Severe storm watch until 5 am

(Update: 11:00 pm. Tornado watch expires - most severe, tornadic storms formed over far southern Wisconsin and northeastern Iowa. An approaching upper level disturbance may still kick off strong/severe storms overnight, with a potential for golf ball size hail, wind gusts over 60 mph, frequent lightning and downpours).

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 472
  NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
  1050 PM CDT THU JUN 18 2009
 
  THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
 
         PARTS OF EAST-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
 
  EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING FROM 1050 PM
  UNTIL 500 AM CDT.
 
  HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
  MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
 
  THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 60
  STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES SOUTH
  SOUTHWEST OF REDWOOD FALLS MINNESOTA TO 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF
  MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE
  THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).
 
  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...THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REPLACES
  TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 467. WATCH NUMBER 467 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT
  AFTER 1050 PM CDT. CONTINUE...WW 469...WW 470...WW 471...
 
  DISCUSSION...MOIST/MODERATELY-UNSTABLE AIRMASS PERSISTS ACROSS PARTS
  OF THE SRN HALF OF MN...AHEAD OF A NE-SW BAND OF SCATTERED SHOWERS
  AND THUNDERSTORMS.  WHILE THIS CONVECTION HAS WEAKENED OVER THE PAST
  COUPLE OF HOURS...WELL-DEFINED UPPER SYSTEM CENTERED OVER NRN MN
  CONTINUES TO SHIFT SLOWLY EWD -- WHICH SHOULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT
  SOME POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTIVE REDEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
   WITH FAVORABLE SHEAR IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA...ANY DEVELOPING
  STORMS WOULD LIKELY BECOME SUPERCELLULAR -- ALONG WITH ASSOCIATED
  POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.  IN
  ADDITION...LOW-LEVEL VEERING WITH HEIGHT SUGGESTS A LIMITED THREAT
  FOR AN ISOLATED/BRIEF TORNADO WITH ANY SUSTAINED SUPERCELL.
 
  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 26030.