Tornado Watch 172

Issued

May 15, 2015, 12:58 PM MDT (18:58 UTC)

Expired

May 15, 2015, 8:00 PM MDT

In force

7 hr

Issued by

the Storm Prediction Center

Largest hail expected

2 in

Strongest gust expected

60 kt

The Cheyenne radar (KCYS), 160 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:59 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

10%

Ten or more severe hail reports

30%

One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more

30%

Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports

80%

• Mesoscale Discussion 646May 15, 12:14 PM MDT
• Mesoscale Discussion 651May 15, 5:28 PM MDT

178 
WWUS20 KWNS 151856
SEL2  
SPC WW 151856
COZ000-NEZ000-WYZ000-160200-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 172
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
100 PM MDT FRI MAY 15 2015

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 
  NORTHEAST COLORADO
  WESTERN NEBRASKA
  SOUTHEAST WYOMING

* EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 100 PM UNTIL
  800 PM MDT.

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...
  A COUPLE TORNADOES POSSIBLE
  ISOLATED VERY LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE
  ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH POSSIBLE

SUMMARY...THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED EARLY THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS NE CO...WITH STORMS SPREADING INTO SE WY AND WRN NEB THROUGH
THE AFTERNOON.  THE ENVIRONMENT WILL FAVOR SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING A COUPLE OF TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS
THROUGH THIS EVENING.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 80 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF
TORRINGTON WYOMING TO 35 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF MULLEN
NEBRASKA.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

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 21025.


...THOMPSON

Tornado Watches in Nebraska, 2015Tornado Watches in Colorado, 2015Tornado Watches in Wyoming, 2015Every tornado watch in 2015

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.