Alert archive / Missouri / Tornado Watches in 2016

Tornado Watch 216

May 26, 201616 counties in Iowa; 7 counties in Kansas; 31 counties in Missouri

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 26, 2016, 2:09 PM CDT for 16 counties in Iowa; 7 counties in Kansas; 31 counties in Missouri. It was in force for 8 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 26, 2016, 2:09 PM CDT (19:09 UTC)
Expired
May 26, 2016, 9:50 PM CDT
In force
8 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Largest hail expected
2.5 in
Strongest gust expected
60 kt
All 54 counties

Adair County, IA, Adams County, IA, Audubon County, IA, Cass County, IA, Clarke County, IA, Dallas County, IA, Decatur County, IA, Guthrie County, IA, Lucas County, IA, Madison County, IA, Polk County, IA, Ringgold County, IA, Taylor County, IA, Union County, IA, Warren County, IA, Wayne County, IA, Atchison County, KS, Doniphan County, KS, Johnson County, KS, Leavenworth County, KS, Linn County, KS, Miami County, KS, Wyandotte County, KS, Andrew County, MO, Atchison County, MO, Bates County, MO, Buchanan County, MO, Caldwell County, MO, Carroll County, MO, Cass County, MO, Chariton County, MO, Clay County, MO, Clinton County, MO, Cooper County, MO, Daviess County, MO, DeKalb County, MO, Gentry County, MO, Grundy County, MO, Harrison County, MO, Henry County, MO, Holt County, MO, Howard County, MO, Jackson County, MO, Johnson County, MO, Lafayette County, MO, Livingston County, MO, Mercer County, MO, Nodaway County, MO, Pettis County, MO, Platte County, MO, Randolph County, MO, Ray County, MO, Saline County, MO, Worth County, MO

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 165 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:12 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.

What SPC expected

The probabilities SPC published with the watch, for the watch area over its life.

Two or more tornadoes
60%
One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes
30%
Ten or more severe wind reports
40%
One or more gusts of 65 knots or more
10%
Ten or more severe hail reports
90%
One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more
60%
Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports
95%

Warnings issued inside it

36 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 26, 2:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXAtchison20 min
May 26, 2:25 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXAtchison, Doniphan, Leavenworth3 hr
May 26, 2:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXAtchison, Doniphan, Leavenworth33 min
May 26, 2:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXAndrew, Buchanan, Caldwell, Clay, Clinton, Daviess and 2 more49 min
May 26, 3:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXLeavenworth, Wyandotte31 min
May 26, 3:32 PM CDTTornado WarningEAXLeavenworth, Wyandotte28 min
May 26, 3:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXClay, Jackson, Lafayette26 min
May 26, 3:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXAndrew, Buchanan, Clinton, DeKalb45 min
May 26, 3:47 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXDoniphan, Leavenworth, Wyandotte6 hr
May 26, 4:00 PM CDTTornado WarningEAXLeavenworth, Wyandotte30 min
May 26, 4:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXClay, Jackson, Ray43 min
May 26, 4:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXCass, Henry, Johnson41 min
May 26, 4:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXCaldwell, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb41 min
May 26, 4:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXClay, Clinton, Platte48 min
May 26, 4:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXClay, Jackson, Lafayette, Ray35 min
May 26, 4:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXHenry, Johnson, Pettis31 min
May 26, 4:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXLeavenworth28 min
May 26, 4:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXLeavenworth, Wyandotte34 min
May 26, 4:59 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXAtchison, Doniphan, Leavenworth5 hr
May 26, 5:00 PM CDTTornado WarningEAXJohnson, Pettis30 min
May 26, 5:02 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXJohnson, Leavenworth, Wyandotte6 hr
May 26, 5:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXJohnson, Leavenworth, Wyandotte38 min
May 26, 5:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXCaldwell, Carroll, Ray23 min
May 26, 5:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXClay, Jackson, Ray30 min
May 26, 5:18 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXJohnson, Pettis, Saline6 hr
May 26, 5:22 PM CDTTornado WarningEAXAtchison23 min
May 26, 5:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXJohnson, Pettis33 min
May 26, 5:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXJohnson, Wyandotte32 min
May 26, 5:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXCaldwell, Carroll, Ray25 min
May 26, 5:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXJohnson32 min
May 26, 5:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXClay, Jackson, Lafayette, Ray34 min
May 26, 5:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXCass, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette32 min
May 26, 6:03 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDMXCass6 hr
May 26, 6:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXBates, Cass, Henry, Johnson, Lafayette37 min
May 26, 7:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXHenry15 min
May 26, 7:57 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningEAXJohnson, Miami3 hr

Discussions around it

SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KFOE), launched 12:00Z, 7.2 hours before the alert went out and 183 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2016-05-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1730 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2016-05-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 247 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1730 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-118 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
756 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
247 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
285 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
10.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

144 
WWUS20 KWNS 261906
SEL6  
SPC WW 261906
IAZ000-KSZ000-MOZ000-270300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 216
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
210 PM CDT THU MAY 26 2016

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 
  SOUTHERN IOWA
  EXTREME EASTERN KANSAS
  NORTHWEST MISSOURI

* EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 210 PM UNTIL
  1000 PM CDT.

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...
  A FEW TORNADOES LIKELY WITH A COUPLE INTENSE TORNADOES POSSIBLE
  WIDESPREAD LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED VERY LARGE HAIL EVENTS TO 2.5
    INCHES IN DIAMETER LIKELY
  SCATTERED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH POSSIBLE

SUMMARY...NUMEROUS INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER
NORTHWEST AND CENTRAL MO...WHILE NEW STORMS SPREAD INTO THE
REGION...AND SOUTHERN IA...FROM THE SOUTHWEST.  LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND A FEW TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 60 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF DES
MOINES IOWA TO 55 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF OLATHE KANSAS.  FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

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.

&&

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 213...WW 214...WW 215...

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.


...HART

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 25, 8:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCCherokee, Ida, Monona, O'Brien, Plymouth, Sioux and 1 more5 hr
May 25, 11:34 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAudubon, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee, Clay and 20 more86 min
May 26, 10:33 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCFremont, Page, Taylor57 min
May 26, 1:53 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCFremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie and 1 more8 hr
May 26, 5:27 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCFremont, Page, Taylor63 min
May 25, 7:05 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllen, Anderson, Barton, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua and 28 more115 min
May 25, 10:07 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAllen, Anderson, Atchison, Butler, Chase, Coffey and 23 more83 min
May 25, 11:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAnderson, Atchison, Brown, Clay, Coffey, Dickinson and 18 more5 hr
May 25, 11:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCDouglas, Franklin, Osage, Shawnee5 hr
May 26, 1:08 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCButler, Chase, Chautauqua, Clay, Cloud, Coffey and 28 more2 hr
May 26, 1:13 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCClark, Comanche, Edwards, Ford, Gray, Hodgeman and 3 more2 hr
May 26, 1:31 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAnderson, Barber, Barton, Brown, Butler, Chase and 51 more10 hr
May 26, 3:23 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCheyenne, Greeley, Logan, Sherman, Thomas, Wallace and 1 more2 hr
May 26, 4:56 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCWyandotte94 min
May 26, 5:55 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAnderson, Barber, Barton, Butler, Chase, Clark and 25 more95 min
May 26, 6:46 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCheyenne, Decatur, Logan, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman and 2 more59 min
May 26, 1:45 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCNew Madrid, Pemiscot2 hr
May 26, 5:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAudrain, Benton, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Cole and 15 more6 hr

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2016Tornado Watches in Iowa, 2016Tornado Watches in Kansas, 2016Every tornado watch in 2016

Sources

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.