Storms expected today 3/18/13

We're expecting strong to severe thunderstorms to develop today and last into the evening hours tonight.   Storms should develop west of the Natchez Trace by around Noon today, then moving eastward through the evening hours.  Our primary risk will be large hail up to golfball size or larger, and damaging wind gusts associated with passing storm cells.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON MS
918 AM CDT MON MAR 18 2013

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST
ARKANSAS...PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST LOUISIANA AND MUCH OF CENTRAL
MISSISSIPPI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

STRONG AND SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING AS A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION WHILE INTERACTING WITH
THE WARM AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS OVER THE OUTLOOK AREA. THE MOST
INTENSE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR GOLFBALL SIZE OR LARGER
HAIL...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AROUND 70 MPH...AND POSSIBLY A TORNADO OR
TWO. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES AND LOCALLY HEAVY
DOWNPOURS ARE ALSO EXPECTED WITH THIS ACTIVITY.

THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF THE OUTLOOK AREA...MAINLY LOCATIONS WITHIN
THE AREA ALONG AND NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR...BUT EAST OF
INTERSTATE 55...WILL SEE THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR STRONG AND SEVERE
STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

AS THE FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE AREA BY MIDNIGHT...THIS ACTIVITY IS
EXPECTED TO SHIFT FURTHER EAST AND OUT OF THE REGION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...
THE ACTIVATION OF STORM SPOTTERS...HAM RADIO OPERATORS...AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL IN SUPPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER
OPERATIONS MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

***DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE AS YOUR SOLE SOURCE OF WEATHER INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WATCHES AND WARNINGS. THIS WEBSITE DELIVERS FOCUSED INFORMATION FOR A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE TIMELY WEATHER WARNING INFORMATION***