Tornado Watch 310

Issued

May 19, 2011, 8:46 PM CDT (01:46 UTC)

Expired

May 20, 2011, 3:05 AM CDT

In force

6 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

2 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 154 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:49 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

40%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

20%

Ten or more severe wind reports

30%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

30%

Ten or more severe hail reports

40%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

30%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

90%

• Mesoscale Discussion 817May 19, 5:42 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 818May 19, 6:38 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 820May 19, 8:17 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 822May 19, 11:13 PM CDT

967 
WWUS20 KWNS 200148
SEL0
SPC WW 200148
KSZ000-200900-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 310
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
850 PM CDT THU MAY 19 2011

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

       CENTRAL KANSAS

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING FROM 850 PM
UNTIL 400 AM CDT.

TORNADOES...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 APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 70 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES NORTHWEST OF
CONCORDIA KANSAS TO 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MEDICINE LODGE KANSAS.
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).

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...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO
WATCH NUMBER 309. WATCH NUMBER 309 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER
850 PM CDT.

DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS ARE INCREASING IN COVERAGE/INTENSITY
ALONG THE DRYLINE IN SW/CENTRAL KS.  EARLIER CONVECTION PRODUCED
RAIN-COOLED OUTFLOW THAT SOMEWHAT STABILIZED THE BOUNDARY
LAYER...BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT THE SURFACE-BASED INSTABILITY WAS
REMOVED.  THEREFORE...THE PERSISTENCE OF STEEP MIDLEVEL LAPSE RATES
ABOVE REMAINING BOUNDARY LAYER DEWPOINTS IN THE 60S WILL SUPPORT
MODERATE INSTABILITY...IN A VERTICAL SHEAR ENVIRONMENT THAT IS
FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELLS.  LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT N
OF THE WARM FRONT ALONG I-70...WHILE DAMAGING WINDS AND A COUPLE OF
TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE FARTHER S IN KS AS THE LLJ
STRENGTHENS THIS EVENING AND SURFACE-BASED INSTABILITY PERSISTS TO
THE N/NW OF THE DEEPER/STRONGER COLD POOL ACROSS WRN OK.

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 24035.


...THOMPSON

Tornado 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.