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000 

WWUS20 KWNS 081304

SEL7

SPC WW 081304

ALZ000-MSZ000-081900-



URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 277

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

805 AM CDT THU MAY 8 2008



THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF



       NORTHWEST ALABAMA

       NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI



EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 805 AM UNTIL

200 PM CDT.



TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND

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

AREAS.



THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 85 STATUTE

MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 15 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF

MUSCLE SHOALS ALABAMA TO 55 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GREENWOOD

MISSISSIPPI.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE

ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).



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...THUNDERSTORM CLUSTER OVER NE MS IS DEVELOPING SUPERCELL

CHARACTERISTICS AS THE LOW LEVELS MOISTENING/DESTABILIZE NEWD FROM

CENTRAL MS INTO NW AL.  ADDITIONAL CONVECTION IS ALSO BEGINNING TO

DEVELOP ALONG THE WIND SHIFT NEAR THE MS RIVER.  GIVEN THE LOW-LEVEL

DESTABILIZATION AND EXPECTED PERSISTENCE OF 45-55 KT SWLY LOW-LEVEL

FLOW AND RELATIVELY STRONG LOW-LEVEL SHEAR IN ADVANCE OF THE MID

LEVEL TROUGH IN AR...THE THREAT FOR SUPERCELLS AND A COUPLE OF

TORNADOES WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST MIDDAY.

OTHERWISE...DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE

STRONGER STORMS.



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

SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE

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

500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.





...THOMPSON

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