WWUS20 KWNS 250211 SEL6 SPC WW 250211 MNZ000-NDZ000-250900- URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 516 NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 910 PM CDT TUE JUL 24 2012 THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST AND NORTH-CENTRAL MINNESOTA EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING FROM 910 PM UNTIL 400 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 55 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 80 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF FARGO NORTH DAKOTA TO 15 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF BRAINERD MINNESOTA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6). 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...CONTINUE...WW 514...WW 515... DISCUSSION...ELEVATED TSTMS HAVE RECENTLY DEVELOPED SE JMS...TO THE N OF SURFACE FRONT...LIKELY BEING FORCED BY INCREASING WAA/ISENTROPIC ASCENT WITHIN EXIT REGION OF STRENGTHENING NOCTURNAL LOW-LEVEL JET. BASED ON 00Z ABR SOUNDING...AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT IS CHARACTERIZED BY STEEP MIDLEVEL LAPSE RATES AND MUCAPE OF 3000-3500 J/KG. WHEN COUPLED WITH 40-45 KT OF EFFECTIVE-BULK SHEAR...SETUP WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL AND PERHAPS LOCALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. 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 28020. ...MEAD