The Storm Prediction Center has issued a High risk for Severe weather for portions of Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan today, and Moderate or Slight risk for severe storms for multiple states. Numerous tornado warnings and complete county to county severe thunderstorm warnings have already elapsed. The threat for severe weather has extended as far south as Birmingham, but looks more likely for Huntsville by early afternoon.

High risk days are issued very rarely, usually no more than once or twice a year.

 URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
   TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 723
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   930 AM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010
  
   THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
   TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
  
          NORTHERN ALABAMA
          MIDDLE TENNESSEE
  
   EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 930 AM UNTIL
   500 PM CDT.
  
   …THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION…
  
   DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES…LARGE HAIL TO 1.5 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 85 STATUTE
   MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 60 MILES NORTHEAST OF
   NASHVILLE TENNESSEE TO 55 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TUPELO MISSISSIPPI.
   FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
   OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).
  
   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 720…WW 721…WW 722…
  
   DISCUSSION…A PRE-FRONTAL BAND OF CONVECTION CURRENTLY DEEPENING
   FROM N-CNTRL MS NWD TO E OF MKL IS EXPECTED TO EVOLVE INTO TSTMS
   LATE THIS MORNING WITHIN A STRONGLY SHEARED AND
   WARMING/DESTABILIZING ENVIRONMENT.  THE COMBINATION OF EFFECTIVE SRH
   OF 300-400 M2/S2…MLCAPE OF 500-1000 J/KG AND THE POTENTIAL FOR
   MORE DISCRETE STORM MODES SUGGEST A THREAT LONG-TRACKED SUPERCELLS
   CAPABLE OF STRONG TORNADOES.
  
   AVIATION…TORNADOES AND 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 24050.

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