TORNADO WATCH 3-18, Texas and Oklahoma

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 80
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
315 PM CDT SUN MAR 18 2012

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

FAR WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND THE EASTERN OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE
PARTS OF WEST CENTRAL/NORTHWEST INTO THE EASTERN TEXAS
PANHANDLE
PANHANDLE

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 315 PM UNTIL
1000 PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 55 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 55 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF
GAGE OKLAHOMA TO 45 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF ABILENE TEXAS. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).

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...VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS DEEPENING CUMULUS ALONG
AND E OF THE DRYLINE FROM BIG SPRING TX NWD THROUGH THE CENTRAL/ERN
TX PANHANDLE...WITH THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR STORM DEVELOPMENT
BETWEEN CHILDRESS AND BIG SPRING BY 21Z. THE STORM ENVIRONMENT IS
BECOMING MORE FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELLS AS BOTH DEEP-LAYER AND
LOW-LEVEL SHEAR INCREASE IN CONJUNCTION WITH DAYTIME HEATING/
DESTABILIZATION. VERY LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY OF THE
SUSTAINED SUPERCELLS THROUGH THE EVENING...AND A FEW TORNADOES WILL
ALSO BE POSSIBLE GIVEN TEMPERATURE-DEWPOINT SPREADS GENERALLY AOB 20
F AND INCREASING EFFECTIVE SRH THROUGH THE EVENING.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24030.

Last Edited by Five Forty Four A.M. on 03/18/2012 04:38 PM