WWUS20 KWNS 172241 SEL0 SPC WW 172241 GAZ000-NCZ000-SCZ000-TNZ000-180700- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 640 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 640 PM EDT MON SEP 17 2012 THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL GEORGIA WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA EASTERN TENNESSEE EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING FROM 640 PM UNTIL 300 AM EDT. TORNADOES...HAIL TO 0.5 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 65 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 120 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF ATHENS GEORGIA TO 40 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF MACON GEORGIA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0). 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. DISCUSSION...SEVERAL SHORT BANDS/SMALL CLUSTERS OF TSTMS EXPECTED TO PERSIST AND POSSIBLY INCREASE IN COVERAGE THROUGH LATE TNGT OVER PARTS OF THE SRN APPALACHIANS...PIEDMONT...AND CUMBERLAND PLATEAU AS MOIST/CONFLUENT FLOW STRENGTHENS DOWNSTREAM FROM SRN STREAM IMPULSE ACCELERATING NEWD FROM LA. WHILE UPDRAFT INTENSITY WILL BE LIMITED BY WEAK LOW TO MID-LVL LAPSE RATES...POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR LOW-LVL MESOCYCLONES/POSSIBLE TORNADOES...MAINLY ALONG/NEAR SLOWLY-ADVANCING WARM FRONT NOW DRAPED ALONG THE SRN FRINGES OF THE MOUNTAINS. AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 0.5 INCH. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 21030. ...CORFIDI