Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Watches in 2009
Tornado Watch 307
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 15, 2009, 3:02 PM CDT for 35 counties in Kansas; 18 counties in Oklahoma; 8 counties in Texas. It was in force for 7 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 15, 2009, 3:02 PM CDT (20:02 UTC)
- Expired
- May 15, 2009, 9:39 PM CDT
- In force
- 7 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
- Largest hail expected
- 3 in
- Strongest gust expected
- 60 kt
All 61 counties
Allen County, KS, Anderson County, KS, Barber County, KS, Butler County, KS, Chase County, KS, Chautauqua County, KS, Coffey County, KS, Comanche County, KS, Cowley County, KS, Dickinson County, KS, Douglas County, KS, Elk County, KS, Franklin County, KS, Geary County, KS, Greenwood County, KS, Harper County, KS, Harvey County, KS, Jefferson County, KS, Kingman County, KS, Labette County, KS, Lyon County, KS, Marion County, KS, McPherson County, KS, Montgomery County, KS, Morris County, KS, Neosho County, KS, Osage County, KS, Pratt County, KS, Reno County, KS, Sedgwick County, KS, Shawnee County, KS, Sumner County, KS, Wabaunsee County, KS, Wilson County, KS, Woodson County, KS, Alfalfa County, OK, Beckham County, OK, Blaine County, OK, Custer County, OK, Dewey County, OK, Ellis County, OK, Garfield County, OK, Grant County, OK, Harper County, OK, Kay County, OK, Kingfisher County, OK, Major County, OK, Noble County, OK, Osage County, OK, Pawnee County, OK, Roger Mills County, OK, Woods County, OK, Woodward County, OK, Collingsworth County, TX, Donley County, TX, Gray County, TX, Hemphill County, TX, Lipscomb County, TX, Ochiltree County, TX, Roberts County, TX, Wheeler County, TX
The radar
The Vance AFB radar (KVNX), 32 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:06 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.
What SPC expected
The probabilities SPC published with the watch, for the watch area over its life.
- Two or more tornadoes
- 40%
- One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes
- 20%
- Ten or more severe wind reports
- 70%
- One or more gusts of 65 knots or more
- 40%
- Ten or more severe hail reports
- 80%
- One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more
- 70%
- Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports
- 95%
Warnings issued inside it
70 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 3:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Ochiltree, Roberts | 53 min |
| May 15, 3:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Douglas, Jefferson, Shawnee | 48 min |
| May 15, 3:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Douglas, Jefferson, Shawnee | 41 min |
| May 15, 3:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | McPherson, Reno, Rice | 57 min |
| May 15, 3:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Dickinson, Morris | 40 min |
| May 15, 3:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Jackson, Shawnee | 37 min |
| May 15, 3:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Wabaunsee | 32 min |
| May 15, 3:47 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TOP | Douglas, Jefferson, Shawnee | 4 hr |
| May 15, 3:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Geary, Riley, Wabaunsee | 10 min |
| May 15, 3:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DDC | Pratt | 34 min |
| May 15, 3:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Hutchinson, Ochiltree, Roberts | 37 min |
| May 15, 3:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Jackson, Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Wabaunsee | 31 min |
| May 15, 4:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Douglas, Jefferson, Osage, Shawnee | 45 min |
| May 15, 4:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Lipscomb | 33 min |
| May 15, 4:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Harvey, Kingman, McPherson, Marion, Reno | 38 min |
| May 15, 4:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Ellis, Harper, Woods, Woodward | 66 min |
| May 15, 4:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Wabaunsee | 49 min |
| May 15, 4:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Franklin, Osage | 42 min |
| May 15, 4:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DDC | Barber, Pratt | 22 min |
| May 15, 4:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Morris | 49 min |
| May 15, 4:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | AMA | Gray, Roberts | 46 min |
| May 15, 4:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DDC | Comanche | 29 min |
| May 15, 4:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Harvey, Reno, Sedgwick | 47 min |
| May 15, 4:49 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ICT | Reno, Sedgwick | 41 min |
| May 15, 4:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Carson, Gray, Hutchinson, Roberts | 54 min |
| May 15, 4:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Harper, Kingman, Reno, Sedgwick | 53 min |
| May 15, 4:54 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TOP | Shawnee | 112 min |
| May 15, 4:58 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Douglas, Franklin | 34 min |
| May 15, 5:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DDC | Barber | 43 min |
| May 15, 5:03 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | AMA | Gray, Roberts | 42 min |
| May 15, 5:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Lyon, Wabaunsee | 26 min |
| May 15, 5:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Alfalfa, Ellis, Harper, Woods, Woodward | 64 min |
| May 15, 5:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DDC | Barber | 65 min |
| May 15, 5:28 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ICT | Sedgwick | 47 min |
| May 15, 5:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Harper, Kingman | 60 min |
| May 15, 5:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Douglas, Franklin, Osage | 30 min |
| May 15, 5:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Armstrong, Carson, Collingsworth, Donley, Gray, Wheeler | 58 min |
| May 15, 5:34 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | AMA | Gray, Wheeler | 41 min |
| May 15, 5:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DDC | Barber | 39 min |
| May 15, 5:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Coffey, Lyon, Osage | 31 min |
| May 15, 5:47 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TOP | Coffey, Douglas, Franklin, Lyon, Osage, Wabaunsee | 4 hr |
| May 15, 5:48 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ICT | Harper, Kingman, Sumner | 42 min |
| May 15, 5:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | DDC | Barber | 41 min |
| May 15, 5:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Osage | 16 min |
| May 15, 6:09 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Alfalfa, Grant, Major, Woods, Woodward | 66 min |
| May 15, 6:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Anderson, Coffey, Douglas, Franklin, Osage | 49 min |
| May 15, 6:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Butler, Sedgwick, Sumner | 48 min |
| May 15, 6:18 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ICT | Sumner | 42 min |
| May 15, 6:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Harper, Sumner | 66 min |
| May 15, 6:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Armstrong, Carson, Donley, Gray | 51 min |
| May 15, 6:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Collingsworth, Donley, Gray, Wheeler | 61 min |
| May 15, 6:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Anderson, Coffey | 37 min |
| May 15, 6:41 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | TOP | Anderson, Coffey, Franklin | 4 hr |
| May 15, 6:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | AMA | Collingsworth, Wheeler | 60 min |
| May 15, 6:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Sumner | 31 min |
| May 15, 6:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Beckham, Roger Mills | 55 min |
| May 15, 7:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Sumner | 19 min |
| May 15, 7:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Beckham, Custer, Dewey, Roger Mills, Washita | 62 min |
| May 15, 7:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Blaine, Custer, Dewey, Garfield, Grant, Kay and 5 more | 61 min |
| May 15, 7:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Custer, Dewey and 3 more | 66 min |
| May 15, 7:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Cowley | 35 min |
| May 15, 8:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Osage, Pawnee | 58 min |
| May 15, 8:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Chautauqua, Cowley, Elk | 43 min |
| May 15, 8:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Beckham, Greer, Jackson, Kiowa | 32 min |
| May 15, 8:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Creek, Nowata, Osage, Pawnee, Washington | 72 min |
| May 15, 8:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Blaine, Custer, Dewey, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan and 2 more | 59 min |
| May 15, 8:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Chautauqua, Montgomery | 50 min |
| May 15, 9:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OUN | Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Grady | 44 min |
| May 15, 9:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TSA | Craig, Creek, Mayes, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee and 7 more | 72 min |
| May 15, 9:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Labette | 29 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Lamont, OK (KLMN), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 91 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1683 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -139 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 876 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 20 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 275 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 393 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2:03 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Atchison, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Doniphan and 17 more | 87 min |
| May 15, 7:14 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Marshall, Nemaha and 3 more | 91 min |
| May 15, 7:42 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Atchison, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Doniphan, Douglas and 18 more | 5 hr |
| May 15, 11:48 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Marshall, Nemaha | 57 min |
| May 15, 12:50 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Atchison, Doniphan, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami and 1 more | 7 hr |
| May 15, 2:44 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Anderson, Barber, Butler, Chase, Coffey, Comanche and 24 more | 31 min |
| May 15, 3:01 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Jefferson, Leavenworth, Shawnee, Wyandotte | 59 min |
| May 15, 3:43 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Atchison, Johnson, Leavenworth, Wyandotte | 62 min |
| May 15, 5:31 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Johnson, Wyandotte | 119 min |
| May 15, 5:52 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Anderson, Butler, Chase, Coffey, Cowley, Elk and 8 more | 53 min |
| May 15, 6:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Linn, Miami | 6 hr |
| May 14, 7:44 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Borden, Callahan, Coke, Cottle, Crosby, Dawson and 22 more | 91 min |
| May 15, 2:18 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Andrews, Bailey, Cochran, Crane, Culberson, Ector and 12 more | 57 min |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Kansas, 2009Tornado Watches in Oklahoma, 2009Tornado Watches in Texas, 2009Every tornado watch in 2009
Sources
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.