Tornado Watch 360

Issued

May 24, 2011, 3:14 PM CDT (20:14 UTC)

Expired

May 24, 2011, 11:58 PM CDT

In force

9 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Particularly dangerous situation

Yes

Largest hail expected

2.5 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Wichita radar (KICT), 35 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:16 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

80%

One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes

60%

Ten or more severe wind reports

50%

One or more gusts of 65 knots or more

60%

Ten or more severe hail reports

80%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

80%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

95%

• Mesoscale Discussion 927May 24, 12:59 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 932May 24, 2:35 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 936May 24, 5:03 PM CDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 943May 24, 9:26 PM CDT

243 
WWUS20 KWNS 242015
SEL0  
SPC WW 242015
KSZ000-250400-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 360
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
315 PM CDT TUE MAY 24 2011

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

       CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 315 PM UNTIL
1100 PM CDT.

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

DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 2.5 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 55 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 40 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF
MEDICINE LODGE KANSAS TO 20 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF CHANUTE
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...CONTINUE...WW 354...WW 355...WW
356...WW 357...WW 358...WW 359...

DISCUSSION...SUPERCELLS OVER NWRN OK ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD RAPIDLY
NEWD INTO AREA THIS AFTERNOON WITH ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT POSSIBLE E
OF SURFACE LOW ALONG DRYLINE AND RETREATING WARM FRONT/OUTFLOW
BOUNDARY.  WARM SECTOR AIR MASS IS QUITE MOIST WITH A DECREASING CAP
AND MLCAPE OF 3000-4000 J/KG.  WHEN COUPLED WITH RAPIDLY
STRENGTHENING LOW AND DEEP-LAYER SHEAR...ENVIRONMENT WILL SUPPORT
THE EVOLUTION OF LONG-LIVED SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL AND
TORNADOES...SOME OF WHICH COULD BE LONG-TRACKED AND STRONG/VIOLENT.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.


...MEAD

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.