THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FEW STRONG TORNADOES AND WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS OVER PARTS OF THE OHIO VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING...AND ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI AND TENNESSEE VALLEYS LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT.

THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE:
EXTREME SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN INDIANA
SOUTHWEST OHIO
KENTUCKY
TENNESSEE
NORTHWEST ALABAMA
NORTHERN AND WESTERN MISSISSIPPI
NORTHEAST LOUISIANA

OTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE OH VALLEY...CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS...TO THE CENTRAL GULF COAST.

A STRONG MID TO UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OVER OKLAHOMA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WILL MOVE EAST AND NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE TENNESSEE AND KENTUCKY AREA BY TONIGHT. AT THE SAME TIME...A SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP EASTWARD ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO VALLEYS THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...PROVIDING A FOCUS FOR WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED ALONG THE COLD FRONT FROM SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS TO CENTRAL INDIANA...AND THIS ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL SPREAD EASTWARD OVER THE OHIO VALLEY. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT ACROSS TENNESSEE... KENTUCKY...NORTHWEST ALABAMA...AND NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI.

THE LOW LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE ARE VERY MOIST AND MODERATELY UNSTABLE OVER A BROAD AREA...WHILE WIND FIELDS ARE QUITE STRONG IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER LEVELS. THIS COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND
EAST OF THE COLD FRONT THROUGH TONIGHT. THE MOST WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD BE DAMAGING WINDS WITH A LARGE SQUALL LINE THROUGH TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...THE STRONG WIND SHEAR IN THE LOW TO MIDDLE LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE...ALONG WITH RICH MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO...MAY SUPPORT SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A FEW STRONG TORNADOES.

THIS IS POTENTIALLY A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THOSE IN THE THREATENED AREA ARE URGED TO REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES AND TO LISTEN TO RADIO AND TELEVISION AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WATCHES...WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS LATER TODAY.

RICHARD THOMPSON
LEAD FORECASTER, STORM PREDICTION CENTER