Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, October 4, 2013

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
323 PM CDT Fri Oct 4 2013

.SHORT TERM...(This Evening through Saturday)
Issued at 318 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 2013

Latest surface analysis at 19Z had the cold front extending from
east of Concordia through Salina and into northwest Oklahoma. Dew
points and temperatures have dropped back into the 40s and 50s
behind the front. Visible satellite loop shows cu field along the
front which had developed since 18Z.

Surface based CAPE is in the 2500 to 4000 J/kg range. 18Z TOP
sounding still showed a Cap in place, but is expected to erode by
21Z.

0-6 km shear is forecast to be in the 30 to 40 kt range. Low level
helicity is highest near the Nebraska border in far northeast
Kansas. Across the rest of the area values are lower and low level
winds from VAD and profilers should little turning with height in
the low levels with the best low level shear in Nebraska. As the
front continues to move through have adjusted where convective
initiation is expected to occur which is from near Abilene through
Marysville, so have lowered or eliminated chances of thunderstorms
across north central Kansas. Shear and instability are favorable for
severe storms late this afternoon and evening with damaging winds
and hail the main hazards, but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled
out. Initial cells forming along the front will become linear in
nature as they move east across the cwa with bowing segments owning
to the wind threat.

Precipitation should come to an end by sunrise Saturday with skies
clearing out during the morning hours. Cold advection tonight and
Saturday will bring an abrupt drop in temperatures with lows in the
40s tonight and highs in the 50s to lower 60s Saturday.

.LONG TERM...(Saturday Night through Friday)
Issued at 318 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 2013

Upper low will progress eastward through the mid MO and MS valleys
Sat night through Sunday night. As it does...the cyclonic
circulation around it will likely clip the northern cwa with
stratocu deck. However it remains a challenge this far out to
determine how extensive the cloud cover and period of time the
clouds will linger. Either way...decent mixing should persist
through the night into Sunday morning...which along with any clouds
should help to keep overnight lows up a bit. Will keep lows in the
upper 30s to around 40 degrees for now...but if clouds are more
extensive than current fcst...then lows may need to be increased
slightly. Clouds on Sunday should be most extensive across the
northeast corner in better proximity to exiting upper low and will
keep highs in the upper 50s in that with low to mid 60s elsewhere
with more sunshine.

Upper level ridging will develop across the central plains as the
first trough exits to the east and a second upper trough digs into
the western coast. Will slowly but steadily increase high temps
through the 70s next week while warming lows from the lower 40s
Monday...to the middle and upper 50s by Thursday. Will include low
chances for showers and thunderstorms west to east across the cwa
Thursday night into Friday as the western trough begins to eject
out into the plains.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFs through 18Z Saturday Afternoon)
Issued at 1243 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 2013

Winds will slowly veer to the southwest prior to frontal passage.
Winds will gust to around 30 kts. Timing of convection still a
little tricky this afternoon, but current thinking is storms will
initiate toward MHK around 22Z with MVFR cigs and vsbys between 23Z
and 03Z, while at TOP and FOE between 01Z and 03Z. Left VCTS in
for a few hours at each terminal as some post frontal
precipitation may occur. Winds are expected to shift to the west
at MHK around 01Z with TOP and FOE around 03Z. Will keep a watch
on timing through the day.

&&

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

SHORT TERM...53
LONG TERM...63
AVIATION...53

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
340 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 2013

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-052045-
REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY-
POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS-
WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON-
340 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 2013

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE
OUTLOOK AREA THIS EVENING...WITH SOME LINGERING STORMS OVERNIGHT
IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MAINLY
AFFECT COUNTIES EAST OF AN ABILENE TO MARYSVILLE LINE. DAMAGING
STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS. AN ISOLATED
TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY IN FAR NORTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
343 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 2013

KSZ022-035-036-042115-
DICKINSON-GEARY-RILEY-
343 PM CDT FRI OCT 4 2013

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL RILEY...DICKINSON AND
NORTHWESTERN GEARY COUNTIES...

THROUGH 415 PM CDT...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AT
45 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL RILEY...DICKINSON AND NORTHWESTERN
GEARY COUNTIES. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED THESE STORMS WERE
PRODUCING STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE
AFFECTED INCLUDE ENTERPRISE...CHAPMAN...MILFORD AND MILFORD LAKE.
MOTORISTS ALONG INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 276 AND 294 COULD
ALSO BE AFFECTED.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT.

&&

LAT...LON 3904 9717 3913 9703 3913 9696 3919 9696
      3937 9669 3935 9668 3885 9695 3860 9729
      3860 9737 3864 9738
TIME...MOT...LOC 2043Z 227DEG 41KT 3901 9713 3862 9733

WOLTERS