Tornado Watch 231

Issued

May 4, 2003, 11:40 AM CDT (16:40 UTC)

Expired

May 4, 2003, 6:00 PM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

• Mesoscale Discussion 725May 4, 9:48 AM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 726May 4, 10:19 AM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 729May 4, 12:14 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 731May 4, 1:55 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 733May 4, 2:22 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 734May 4, 2:58 PM CDT

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 041638
SEL1  
SPC WW 041640
KSZ000-NEZ000-042300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 231 
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 
1140 AM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

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

       NORTHEAST KANSAS
       SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA

EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY MORNING AND EVENING FROM 1140 AM UNTIL 600
PM CDT.

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

DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70 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 25 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF GRAND ISLAND NEBRASKA TO
15 MILES SOUTH OF EMPORIA 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...CONVECTION HAS RAPIDLY DEVELOPED NORTH OF SURFACE LOW
IN S-CENTRAL NEB LATE THIS MORNING.  AIR MASS WILL CONTINUE TO
DESTABILIZE AHEAD OF DRY LINE/WIND SHIFT NOW SHIFTING INTO NERN
KS...WITH MLCAPES IN EXCESS OF 2000 J/KG...SUGGESTING FURTHER
DEVELOPMENT WILL OCCUR THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.  GIVEN THE STRONG DEEP
LAYER SHEAR...LOW LCL HEIGHTS AND BACKED FLOW NEAR WARM FRONT/SFC
LOW...A FEW TORNADOES INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TORNADOES
ARE EXPECTED.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23025.


...EVANS

410,0963 380,0945 380,0972 410,0991

Tornado Watches in Kansas, 2003Tornado Watches in Nebraska, 2003Every tornado watch in 2003

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.