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000 

WWUS20 KWNS 170851

SEL1

SPC WW 170851

LAZ000-MSZ000-CWZ000-171500-



URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 61

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

245 AM CST SUN FEB 17 2008



THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF



       SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA

       SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI

       COASTAL WATERS



EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY MORNING FROM 245 AM UNTIL 900 AM CST.



TORNADOES...HAIL TO 0.5 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND

GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE

AREAS.



THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 60 STATUTE

MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 55 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF

PINE BELT MISSISSIPPI TO 35 MILES SOUTH OF HOUMA LOUISIANA.  FOR

A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH

OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).



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 60...



DISCUSSION...IN THE PAST 90 MINUTES OR SO...SEMI-DISCRETE STRUCTURES

HAVE FORMED WITHIN WRN MS/S CNTRL LA SQLN.  THIS MAY REFLECT

WEAKENING OF STRONG LOW-LEVEL LINEAR FORCING AS LARGE SCALE UPR

TROUGH LIFTS NE TOWARD MO.  AT THE SAME TIME...RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF

SHOWERS AHEAD OF SQLN SUGGESTS WEAKENING OF EXISTING CIN...POSSIBLY

REFLECTING DIMINISHING EML WITH INCREASING DISTANCE FROM THE PLAINS.

COUPLED WITH SFC DEWPOINTS THAT ARE RISING INTO THE MID 60S IN SE

LA...AND INTENSE LOW TO MID-LEVEL SHEAR...SETUP MAY SUPPORT A COUPLE

TORNADOES IN ADDITION TO LOCALLY DAMAGING WIND.



AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL

SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 0.5 INCH. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE

WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO

400. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23050.





...CORFIDI

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