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URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

Tornado Watch Number 518

NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK

855 PM CST Sat Dec 17 2016



The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a



* Tornado Watch for portions of

  Northwestern Alabama

  Southeastern Arkansas

  Northeastern Louisiana

  West-central through northern Mississippi

  Southwestern and middle Tennessee



* Effective this Saturday night and Sunday morning from 855 PM

  until 300 AM CST.



* Primary threats include...

  A couple tornadoes possible

  Isolated damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible



SUMMARY...A band of strong to locally severe storms near an intense

cold front will move across the watch area through much of the

overnight hours, offering a risk of sporadic damaging winds and a

couple of tornadoes possible.  Isolated severe storms still may form

ahead of that band also.  See SPC mesoscale discussions 1893-1894

for initial meteorological reasoning.



The tornado watch area is approximately along and 55 statute miles

either side of a line from 25 miles west northwest of Monroe LA to

15 miles east of Nashville TN. For a complete depiction of the watch

see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).



PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...



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...This tornado watch replaces tornado

watch number 517. Watch number 517 will not be in effect after

855 PM CST.



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 23035.



...Edwards

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