NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is responsible for issuing severe thunderstorm and tornado watches across the United States. A watch means that conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms or tornadoes over the next several hours.

Between 2015 and 2024, the SPC issued an average of 588 watches per year—about 70 percent of those were severe thunderstorm watches, with tornado watches making up the remaining 30 percent.

The phrase "particularly dangerous situation" (PDS) is enhanced wording added to severe weather watches in the United States when significant severe weather is expected.

Forecasters with the SPC issue several PDS watches each year for predicted severe thunderstorm or tornado outbreaks. The SPC issued about 5 PDS watches per year between 2015 and 2024.

The SPC issues a PDS Severe Thunderstorm Watch ahead of derechos—squall lines producing widespread wind damage—or when severe thunderstorms are expected to produce widespread destructive hail (usually baseball size or larger).

The SPC issues a PDS Tornado Watch when forecasters are confident that the environment is capable of supporting multiple intense tornadoes, producing damage equivalent to an EF-2 or stronger on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

Local National Weather Service offices also have the leeway to append "particularly dangerous situation" to localized alerts, such as flash flood watches or red flag warnings during instances of extreme fire danger.

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 396
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
400 PM CDT Sun Jun 8 2025

The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
Southwest Oklahoma
Western North Texas and Low Rolling Plains
* Effective this Sunday afternoon and evening from 400 PM until 1100 PM CDT.

...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...

* Primary threats include...
–Widespread damaging winds and scattered significant gusts to 105 mph likely
–Widespread large hail likely with isolated very large hail events to 5 inches in diameter possible
–A few tornadoes likely

SUMMARY...Increasing intense severe storm development is expected through late afternoon into evening. This will include initial supercells capable of very large hail with a tornado risk, but a prominent potential for widespread damaging winds should evolve this evening.

The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 70 statute miles north and south of a line from 10 miles northwest of Lubbock TX to 40 miles southeast of Chickasha OK. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).