1st Tornado Watch of 2005...

[Brent]

A little surprising(I'm not in it, eastern edge is about 90 miles west of here).

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 1
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
945 PM CDT FRI JAN 7 2005

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

WESTERN AND PORTIONS OF NORTHERN ALABAMA
SOUTHEASTERN MISSISSIPPI

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING FROM 945 PM UNTIL
300 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 ALONG AND 65 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES NORTH OF BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA TO 50 MILES
SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF LAUREL 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...SQUALL LINE HAS DEVELOPED ERN MS IN RESPONSE TO RETURN
OF GULF MOISTURE AND RAPIDLY MOVING S/WV TROUGH ACROSS LOWER MS
VALLEY. STRONG SHEAR PROFILES SUFFICIENT GIVEN VERY WEAK
INSTABILITY TO SUPPORT EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES
ASSOCIATED WITH SQUALL LINE ALONG WITH WIND DAMAGE POTENTIAL.

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.