Severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m. for parts of metro, southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin

The Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch, which is valid until 9 p.m. this Saturday evening, for much of southern Minnesota and parts of the Twin Cities metro area and western Wisconsin.

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6 p.m. update

The Twin Cities metro area counties,  plus Polk, Pierce and St. Croix counties of west-central Wisconsin, have been removed from the severe thunderstorm watch by the NWS.

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Here's the watch area:

Here are details of the severe thunderstorm watch:

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 245

NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK

140 PM CDT Sat Jun 30 2018

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of

Southwest and Northeast Iowa

Southeast Minnesota

Eastern Nebraska

Western Wisconsin

* Effective this Saturday afternoon and evening from 140 PM until

900 PM 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 likely

A tornado or two possible

SUMMARY...Scattered thunderstorms will form across the watch area

during the afternoon, with the stronger storms posing a risk of

damaging wind gusts and hail. An isolated tornado is also possible.

The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 70

statute miles east and west of a line from 35 miles west southwest

of Shenandoah IA to 40 miles northeast of Eau Claire WI. For a

complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline

update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

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.

&&

AVIATION...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

24030.

The severe thunderstorm watch includes the southern and eastern portions of the Twin Cities metro area.

Updated weather information can be heard on the Minnesota Public Radio Network, and updates are also posted on the MPR News live weather blog.