Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 10 PM includes Stearns, Benton and Sherburne

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has just been issued for the St. Cloud area, including Stearns, Benton and Sherburne Counties. The watch goes until 10 PM, and also includes parts of the northern Twin Cities and the Duluth area. Storms are starting to initiate within the watch area, and could go severe shortly. Large hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter and damaging winds up to 70 MPH appear to be the main threats along with typical cloud-to-ground lightning associated with thunderstorms. I'm not too sure on the threat for the St. Cloud area (front might already be too close), but it does increase as you head east of the area.

What follows below is the watch area image and the statement from the Storm Prediction Center. We will have updated watch areas, warnings and statements as they are issued, mainly ones which impact the STC area.

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 206
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
305 PM CDT SUN MAY 23 2010

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

NORTHEAST AND PARTS OF EAST-CENTRAL MINNESOTA
NORTHWEST WISCONSIN
LAKE SUPERIOR

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 305 PM UNTIL
1000 PM CDT.

HAIL TO 1.5 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 60
STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES EAST
NORTHEAST OF ELY MINNESOTA TO 20 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF SAINT
CLOUD MINNESOTA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

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.

DISCUSSION...TSTMS ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY INTENSIFY THIS
AFTERNOON ALONG STALLING SURFACE FRONT WHERE INFLOW AIR MASS HAS
BECOME MODERATELY TO STRONGLY UNSTABLE WITH MLCAPE OF 1500-3000
J/KG. REGION WILL REMAIN ALONG THE ERN FRINGE OF STRONGER MID AND
HIGH-LEVEL WIND FIELD WITH 30-40 KT OF DEEP-LAYER SHEAR RESIDING
ALONG FRONTAL ZONE. AS SUCH...AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT WILL BE
SUPPORTIVE OF ORGANIZED STORMS...INCLUDING SUPERCELLS WITH THE
PRIMARY HAZARDS BEING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL.

AVIATION...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 1.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 25030.

...MEAD