Severe thunderstorms are expected to develop to the west and northwest of us over the next few hours ahead of a slow moving cold front that is west of the Mississippi River.
These storms will begin affecting eastern Mississippi late this afternoon, after 3 p.m. They will lpush into West Alabama by 6 p.m. or so. They are expected to form into a squall line that will push across the northern half of the state tonight.
We hope that they will weaken as they move into Alabama, but if they don’t, they will be capable of producing wind damage and large hail.
SEL8
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 298
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1235 PM CDT FRI MAY 13 2011
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
PARTS OF EASTERN ARKANSAS
PARTS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
PARTS OF WESTERN KENTUCKY
PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
MUCH OF NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI
MUCH OF WESTERN TENNESSEE
EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 1235 PM UNTIL
700 PM CDT.
HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 75
STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES NORTH
NORTHEAST OF CAPE GIRARDEAU MISSOURI TO 65 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST
OF OXFORD MISSISSIPPI. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE
THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).
REMEMBER…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR 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. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 297…
DISCUSSION…AS COLD FRONT MOVES EWD ACROSS THE WATCH
AREA…THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO INCREASE RAPIDLY IN NUMBER AND
INTENSITY THRU THE AFTERNOON. PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE LARGE
HAIL…PARTICULARLY WITH ROTATING STORMS THAT COULD DEVELOP IN THE
MOIST/MDTLY UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT. STORMS EXPECTED TO EVOLVE INTO
MORE LINEAR MODE WITH AN INCREASE IN WIND DAMAGE THREAT.
AVIATION…A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 24030.
…HALES
