Tornado Warning 4, NWS Topeka, KS

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
316 PM CDT Wed May 6 2015

.SHORT TERM...(This Evening through Thursday)
Issued at 305 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

Shortwave trough seen in water vapor imagery across western KS has
helped with widespread shower/thunderstorm development over
northwest and north central KS.  Per SPC, low-level shear very
strong across western parts of our area while 0-6 km bulk shear not
extremely impressive. This could result in heavy precip supercells
across north central KS this afternoon/evening with all types of
severe weather.  Models indicate the potential for training of
activity in north central KS this evening and some potential for
flooding.

Even in the short term of tonight and tomorrow, little consistency
among models in timing of heavier precip farther east and when
chances decrease.  If NAM was right late tonight and much of
Thursday would be relatively rain free across forecast area in
shortwave ridging, while other short range models have more
significant chances for precip throughout that period as weak,
difficult to resolve disturbances move through the southwest flow
aloft.  Hard to be too definite with this so have generally gone 30
to 50 percent POPS for late tonight through Thursday.

Will need to monitor movement and persistence of any significant
precip areas given the saturated soil across portions of eastern
KS.

.LONG TERM...(Thursday Night through Wednesday)
Issued at 305 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

Forecast focus on excessive rains and flooding and severe weather
threat through the weekend.

Will use a blend of GFS/ECWMF for the weekend system since the NAM
is the outlier much slower and further south than the latest GFS
and EC.

For the Thu night into Fri night time frame...a front will remain
draped across the area with continued SW flow aloft and weak waves
expected to support continued convection across much of the area.
Cannot rule out severe storms given continued 6KM shear and
instability THU night into FRI night and the flooding risk may
also increase as repeated bouts of heavy rains will saturate more
of the area and begin to cause rises on area mainstem rivers. The
greatest severe risk still appears to be later Saturday as a major
upper low ejects into the Plains. 12Z GFS is the fastest and
further north of the models while the EC is a bit slower and
further SW with the sfc low. Either way this promises to bring a
widespread bout of severe weather to the region and potentially to
the CWA Saturday evening into Saturday night. Worst case scenario
also keeps the eastern half of the area in the warm sector for
Sunday with another round of severe storms possible albeit
confidence in timing of the entire system is low/medium at this point.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFs through 18Z Thursday Afternoon)
Issued at 1250 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

Main area of showers have lifted north of TAF sites and another
area in east central KS at mid day will likely miss them to the
east. Still, popup shower is a possibility for this afternoon,
just not likely enough to include in TAF. MVFR ceilings to south
of I70 should become VFR before this afternoon. Chance of
thunderstorms re-enters the picture late this evening or overnight
but timing is a challenge.

&&

.TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...GDP
LONG TERM...Omitt
AVIATION...GDP

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
335 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-072045-
REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY-
POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS-
WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON-
335 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST OVER NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THIS EVENING. SEVERE STORMS
WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND A FEW TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE
MAINLY WEST OF A COUNCIL GROVE TO MANHATTAN TO MARYSVILLE LINE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY THROUGH
FRIDAY NIGHT. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE AND ALL STORMS
WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING.

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE SATURDAY
AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY NIGHT WITH ALL MODES OF SEVERE WEATHER
POSSIBLE.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH A RISK
OF ADDITIONAL SEVERE STORMS OVER THE EASTERN PARTS OF KANSAS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED ACROSS THOSE AREAS WEST
OF A COUNCIL GROVE TO MANHATTAN TO MARYSVILLE LINE THROUGH THIS EVENING.

&&

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION CAN BE ACCESSED AT...
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/TOP/SITREP

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
516 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0515 PM     TORNADO          3 W JAMESTOWN           39.60N 97.92W
05/06/2015                   CLOUD              KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER REPORTED A LARGE WEDGE SHAPE TORNADO ON THE
            GROUND AND ESTIMATES IT TO BE ABOUT 1/2 MILE WIDE.

&&

BDRAKE

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
522 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0520 PM     TORNADO          6 N COURTLAND           39.87N 97.89W
05/06/2015                   REPUBLIC           KS   PUBLIC

            REPORTED ON GROUND BY PUBLIC AT 515PM.

&&

KC