Tornado Watch #5 - Tx. La. Ms.

[southerngale]

In Southeast Texas this watch includes 2 counties... Jefferson and Orange (Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange areas)
We're also still in a flood watch for today.


URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 5
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
540 AM CST THU FEB 5 2004

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

LARGE PART OF LOUISIANA
SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI
EXTREME SOUTHEAST TEXAS
COASTAL WATERS

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY MORNING FROM 540 AM UNTIL NOON CST.

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 ALONG AND 100 STATUTE MILES EAST AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF INTRACOASTAL CITY
LOUISIANA TO 35 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF JACKSON MISSISSIPPI.

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...LARGE SCALE ASCENT WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE MORNING
AHEAD OF APPROACHING UPPER LOW AS STRONG UPPER DIFLUENCE AND
INCREASING LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE OVERSPREAD THE REGION.
WELL-DEFINED SURFACE FRONT WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN A NE-SW ORIENTATION
FROM N-CENTRAL MS INTO FAR SERN TX/SWRN LA THROUGH THE MID
MORNING...WITH A SERIES OF WEAK WAVES SHIFTING NEWD ALONG IT. NET
RESULT WILL BE AN INCREASE IN STORM COVERAGE/INTENSITY ACROSS
WW...AS DIURNAL HEATING INCREASES AND BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTENS.
STORMS SHOULD BECOME INCREASINGLY SURFACE-BASED WITH VERY STRONG
SHEAR SUPPORTIVE OF TORNADIC SUPERCELLS.

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 500.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23040.


...EVANS

[bfez1]

We had golf ball size hail in some areas here overnight. And more bad weather expected here again this afternoon.