Outbreak of severe weather likely later today

The Storm Prediction Center and NWS-Memphis are forecasting an outbreak of severe weather, including possibly strong long-tracked tornadoes, for the Mid-South late this afternoon through the very early morning hours Sunday. Stay with MemphisWeather.Net and your local network and cable TV outlets for the latest on this developing severe weather scenario.

PUBLIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0643 AM CDT SAT MAY 10 2008

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FROM THE ARKLATEX AND MID SOUTH REGION EASTWARD ACROSS THE GULF COAST STATES TODAY AND TONIGHT...

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FEW STRONG TORNADOES...WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WIND AND VERY LARGE HAIL FROM THE ARKLATEX AND MID SOUTH REGION EASTWARD ACROSS THE GULF COAST STATES TODAY AND TONIGHT.

THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE:
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ALABAMA
MUCH OF ARKANSAS
MUCH OF GEORGIA
FAR SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
FAR WESTERN KENTUCKY
NORTHERN LOUISIANA
SOUTHERN MISSOURI
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI
FAR EASTERN OKLAHOMA
WESTERN AND MIDDLE TENNESSEE
FAR EASTERN TEXAS

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS STATES THIS AFTERNOON...EMERGING INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BY LATE TODAY AND CONTINUING ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY REGION AND GULF COAST STATES OVERNIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS IS ALREADY IN PLACE FROM TEXAS EASTWARD ALONG THE GULF COAST...AND THIS UNSTABLE AIR WILL EXPAND NORTHWARD WITH TIME AS LOW PRESSURE DEEPENS ACROSS THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. WHILE TORNADOES...DAMAGING WIND AND VERY LARGE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE ANYWHERE WITHIN THE MODERATE RISK AREA...THE GREATEST THREAT FOR STRONG TORNADOES WILL OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARKANSAS...NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI AND WESTERN TENNESSEE. IN ADDITION TO THE THREAT OF A FEW TORNADOES...WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS ACROSS MISSISSIPPI...ALABAMA...AND GEORGIA.

THOSE IN THE THREATENED AREA ARE URGED TO REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES AND TO LISTEN TO RADIO...TELEVISION...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND STATEMENTS LATER TODAY.