Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Kansas, April 26 to 27, 2016

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Topeka KS
316 AM CDT TUE APR 26 2016

.SHORT TERM...(Today and Tonight)
Issued at 314 AM CDT TUE APR 26 2016

08Z water vapor shows a closed upper low over eastern UT with a
shortwave trough rotating around the southwest quad of the Low. At
the surface, low pressure over eastern CO has allowed a very moist
airmass to continue advecting north with dewpoints in the lower and
middle 60s. With cool temps aloft, the warm moist air at the surface
is resulting in a quite a bit of instability as already seen with
the morning convection. Overall, a very unstable airmass is likely
to remain over the forecast area into tonight. And while deep layer
shear could be better, it should be sufficient for storm
organization should storms develop. The main uncertainty in the
forecast is how everything will eventually play out. The morning
convection could end up laying down a decent outflow boundary which
may act as an additional focus for storm development later today.

Overall the thinking is the morning convection should initially fall
apart. Then when and where storms redevelop may largely be driven by
mesoscale features. Models show the shortwave trough in the base of
the upper low lifting out across the state by the early evening.
This increase in large scale forcing should lead to wide spread
precip given the amount of instability progged to be in place. The
main concern is the potential for a couple tornadoes. With model
trends having the surface low further west, this allows surface
winds across the forecast area to remain backed to the east and
southeast creating favorable hodographs. Models indicate the best
low level shear is probably going to develop through the early
evening so the tornado threat could last well into the evening. With
the steep lapse rates, very large hail will be possible.
Additionally the recent rains and available moisture in the
atmosphere will increase chances for localized flash flooding.

As for temps today, have not gone to far from the model consensus.
If areas see some decent sunshine, think highs should again be in
the mid 70s to around 80. Lows tonight may end up being a little
milder as models are slower to advect dry air in from the west.
However expected precip and cold pool effects could cause lows to be
a little cooler. The forecast has them ranging from the lower 50s in
the west to around 60 in the east.

.LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Monday)
Issued at 314 AM CDT TUE APR 26 2016

On Wednesday, the upper low will pause and pivot over south central
NE and then move nearly due east by late in the day. The now diffuse
dryline will have pushed to the eastern edge of the forecast area
although the NAM continues to stand alone in holding up this
boundary roughly along the Turnpike. While acknowledging the NAM and
its relative plausibility, feel that the magnitude of sfc moisture
that it maintains in the area seems overdone. So, despite steep
lapse rates aloft, any instability left in the are is unlikely to be
very impressive. Will still see a chance for storms mainly in far
eastern and northern parts of the area near the sfc and upper low
and a sfc front that arcs back NW out of MO to these features. Wind
shear in these areas is also not particularly impressive with the
low becoming more stacked, so while a couple of strong/severe storms
can't be ruled out, the more likely scenario seems to point toward
minimal severe potential on Wednesday. A few showers or a
thunderstorm may linger in northern KS Wednesday night as the upper
low tracks east, but expect a dry period for most of the area, and
for the entire area on Thursday. Temperatures will be a bit cooler
in the wake of this storm system with lows mainly in the 40s and
highs on Thursday in the middle 60s to lower 70s.

The next storm system, another strong upper low that at least
briefly takes on a negative tilt, will begin to kick out into the
Plains by early Friday morning with lead energy bringing
thunderstorms into western KS and possibly as far east as parts of
the local area. Scattered storm chances will persist into Friday but
rain and storms are more likely to be widespread by Friday night as
model consensus is strong regarding timing and presence of
widespread precipitation. Rain chances linger into the first part of
next week as the upper low becomes convoluted and stalls over the
central Plains. Saturday gives indications as a potential severe
weather day, with less chance on Friday. With potential for
widespread clouds and periods of precip, severe potential may depend
on periods of local warming to increase instability amidst modest to
adequate deep layer shear. With the expectation for those widespread
clouds, have continued with cooler high temps in the 60s or lower
70s and a bit warmer lows generally in the upper 40s to lower 50s.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Tuesday Night)
Issued at 1205 AM CDT TUE APR 26 2016

Confidence is low on the specifics but concern for limitations remains
with light winds and lower levels moistening. Short range models
struggling with the near term but pointing to more active
convection firing toward 09Z and likely persisting for a few
hours. Expect increasing mixing to bring VFR for the late periods.

&&

.TOP Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...Wolters
LONG TERM...Barjenbruch
AVIATION...65

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
350 PM CDT MON APR 25 2016

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-262100-
REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY-
POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS-
WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON-
350 PM CDT MON APR 25 2016

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT. SOME OF
THE STORMS MAY BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH THE PRIMARY HAZARD BEING
LARGE HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

THE CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY TUESDAY
MORNING. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH THE
PRIMARY HAZARD BEING LARGE HAIL.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND SPREAD
EAST ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS TUESDAY EVENING.
LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING AND
TORNADOES WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.

&&

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