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What is a tornado watch?

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What is a tornado watch?

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A tornado watch defines an area shaped like a parallelogram, where tornadoes and other kinds of severe weather are possible in the next several hours. It does not mean tornadoes are imminent — just that you need to be alert, and to be prepared to go to safe shelter if tornadoes do happen or a warning is issued. This is the time to turn on local TV or radio, turn on and set the alarm switch on your weather radio, make sure you have ready access to safe shelter, and make your friends and family aware of the potential for tornadoes in the area. The Storm Prediction Center issues tornado and severe thunderstorm watches; here is an example. For more information on tornado watches and other SPC bulletins, go here.

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People moving into areas where tornadoes are common may hear the term “tornado watch” without knowing exact what it means. A tornado watch means that weather conditions in and around the watch area are going to deteriorate and tornado activity is possible. The Storms Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma issues tornado watches. The center analyzes conditions in storm-prone areas and determines whether tornado activity is likely. A watch is then issued. A tornado watch is defined in a rectangular area, sometimes covering hundreds of square miles. The tornado watch is usually of several hours’ duration and is issued some time before severe weather is expected in the area. The advance issuance is designed to warn people that bad weather is approaching and give them time to review safety precautions and take action to keep themselves safe. A tornado watch is not the same kind of advisory as a tornado warning. A warning is issued by the local National Weather Service office and means that a

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A tornado watch defines an area shaped like a parallelogram, where tornadoes and other kinds of severe weather are possible in the next several hours. It does not mean tornadoes are imminent — just that you need to be alert, and to be prepared to go to safe shelter if tornadoes do happen or a warning is issued. This is the time to turn on local TV or radio, turn on and set the alarm switch on your weather radio, make sure you have ready access to safe shelter, and make your friends and family aware of the potential for tornadoes in the area. The Storm Prediction Center issues tornado and severe thunderstorm watches.

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By Kevin Myatt The Roanoke Times Three times in the past three weeks, a tornado watch has been issued for much of Virginia, generally east of the Blue Ridge. Franklin, Henry and Bedford counties have been in all three of the watches, coming Monday and Wednesday this week and back on April 20. Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke County were even included in Monday’s watch. That’s a year’s worth of tornado watches for our region — Southwest Virginia averages one tornado watch a year along Interstate 81 and two just east of the Blue Ridge, according to Storm Prediction Center statistics from 1999 to 2008. No tornadoes occurred in the region during any of these watches. However, a tornado occurred Sunday near Indian Valley in Floyd County and another happened near Galax late Wednesday night without a watch or a warning in effect. So what’s the purpose of a tornado watch? A tornado watch is a broad area, covering a large portion of a state or multiple states, where atmospheric conditions are favora

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