'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.