Severe weather potential tonight through Friday

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ... UPDATED
NWS-MEMPHIS TN / MEMPHISWEATHER.NET
1200 PM CDT THU APR 9 2009

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS PARTS OF THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...

A POTENT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND ALLOW FOR SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO OCCUR ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY. THE MAIN HAZARD WITH ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS. DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND TORNADOES MAY BE POSSIBLE AS WELL.

AREAS NORTH OF THE MEMPHIS METRO AREA, INCLUDING JONESBORO, DYERSBURG, AND JACKSON, HAVE THE HIGHEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER TONIGHT INTO EARLY AFTERNOON FRIDAY. A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE AREA INCLUDING THE MEMPHIS METROPOLITAN AREA.

THE BEST TIME FRAME FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE BETWEEN 9PM CDT TONIGHT AND 4AM CDT FRIDAY, THOUGH ADDITIONAL STRONG STORMS COULD OCCUR ALONG THE COLD FRONT WHICH WILL MOVE THROUGH DURING THE MID-MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY.

WHILE THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER EXISTS DURING THE NIGHTTIME AND EARLY MORNING HOURS, CHANCES OF A SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK (WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER) REMAIN LOW AT THIS TIME.

ALL RESIDENTS OF THE MEMPHIS METRO AREA ARE ENCOURAGED TO BE ALERT FOR STATEMENTS, WATCHES, AND WARNINGS TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO, MEMPHISWEATHER.NET, AND/OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST ON THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER SCENARIO.

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NWS/MWN