Tornado Watch for Gallatin, TN

Tornado Watch
Statement as of 11:35 AM CST on February 29, 2012


The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
Tornado Watch for portions of 


       central and eastern Kentucky
       Tennessee
       far western Virginia


Effective this Wednesday morning and evening from 1135 am until
800 PM CST.


Tornadoes...hail to 1.5 inches in diameter...thunderstorm wind
gusts to 75 mph...and dangerous lightning are possible in these
areas.


The Tornado Watch area is approximately along and 70 statute
miles north and south of a line from 25 miles south southwest of
Dyersburg Tennessee to 30 miles east southeast of Jackson
Kentucky.  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 45...ww 46...ww 47...


Discussion...broken...pre-frontal band of tstms /including
supercells/ over cntrl KY is expected to increase in coverage and
intensity this afternoon across watch area...as large-scale forcing
for ascent increases ahead of midlevel impulse approaching the mid
MS/lower OH valleys.  Widespread clouds and weak lapse rates will
limit air mass destabilization through this afternoon with MLCAPE of
generally less than 1000-1500 j/kg.  However...given the strong low-
and deep-layer shear...the setup will remain favorable for
supercells and bowing structures capable of tornadoes some strong
and potentially widespread damaging winds.


Aviation...tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface
wind gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to
400. Mean storm motion vector 25050.




...Mead