Severe T-Storm Watch until midnight includes metro

Keep an eye on the northwest sky tonight.

A cluster of severe storms with a history of large hail up to 3" in diameter and winds estimated at 80 mph is racing southeast through Minnesota tonight. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has issued a severe thunderstorm watch that includes St. Cloud and the Twin Cities metro until midnight.

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 486

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

700 PM CDT WED AUG 12 2015

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA

* EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT FROM 700 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT.

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...ISOLATED VERY LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH POSSIBLE

SUMMARY...SMALL BUT WELL-ORGANIZED COMPLEX OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE GENERALLY SOUTH-SOUTHEASTWARD ALONG AN INSTABILITY GRADIENT AND OUT OF EXISTING WATCH 485. SOME LATERAL EXPANSION OF THESE STORMS ALSO MAY OCCUR. DAMAGING GUSTS AND LARGE

HAIL ARE POSSIBLE. WHILE SOME UNCERTAINTY EXISTS HOW LONG THIS COMPLEX WILL LAST...FAVORABLY MOIST AND UNSTABLE INFLOW AIR IS EVIDENT POTENTIALLY AS FAR SOUTH AS THE TWIN CITIES AREA.

Storms will move through the Brainerd Lakes area this evening and approach the Twin Cities metro after 10 pm and through midnight.

• Twin Cities radar loop

• Duluth NWS

• Twin Cities NWS