PDS Tornado Watch issued Back to our West: The Alabama Weather Blog

On December 29, 2024By Littum

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued Tornado Watch Number 720. This watch is in effect until 9:00 PM CST tonight for parts of southeast Arkansas, central and southwest Louisiana, southwest Mississippi, southeast Texas, and nearby coastal waters. This is a particularly dangerous situation, folks – one we don’t take lightly.”

The primary threats within this watch range include:

Numerous tornadoes, with a few likely to be strong and long lasting.
Widespread damaging winds with gusts up to 80 mph.
Scattered large hail, with isolated hail as large as 2 inches in diameter possible.

The situation:
Severe thunderstorms, including supercells, are rapidly intensifying this afternoon across eastern Texas and western Louisiana. These storms are expected to spread northeast through the evening hours. Conditions in the atmosphere are becoming increasingly favorable for tornadoes, including the potential for strong, long-track tornadoes. Widespread damaging winds will also be a significant concern as this system develops.

Category: ALL POSTS, severe weather

About the author (Author profile)

Scott Martin is an operational meteorologist, professional graphic designer, musician, husband and father. Not only is Scott a member of the National Weather Association, but he is also the Central Alabama Chapter of the NWA President. Scott is also the co-founder of Racecast Weather, which provides forecasts for many racing series across the United States. He also provides forecasts for BassMaster Elite Series events, including the BassMaster Classic.