TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 56
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1215 PM CST MON MAR 21 2005
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL AND PARTS OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA
EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1215 PM UNTIL 700
PM CST.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 60 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 50 STATUTE MILES
EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF PONCA CITY
OKLAHOMA TO 25 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF DURANT OKLAHOMA. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).
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...ISOLATED SUPERCELLS SHOULD DEVELOP ALONG THE SURFACE
DRYLINE ACROSS CENTRAL OK BY 19-20Z. EROSION OF THE LOW CLOUDS FROM
THE W HAS ALLOWED A NARROW CORRIDOR OF DESTABILIZATION E OF THE
DRYLINE...WHILE LOW-MID LEVEL VERTICAL SHEAR IS QUITE FAVORABLE FOR
SUPERCELLS WITH TORNADOES ACROSS CENTRAL/ERN OK. THOUGH INSTABILITY
IS A LIMITING FACTOR...IT SHOULD BECOME SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT THE
THREAT OF A FEW TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING.
STRONG LOW-LEVEL VERTICAL SHEAR...AS WELL AS PRONOUNCED VERTICAL
VORTICITY ALONG THE SURFACE BOUNDARY...MAY ALSO SUPPORT AN ISOLATED
TORNADO THREAT INTO PARTS OF N CENTRAL AND NW OK THIS AFTERNOON.