TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 396
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
355 PM CDT FRI MAY 16 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
SOUTHERN MISSOURI
EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 355 PM UNTIL 1000 PM CDT.
...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER... THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 55 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 90 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 45 MILES NORTHEAST OF SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI TO 40 MILES SOUTH OF HARRISON ARKANSAS.
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 392...WW 393...WW 394...WW 395...
DISCUSSION...SUPERCELLS IN NE OK EXPECTED TO MOVE NEWD INTO AXIS OF INCREASING SURFACE-BASED INSTABILITY OVER WRN AR. OTHER STORMS MAY DEVELOP INDEPENDENTLY IN THIS AXIS AS AIR MASS CONTINUES TO RECOVER IN WAKE OF CONVECTION NOW IN NE AR. LOW LEVEL VEERING PROFILES AND HIGH BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE CONTENT SUGGEST THREAT FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES/MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL WITH DISCRETE STORMS. ACTIVITY SHOULD WEAKEN LATER THIS EVENING AS HEATING ENDS AND EXISTING STORMS MERGE INTO CLUSTERS.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1 INCH. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22020.
...CORFIDI
