Significant severe weather outbreak expected tonight

Sunday/Sunday night severe weather risk areas from the NWS/Storm Prediction Center

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
527 AM CST SUN FEB 27 2011

...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH
MONDAY MORNING ACROSS THE MID-SOUTH...

SEVERE WEATHER IS LIKELY TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING ACROSS THE
MID-SOUTH INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS AND
A FEW STRONG TORNADOES. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EAST ARKANSAS...THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL...MOST
OF WEST TENNESSEE...AND A SMALL PART OF EXTREME NORTHWEST
MISSISSIPPI. THE MODERATE RISK AREA IS GENERALLY ALONG AND TO THE
NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM WEST HELENA ARKANSAS TO HERNANDO
MISSISSIPPI TO HUNTINGDON TENNESSEE. THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF
MEMPHIS...JONESBORO...AND JACKSON. TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THIS AREA
INCLUDING MUCH OF NORTH MISSISSIPPI...A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS EXIST. THE SLIGHT RISK AREA INCLUDES TUPELO.

A POWERFUL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL
MOVE INTO THE REGION TONIGHT. WITH INCREASING INSTABILITY AND
STRENGTHENING WINDS IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE
MIDSOUTH...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM
BEGINNING THIS EVENING. THE INITIAL THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL
COME FROM SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVE INTO EAST ARKANSAS
AND THE MISSOURI BOOTHEEL AFTER 7 PM...AND INTO WEST TENNESSEE
AFTER 10 PM. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH
THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG TORNADOES. A SQUALL LINE IS THEN
FORECAST TO MOVE INTO EAST ARKANSAS AFTER 10 PM...CROSSING THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER AFTER 1 AM MONDAY. THIS SQUALL LINE WILL HAVE
THE POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS ALONG WITH A FEW
EMBEDDED TORNADOES. A FEW STRONG TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH
THE SQUALL LINE OR ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT MAY DEVELOP JUST AHEAD
OF THE LINE. ANY OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT AND MONDAY
MORNING WILL ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL. HEAVY
DOWNPOURS MAY ALSO CAUSE LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. THE SEVERE
WEATHER THREAT WILL CONTINUE ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST TENNESSEE AND
NORTH MISSISSIPPI THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...CROSSING THE TENNESSEE
RIVER BY NOON.

NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THIS SEVERE WEATHER EVENT. SINCE
THIS SEVERE WEATHER EVENT WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE OVERNIGHT
HOURS TONIGHT AFTER MANY PEOPLE HAVE GONE TO SLEEP...IT IS
ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU CHECK THE BATTERIES IN YOUR NOAA
WEATHER RADIO... MAKE SURE THE RADIO IS WORKING PROPERLY...AND SET
THE RADIO TO ALARM FOR WHEN SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES AND WARNINGS ARE
ISSUED. ALSO...KEEP IN MIND THAT MOBILE HOMES ARE ESPECIALLY
VULNERABLE TO THE DANGERS OF HIGH WINDS. PLAN NOW TO KNOW WHERE
YOU WOULD SEEK A SAFE SHELTER IF SEVERE WEATHER OCCURS.

PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION THROUGH
NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR TELEVISION.


---- Stay up to date on the latest weather conditions and forecast by checking out MemphisWeather.net on Facebook and Twitter!