Tornado Watch 292

Issued

May 12, 2011, 2:37 PM CDT (19:37 UTC)

Expired

May 12, 2011, 10:00 PM CDT

In force

7 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

3 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 49 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:40 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.

Two or more tornadoes

50%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

20%

Ten or more severe wind reports

20%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

30%

Ten or more severe hail reports

50%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

40%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

80%

• Mesoscale Discussion 760May 12, 2:06 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 766May 12, 5:35 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 769May 12, 9:16 PM CDT

385 
WWUS20 KWNS 121940
SEL2  
SPC WW 121940
KSZ000-NEZ000-130300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 292
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
240 PM CDT THU MAY 12 2011

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

       NORTHERN KANSAS
       SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 240 PM UNTIL
1000 PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 80 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
KEARNEY NEBRASKA TO 35 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF LINCOLN NEBRASKA. 
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).

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 288...WW 289...WW
290...WW 291...

DISCUSSION...TSTMS SHOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE WITHIN VICINITY OF
COLD CORE LOW AS IT PROGRESSES SLOWLY EAST ACROSS NEB/KS BORDER AREA
THIS AFTERNOON. MODEST AMBIENT VORTICITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW AND
LOW LEVEL ENHANCEMENT TO SR SHEAR PROFILES DUE TO BACKED SURFACE
FLOW SHOULD PROVIDE A FAVORABLE KINEMATIC SET UP FOR UPDRAFT
ROTATION. LOW LEVEL BUOYANCY...ENHANCED BY SURFACE HEATING...WILL
FURTHER FAVOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A FEW...LIKELY
BREIF...TORNADOES...WHILE COLD CORE ENVIRONMENT AND LOW FREEZING
LEVELS ALLOW FOR POTENTIALLY VERY LARGE HAIL TO REACH THE SURFACE.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
400. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23025.


...CARBIN

Tornado Watches in Nebraska, 2011Tornado Watches in Kansas, 2011Every tornado watch in 2011

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.