High wind to affect the Mid-South Christmas Eve

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN / MEMPHISWEATHER.NET
745 PM CST WED DEC 23 2009

...POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS TONIGHT THROUGH CHRISTMAS EVE...

.INTENSE LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP ON CHRISTMAS EVE CAUSING STRONG WINDS TO OCCUR ACROSS OUR REGION. THE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH CHRISTMAS EVE.

IN ADDITION... A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO RACE ACROSS THE MID-SOUTH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ENHANCE THE WINDS... HENCE A HIGH WIND WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE MID-SOUTH ON CHRISTMAS EVE FOR THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED IN THE MEMPHIS METROPOLITAN AREA AROUND MID-AFTERNOON... OR BETWEEN 2 AND 5 PM CST.

THOUGH THE WIND WATCH EXPIRES THURSDAY AT MIDNIGHT... GUSTY WIND OF 25 TO 35 MPH WILL CONTINUE ON CHRISTMAS DAY. COUPLED WITH MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES IN THE 30S... WIND CHILLS WILL BE WELL BELOW FREEZING ON CHRISTMAS DAY.

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON THURSDAY...

...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY NOON THROUGH THURSDAY MIDNIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEMPHIS HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON THURSDAY. A HIGH WIND WATCH HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED. THIS HIGH WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY NOON THROUGH THURSDAY MIDNIGHT.

* EXPECT WINDS FROM 20 TO 35 MILES AN HOUR WITH GUSTS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR THURSDAY. THERE IS ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MILES AN HOUR THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING... PARTICULARLY AROUND THE TIME OF THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE.

* WINDS OF THIS STRENGTH CAN FALL TREES WHICH CAN THEN TAKE DOWN POWER LINES OR LAND ON HOMES AND BUSINESSES. POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE. HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES CAN ALSO BE DIFFICULT TO HANDLE. OUTDOOR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS SHOULD BE SECURED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT SUSTAINED WINDS OF 25 TO 39 MPH ARE EXPECTED... OR GUSTS WILL RANGE BETWEEN 40 AND 57 MPH. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT... ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION.

A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH... OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR STRONGER MAY OCCUR. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

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NWS/MWN

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