Severe thunderstorm watch until 2 p.m. this Saturday

Updated at 11:40 a.m.

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a severe thunderstorm watch that continues until 2 p.m. this Saturday for a large portion of Minnesota, including most of the Twin Cities metro area:

Here are details of the severe thunderstorm watch:

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 489 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 630 AM CDT Sat Jul 23 2022 The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of Southern Minnesota Northeastern South Dakota * Effective this Saturday morning and afternoon from 630 AM until 200 PM CDT. * Primary threats include... Scattered damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 75 mph likely Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible A tornado or two possible SUMMARY...Initially isolated severe thunderstorms over the western parts of the watch area, in SD, are expected to expand/organize into a complex of severe thunderstorms through the remainder of the morning and into the afternoon. As this activity moves east-southeastward over the next several hours, a threat exists for both severe wind and occasional damaging hail. The tornado potential may increase toward the later hours of the watch time in MN. The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 50 statute miles either side of a line from 30 miles west of Aberdeen SD to 45 miles east of Mankato MN. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU9). PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 487...WW 488... AVIATION...A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 600. Mean storm motion vector 29040.

An additional batch of thunderstorms is also possible late this afternoon and this evening.

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11:40 a.m. Update

A severe thunderstorm watch includes southeastern Minnesota and portions of Wisconsin until 7 p.m. this Saturday:

Here are details of the watch:

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 491 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1135 AM CDT Sat Jul 23 2022 The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of Northern Iowa Southeast Minnesota Western Wisconsin * Effective this Saturday morning and evening from 1135 AM until 700 PM CDT. * Primary threats include... Widespread damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts to 75 mph possible Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible A tornado or two possible SUMMARY...A cluster of storms will likely continue to intensify and progress east-southeastward across the region through the afternoon, with additional near-frontal development possible across southern Minnesota/northern Iowa this afternoon. The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 70 statute miles north and south of a line from 50 miles south southwest of Minneapolis MN to 50 miles east southeast of La Crosse WI. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1). PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 488...WW 489...WW 490... AVIATION...A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean storm motion vector 29030.

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You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the Minnesota Public Radio News network, and you can see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.

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You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday