Tornado Watch 254

Issued

May 8, 2002, 2:00 PM CDT (19:00 UTC)

Expired

May 8, 2002, 8:00 PM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Wichita radar (KICT), 70 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:04 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 081856
SEL4  
SPC WW 081850
KSZ000-090100-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 254
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
150 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2002

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

   CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS                             

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 200 PM UNTIL
800 PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 95 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 85 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF MEDICINE LODGE KANSAS TO
60 MILES NORTH OF MANHATTAN KANSAS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. 
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.


DISCUSSION...COLD FRONT IS RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING OVER CENTRAL KS. 
AIR MASS IS QUITE UNSTABLE SOUTH AND EAST OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY
WITH SBCAPE TO 4500 J/KG.  STRONG DEEP LAYER SHEAR PRESENT SETTING
UP FAVORABLE AREA FOR SUPERCELLS.


AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 80 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 600. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25040.


...MCCARTHY

370,0992 395,0981 395,0950 370,0962

Tornado Watches in Kansas, 2002Every tornado watch in 2002

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.