'Particularly Dangerous Situation' tornado watch issued in MN: What it means
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tornado watch for parts of southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin, much of Iowa, and western Illinois on Tuesday. The watch is considered a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" by the weather service.
The NWS will issue a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" when a storm carries a significant threat of severe weather.
The weather service explains: "The Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) wording is used in rare situations when long-lived, strong and violent tornadoes are possible. This enhanced wording may also accompany severe thunderstorm watches for intense convective windstorms."
PDS watches are issued when forecasters believe a storm could create multiple strong tornadoes.
Thursday's watch stretches south of the Twin Cities all the way to Iowa's southern border.
A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin until 9 PM CDT pic.twitter.com/8s7wuuypXK
— NWS Twin Cities (@NWSTwinCities) May 21, 2024