Full Notification

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Benton County
Effective this Saturday night and Sunday morning from 740 PM
until 200 am CDT.

Hail to 2.5 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 65 miles west
southwest of Columbia Missouri to 15 miles east northeast of Cape
Girardeau Missouri. For a complete depiction of the watch see
the associated watch outline update (wous64 kwns wou0).

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.

Discussion... slightly elevated convection is developing along and
just N of the surface warm front across central/E central MO. A
feed of strong instability along the boundary and effective bulk
shear in excess of 40 kt will be favorable for supercells. An
isolated tornado cannot be ruled out given the strong low-level
shear along the boundary... but the slightly elevated nature of the
storm initiation suggests that large hail and damaging winds will be
the main threats. Overnight... convection may evolve into an MCS
with a continuing threat for damaging winds.