Storm Prediction Center Issues Severe Thunderstorm, Tornado Watches

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The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center has issued two severe weather watches - Severe Thunderstorm Watch 46 covering middle Tennessee and northern Alabama, and Tornado Watch 45 covering parts of southern Pennsylvania, northeastern West Virginia, and northern Maryland. The watches warn of the potential for damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes through the late afternoon and early evening hours.

Why it matters

Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes can cause significant damage to property and threaten public safety, making these watches an important alert for residents in the affected regions to monitor weather conditions closely and be prepared to take shelter if warnings are issued.

The details

Mesoscale discussions from the Storm Prediction Center indicate that the severe weather threat is being driven by a broken line of thunderstorms with embedded supercells. These storms have already produced reports of marginal severe hail and downed trees. The warm and moist boundary layer, combined with strong low-level and deep-layer wind shear, is supporting the potential for damaging winds, large hail up to 1.75 inches in diameter, and a brief tornado or two, though tornado risk is considered a secondary threat.

• The Severe Thunderstorm Watch 46 is valid from 1922 UTC to 2115 UTC (2:22 PM to 4:15 PM CDT) on March 11, 2026.
• The Tornado Watch 45 is valid from 2034 UTC to 2200 UTC (3:34 PM to 5:00 PM CDT) on March 11, 2026.

What’s next

The Storm Prediction Center will continue to monitor the severe weather situation and may issue additional watches, warnings, or statements as conditions warrant.