Tornado Watch 257

Issued

May 8, 2002, 5:30 PM CDT (22:30 UTC)

Expired

May 8, 2002, 11:00 PM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 106 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:34 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 082219
SEL7  
SPC WW 082216
IAZ000-KSZ000-MOZ000-090400-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 257
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
516 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2002

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

   SOUTHERN IOWA                               
   NORTHEAST KANSAS                             
   NORTHERN AND WESTERN MISSOURI                           

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 530 PM UNTIL
1100 PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF OLATHE KANSAS TO 45
MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES IOWA.

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.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...  CONTINUE...WW 254...WW 255...WW 256...

DISCUSSION...LINE OF INTENSE CONVECTION IS INCREASING OVER EASTERN
KS INTO NORTHWEST MO.  VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND STRONG VERTICAL
SHEAR PROFILES WILL PROMOTE SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.  TORNADO THREAT APPEARS GREATEST WITH PERSISTENT
STORMS MOVING ACROSS EASTERN KS INTO WESTERN MO.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.

...HART

420,0915 381,0930 381,0954 420,0944

WWUS20 KWNS 082219
SEL7  
SPC WW 082216
IAZ000-KSZ000-MOZ000-090400-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 257
STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
516 PM CDT WED MAY 8 2002

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

   SOUTHERN IOWA                               
   NORTHEAST KANSAS                             
   NORTHERN AND WESTERN MISSOURI                           

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 530 PM UNTIL
1100 PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST
OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF OLATHE KANSAS TO 45
MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF DES MOINES IOWA.

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.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...  CONTINUE...WW 254...WW 255...WW 256...

DISCUSSION...LINE OF INTENSE CONVECTION IS INCREASING OVER EASTERN
KS INTO NORTHWEST MO.  VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS AND STRONG VERTICAL
SHEAR PROFILES WILL PROMOTE SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.  TORNADO THREAT APPEARS GREATEST WITH PERSISTENT
STORMS MOVING ACROSS EASTERN KS INTO WESTERN MO.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES.  EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS.  A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. 
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.

...HART

420,0915 381,0930 381,0954 420,0944

Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2002Tornado Watches in Iowa, 2002Tornado 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.