A tornado watch was released by the National Weather Service on Saturday at 12:27 p.m. in effect until 8 p.m. for Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison,

A Particularly Dangerous Situation Tornado Watch has been issued until 8 p.m. for nearly all of North Alabama.

We all hear the terms when there's a threat of severe weather. But what does each alert mean, and how does it affect you?