A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for much of the Permian Basin. This watch runs through 10 PM. Isolated severe storms have started to develop in southeastern New Mexico. These storms will make progress to the east and new development may occur in the Permian Basin through this evening. The strongest storms may produce hail up to the size of golfballs, wind gusts up to 70 MPH, and locally heavy rain. A brief tornado is not out of the question. We will likely see another severe thunderstorm watch issued for parts of the Texas Panhandle and West Texas a bit later as a complex of storms moves in from Colorado and New Mexico.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 480
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
300 PM CDT SAT SEP 17 2016

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO
PARTS OF WEST TEXAS

* EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 300 PM UNTIL
1000 PM CDT.

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE…
SCATTERED LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED VERY LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 2
INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE
ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH POSSIBLE
A TORNADO OR TWO POSSIBLE

SUMMARY…ISOLATED SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT WILL OCCUR OVER THE EAST
SLOPES OF THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS IN SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO…AND
POTENTIALLY OVER THE EAST SLOPES OF THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS. OTHER
STORMS MAY ALSO FORM ALONG A DIFFUSE BOUNDARY NEAR MIDLAND. THE
STORM ENVIRONMENT WILL FAVOR SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS…AND THERE IS SOME CHANCE THAT STORMS COULD
GROW INTO A CLUSTER AND PERSIST WELL INTO THE EVENING. ALSO…AN
ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT THIS AFTERNOON.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 65
STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 55 MILES NORTH
NORTHEAST OF ROSWELL NEW MEXICO TO 50 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF
WINK TEXAS. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

REMEMBER…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.