(4/26) Severe Thunderstorm WATCH until 9:00AM

UPDATE 4:18AM... Latest WARNING * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM FOR SE BRECKINRIDGE,  S. HARDIN, NE GRAYSON  & NW HART COS., KY UNTIL 500 AM EDT CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL & DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH & MOVING SE AT 35 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL ALSO IMPACT...
  ELIZABETHTOWN...
  LIMP AND SOLWAY...
  BIG CLIFTY AND SAINT PAUL...
  SUMMIT AND EASTVIEW...
  WHITE MILLS AND WHITE MILLS JUNCTION

UPDATE 4:10AM... Power outages also reported in Harned, KY.

UPDATE 4:00AM... Northern portions of Breckinridge Co., KY report winds 40-45MPH, a few power outages & small hail.

UPDATE 3:30AM... additional counties added - including Jefferson Co., KY (metro Louisville).
Clark & Floyd added in Indiana
Adair, Bullitt, Franklin, Green, Henry, Jefferson, Larue, Marion, Nelson, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer, Taylor & Washington added in Kentucky.


SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH until 9:00AM
At 1:40AM the Storm Prediction issued a Severe Thunderstorm WATCH for portions of the WAVE 3 Viewing area.  This WATCH also includes portions of southern Illinois, southwestern Indiana & western Kentucky.

The WATCH is in effect until 9:00 AM EDT.  

Hail to 2 inches in diameter, thunderstorm wind gusts to 70 mph and dangerous lightning are possible in these areas.  A small cluster of strong to severe storms ongoing over southern Illinois is expected to progress southeastward across the WATCH area early this morning.  Forecast by DCVA attendant to the upstream shortwave trough and lower to mid-tropospheric warm air advection associated with a west northwesterly low level jet.  Amient inflow air mass is characterized by a warm boundary layer and steep lapse rates yeilding mlcape values of 1500-3000 J/kg.  This instability coincides with 40-45 kt deep northwesterly shear which will support the potential for embedded supercells and possible upscale growth into a bowing mesoscale convective complex.  Damaging winds and hail will be the primary severe weather hazards.

The highest chance for severe weather appears to be well west of Louisville and the metro area.  It's something to watch, but I'm not overly concerned with the potential.  We'll be keeping you updated.  WAVE 3 News Sunrise begins at 4:30AM.