Tornado Watch in effect until 6 PM for NOrtheast Texas, East Texas, and Southeast Texas. Texarkana, Tyler, Lufkin, Houston, and Port Arthur are all included in this watch. A line of storms is entering the region from the west. At the same time isolated storms are firing up in the open warm sector. A couple tornadoes are possible along with damaging wind gusts and hail.

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 38
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1240 PM CST TUE MAR 8 2016

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS
WESTERN LOUISIANA
FAR SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
PARTS OF EAST TEXAS
COASTAL WATERS

* EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1240 PM UNTIL
600 PM CST.

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE…
A COUPLE TORNADOES POSSIBLE
ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH POSSIBLE
ISOLATED LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE

SUMMARY…SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO SPREAD
EASTWARD/NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS EAST TEXAS AND ADJACENT AREAS…AND
WILL PERSIST/STRENGTHEN GRADUALLY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE
STRONGEST STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO POSE A RISK FOR LOCALLY DAMAGING
WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES…ALONG WITH SOME POTENTIAL FOR
MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 75 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES NORTH OF TEXARKANA
ARKANSAS TO 50 MILES WEST OF PORT ARTHUR TEXAS. 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.