TORNADO THREAT: A Tornado Watch Has Been Issued for East Texas

The threat of tornadoes continues to grow across much of the Pineywoods, especially in areas to the south of Lufkin.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center has issued a Tornado Watch the includes the following Deep East Texas counties:

Polk
Tyler
Jasper
Newton

The watch extends all the way to the Houston Metro.

NWS

The tornado watch is effective until 3 p.m.

Primary threats from these storms include tornadoes, scattered large hail, and isolated very large hail events to 2.5 inches in diameter, and scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph are possible

A few supercells are expected to spread eastward across southeast Texas through early afternoon along a surface cold front. The storm environment will favor isolated very large hail (up to 2.5 inches in diameter), damaging winds to 70 mph, and a couple of
tornadoes with these storms.

The tornado watch area is approximately along and 35 statute miles north and south of a line from 35 miles south-southwest of College Station, Texas to 110 miles east of Huntsville, Texas.

Tornado warnings have already been issued this morning for the Huntsville area.

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.

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