Severe thunderstorm watch until midnight includes western Twin Cities

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a severe thunderstorm watch until midnight for most of western and central Minnesota. The watch zone includes the far western Twin Cities.

A cold front moving east through Minnesota Thursday night is producing scattered thunderstorms. A few storms will likely reach severe limits with hail larger than 1 inch in diameter and 70 mph winds.

Storms will favor western and central Minnesota through early Thursday evening. Short-range forecast models suggest the most likely timing for storms around the Twin Cities favors the hours between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., especially around 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Here are the details of the watch from NOAA:

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 488 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK

525 PM CDT Thu Jul 13 2023

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of Northwest Iowa Minnesota

* Effective this Thursday afternoon from 525 PM until Midnight CDT.

* Primary threats include... Scattered large hail likely with isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible SUMMARY...Multiple corridors of storms will progress east-southeastward through the evening into and across western/central/southern Minnesota, with severe hail/wind possible.

The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 70 statute miles east and west of a line from 55 miles west northwest of Brainerd MN to 35 miles southeast of Worthington MN.

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.