch does not include Jefferson County but it does include counties as nearby Tuscaloosa and Bibb:
AUTAUGA BALDWIN BIBB
BUTLER CHILTON CHOCTAW
CLARKE COFFEE CONECUH
COVINGTON CRENSHAW DALE
DALLAS ESCAMBIA GENEVA
GREENE HALE HENRY
HOUSTON LOWNDES MARENGO
MOBILE MONROE MONTGOMERY
PERRY PICKENS PIKE
SUMTER TUSCALOOSA WASHINGTON
WILCOX
