Tornado Watch 271

Issued

May 10, 2011, 5:53 PM CDT (22:53 UTC)

Expired

May 11, 2011, 12:00 AM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

2 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Duluth radar (KDLH), 132 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:52 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

Two or more tornadoes

40%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

20%

Ten or more severe wind reports

30%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

20%

Ten or more severe hail reports

40%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

20%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

60%

• Mesoscale Discussion 714May 10, 5:10 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 717May 10, 8:45 PM CDT

414 
WWUS20 KWNS 102253
SEL1
SPC WW 102253
MNZ000-110500-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 271
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
555 PM CDT TUE MAY 10 2011

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

       CENTRAL MINNESOTA

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON FROM 555 PM UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 45 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 70 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF
BRAINERD MINNESOTA TO 25 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF SAINT CLOUD
MINNESOTA.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND 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.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 268...WW 269...WW 270...

DISCUSSION...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN INCREASING ALONG THE
SURFACE BOUNDARY OVER CENTRAL MN.  SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL WINDS TO THE
EAST OF THE BOUNDARY WILL CONTINUE TO DESTABILIZE THE BOUNDARY
LAYER...LEADING TO A POTENTIAL FOR SURFACE-BASED STORMS THIS
EVENING.  LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY THE MAIN THREATS.
 HOWEVER..STRONG LOW LEVEL VERTICAL SHEAR COULD RESULT IN A TORNADO
THREAT IF STORMS BECOME SURFACE-BASED.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND 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 24020.


...HART

Tornado Watches in Minnesota, 2011Every tornado watch in 2011

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.