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WWUS20 KWNS 261556

SEL8

SPC WW 261556

ALZ000-FLZ000-CWZ000-262300-



URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 18

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

955 AM CST THU JAN 26 2012



THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF



       ALABAMA

       WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE

       COASTAL WATERS



EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 955 AM UNTIL

500 PM CST.



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 APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 75 STATUTE

MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 10 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF

PENSACOLA FLORIDA TO 25 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF BIRMINGHAM

ALABAMA.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE

ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).



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 17...



DISCUSSION...A DEEPENING SURFACE LOW OVER THE MS DELTA REGION IS

EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEWD INTO MIDDLE TN BY AFTERNOON...RESULTING IN

CONSIDERABLE STRENGTHENING OF A SLY LLJ TO AOA 50 KT TODAY ACROSS

THE WATCH AREA.  THIS FEATURE WILL ENHANCE THE NWD FLUX OF AN

INCREASINGLY MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER ACROSS THE REGION...AS WELL AS

RESULT IN STRENGTHENING LOW-LEVEL SHEAR.  NRN EXTENSION OF QLCS OVER

SWRN AL IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NNEWD ALONG LEADING EDGE OF WEAKER

CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION SHIELD PRESENT ACROSS NRN AL WITHIN

MOISTENING/DESTABILIZING AIR MASS.  GIVEN THE STRENGTHENING VERTICAL

SHEAR AND FORCING FOR ASCENT...SETUP WILL REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR

EMBEDDED SUPERCELL AND BOWING STRUCTURES CAPABLE OF DAMAGING WINDS

AND A FEW TORNADOES.



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 400.

MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22040.





...MEAD

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