Plains Tornado Outbreak 4/14-15

[Bunkertor]

Just to give you guys an idea of the energy associated with this system, there were several severe thunderstorm warnings yesterday in California, including one for the San Bruno/San Francisco area. The one that hit SF had good rotation on radar before it came ashore, and they were lucky a waterspout didn't move ashore, or that it didn't strengthen and try to drop a tornado on them.

Wait. Yesterday i noticed some good CAPE numbers offshore CA. That is the System that will impact the srn plains tomorrow ?

[brunota2003]

Just to give you guys an idea of the energy associated with this system, there were several severe thunderstorm warnings yesterday in California, including one for the San Bruno/San Francisco area. The one that hit SF had good rotation on radar before it came ashore, and they were lucky a waterspout didn't move ashore, or that it didn't strengthen and try to drop a tornado on them.

Wati. Yesterday i noticed some good CAPE numbers offshore CA. That is the System that will impact the srn plains tomorrow ?

Indeed...it typically takes a system about 2 days to reach the plains after pushing ashore on the West Coast.

[EF-5bigj]

So the system had rotation as it came ashore well thats impressive but when it hits the instability from the gulf. Well plus the jet stream that looks to be combining with it on sat it will explode if its rotating already like that.

[Ntxw]

A lot of people are focusing on Oklahoma/Kansas, rightfully so but I wanted to mention don't forget about the warm front in Nebraska, northern MO, and Iowa. Triple points and boundaries like that often create scary surprises. Example last month Kentucky and Tennessee were painted in the danger zone with high risk but the most violent tornado was up in Indiana where such fronts sat.

Edit: I see that high risk got expanded

[cycloneye]

NOAA's Press Conference starts in less than a half an hour.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/advisories ... ather.html

[CrazyC83]

1730Z: HIGH RISK EXPANDED

SPC AC 131731

DAY 2 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1231 PM CDT FRI APR 13 2012

VALID 141200Z - 151200Z

...THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SVR TSTMS OVER ERN NEB AND FAR WRN IA...

...THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SVR TSTMS FROM S CNTRL KS INTO W CNTRL
OK...

...THERE IS A MDT RISK OF SVR TSTMS FROM WRN OK INTO NEB AND IA...

...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS FROM NW TX NWD INTO SRN MN AND
WRN IL...

...SYNOPSIS...
A LARGE UPPER TROUGH WILL EXIST OVER THE WRN U.S. WITH UPPER LOW
CENTER NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS AREA AT 00Z...THEN CONTINUING INTO THE
CNTRL PLAINS BY SUN MORNING. AROUND THE BASE OF THIS TROUGH...A
MIDLEVEL JET CORE IN EXCESS OF 100 KT WILL BE NOSING INTO THE OK/TX
PANHANDLE BY 00Z...TIGHTENING FURTHER AS THE UPPER LOW ROTATES NEWD
ACROSS KS AND NEB. THIS BROAD BELT OF SWLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CREATE
FAVORABLE SHEAR FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVER A LARGE PART OF THE PLAINS.

AT THE SURFACE...A LOW WILL DEEPEN DURING THE DAY OVER ERN CO INTO
SWRN NEB...WITH THE 00Z DRYLINE POSITION ROUGHLY FROM CNTRL NEB NEAR
THE LOW SWD ACROSS KS AND INTO WRN OK AND NW TX. DURING THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING...A WARM FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM THE LOW NEWD
ACROSS SERN SD INTO SRN MN.

SLY LOW LEVEL FLOW IN ANTICIPATION OF THE UPPER TROUGH WILL MAINTAIN
FAVORABLE MOISTURE TRAJECTORIES...WITH A NARROW AXIS OF MID 60S F
BOUNDARY LAYER DEWPOINTS EXTENDING FROM CNTRL TX ACROSS OK AND INTO
SRN KS AT 00Z. DEWPOINTS NEAR 60 F WILL BE POSSIBLE AS FAR N AS THE
WARM FRONT. COMBINED WITH COOL TEMPERATURES ALOFT...AMPLE
INSTABILITY WILL BE PRESENT FOR SEVERE STORMS FROM TX TO NEB.

...CNTRL NEB INTO WRN IA...
A STRONG SLY LOW LEVEL JET WILL HELP FORCE MORNING RAIN AND STORMS
OVER MUCH OF THE AREA...AND WILL ALSO ALLOW FOR DESTABILIZATION
DURING THE DAY BEHIND THIS INITIAL ACTIVITY. WITH THE SURFACE LOW
DEEPENING JUST TO THE W...AND A BROAD WARM FRONT AND/OR OUTFLOWS IN
PLACE...LOW LEVEL WINDS WILL REMAIN BACKED AND RH LEVELS SHOULD
REMAIN RELATIVELY SHELTERED AS WELL...PROVIDING A FAVORABLE AREA FOR
STRONG TORNADOES. CELLS WOULD LIKELY FORM OVER WRN SECTIONS OF THE
HIGH RISK AREA WHERE HEATING WILL STEEPEN LOW LEVEL LAPSE
RATES...THEN WOULD PROCEED RAPIDLY NEWD WITH AN INCREASING TORNADO
THREAT. VERY LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE LIKELY. THE NRN EXTENT OF THE
TORNADO THREAT WILL DEPEND ON THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE PRIMARY
BOUNDARIES.

...CNTRL KS...WRN AND CNTRL OK...NWRN TX...
SUBSTANTIAL UNCERTAINLY EXISTS IN REGARD TO STORM COVERAGE ALONG THE
DRYLINE DURING THE DAY FROM KS INTO OK AND NW TX. HOWEVER...HIGH END
SEVERE POTENTIAL EXISTS AND WILL MAINTAIN CATEGORICAL HIGH.

LOW CLOUDS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED EARLY ON SAT...WITH
ONLY SLIGHT CAPPING IN PLACE EARLY. BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS AND HEATING
SHOULD QUICKLY ERODE MOST INHIBITION BY AFTERNOON...WHEN WITH
MODERATE INSTABILITY DEVELOPING WITH MUCAPE GENERALLY 2000-2500
J/KG.

STRONG HEATING AND STEEPENING OF LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL OCCUR
ALONG AND W OF THE DRYLINE. HOWEVER...CONVERGENCE WILL BE RELATIVELY
WEAK...WHICH MAY ACTUALLY HELP KEEP STORMS DISCRETE. FAVORABLY
ORIENTED DEEP LAYER SHEAR ALONG THE DRYLINE...AS WELL AS VEERING AND
INCREASING WINDS WITH HEIGHT WILL STRONGLY FAVOR SUPERCELLS.

THERMODYNAMIC PROFILES SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR VERY LARGE
HAIL...AND LOW LEVEL SHEAR WILL FAVOR TORNADOES AS WELL. LAPSE RATES
ALOFT ARE MARGINAL FOR TYPICAL PLAINS VIOLENT TORNADO DAYS...BUT
SHEAR PROFILES WOULD CERTAINLY FAVOR A FEW STRONG TORNADOES.

CURRENT THINKING IS FOR ISOLATED TORNADIC SUPERCELLS WITH VERY LARGE
HAIL TO FORM ALONG THE DRYLINE...AND TO PROCEED NEWD ACROSS THE HIGH
RISK AREA LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. THEN...THE PACIFIC FRONT
WILL MOVE IN FROM THE W...LIKELY RESULTING IN A SQUALL LINE CAPABLE
OF DAMAGING WINDS WITH EMBEDDED AREAS OF ROTATION CAPABLE OF DAMAGE.


FARTHER S INTO TX...DAYTIME DRYLINE ACTIVITY IS LESS LIKELY...WITH
THE MAIN SEVERE THREAT COMING FROM THE OVERNIGHT SQUALL LINE WITH
DAMAGING WINDS AND PERHAPS TORNADOES WITH SUPERCELLS EMBEDDED WITHIN
THE LINE.

..JEWELL.. 04/13/2012

CLICK TO GET WUUS02 PTSDY2 PRODUCT

NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 2 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED BY 0600Z
CURRENT UTC TIME: 1734Z (1:34PM), RELOAD THIS PAGE TO UPDATE THE TIME

[cycloneye]

1730Z: HIGH RISK EXPANDED

SPC AC 131731

DAY 2 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1231 PM CDT FRI APR 13 2012

VALID 141200Z - 151200Z

...THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SVR TSTMS OVER ERN NEB AND FAR WRN IA...

...THERE IS A HIGH RISK OF SVR TSTMS FROM S CNTRL KS INTO W CNTRL
OK...

...THERE IS A MDT RISK OF SVR TSTMS FROM WRN OK INTO NEB AND IA...

...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS FROM NW TX NWD INTO SRN MN AND
WRN IL...

...SYNOPSIS...
A LARGE UPPER TROUGH WILL EXIST OVER THE WRN U.S. WITH UPPER LOW
CENTER NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS AREA AT 00Z...THEN CONTINUING INTO THE
CNTRL PLAINS BY SUN MORNING. AROUND THE BASE OF THIS TROUGH...A
MIDLEVEL JET CORE IN EXCESS OF 100 KT WILL BE NOSING INTO THE OK/TX
PANHANDLE BY 00Z...TIGHTENING FURTHER AS THE UPPER LOW ROTATES NEWD
ACROSS KS AND NEB. THIS BROAD BELT OF SWLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CREATE
FAVORABLE SHEAR FOR SEVERE WEATHER OVER A LARGE PART OF THE PLAINS.

AT THE SURFACE...A LOW WILL DEEPEN DURING THE DAY OVER ERN CO INTO
SWRN NEB...WITH THE 00Z DRYLINE POSITION ROUGHLY FROM CNTRL NEB NEAR
THE LOW SWD ACROSS KS AND INTO WRN OK AND NW TX. DURING THE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING...A WARM FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM THE LOW NEWD
ACROSS SERN SD INTO SRN MN.

SLY LOW LEVEL FLOW IN ANTICIPATION OF THE UPPER TROUGH WILL MAINTAIN
FAVORABLE MOISTURE TRAJECTORIES...WITH A NARROW AXIS OF MID 60S F
BOUNDARY LAYER DEWPOINTS EXTENDING FROM CNTRL TX ACROSS OK AND INTO
SRN KS AT 00Z. DEWPOINTS NEAR 60 F WILL BE POSSIBLE AS FAR N AS THE
WARM FRONT. COMBINED WITH COOL TEMPERATURES ALOFT...AMPLE
INSTABILITY WILL BE PRESENT FOR SEVERE STORMS FROM TX TO NEB.

...CNTRL NEB INTO WRN IA...
A STRONG SLY LOW LEVEL JET WILL HELP FORCE MORNING RAIN AND STORMS
OVER MUCH OF THE AREA...AND WILL ALSO ALLOW FOR DESTABILIZATION
DURING THE DAY BEHIND THIS INITIAL ACTIVITY. WITH THE SURFACE LOW
DEEPENING JUST TO THE W...AND A BROAD WARM FRONT AND/OR OUTFLOWS IN
PLACE...LOW LEVEL WINDS WILL REMAIN BACKED AND RH LEVELS SHOULD
REMAIN RELATIVELY SHELTERED AS WELL...PROVIDING A FAVORABLE AREA FOR
STRONG TORNADOES. CELLS WOULD LIKELY FORM OVER WRN SECTIONS OF THE
HIGH RISK AREA WHERE HEATING WILL STEEPEN LOW LEVEL LAPSE
RATES...THEN WOULD PROCEED RAPIDLY NEWD WITH AN INCREASING TORNADO
THREAT. VERY LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE LIKELY. THE NRN EXTENT OF THE
TORNADO THREAT WILL DEPEND ON THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE PRIMARY
BOUNDARIES.

...CNTRL KS...WRN AND CNTRL OK...NWRN TX...
SUBSTANTIAL UNCERTAINLY EXISTS IN REGARD TO STORM COVERAGE ALONG THE
DRYLINE DURING THE DAY FROM KS INTO OK AND NW TX. HOWEVER...HIGH END
SEVERE POTENTIAL EXISTS AND WILL MAINTAIN CATEGORICAL HIGH.

LOW CLOUDS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED EARLY ON SAT...WITH
ONLY SLIGHT CAPPING IN PLACE EARLY. BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS AND HEATING
SHOULD QUICKLY ERODE MOST INHIBITION BY AFTERNOON...WHEN WITH
MODERATE INSTABILITY DEVELOPING WITH MUCAPE GENERALLY 2000-2500
J/KG.

STRONG HEATING AND STEEPENING OF LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES WILL OCCUR
ALONG AND W OF THE DRYLINE. HOWEVER...CONVERGENCE WILL BE RELATIVELY
WEAK...WHICH MAY ACTUALLY HELP KEEP STORMS DISCRETE. FAVORABLY
ORIENTED DEEP LAYER SHEAR ALONG THE DRYLINE...AS WELL AS VEERING AND
INCREASING WINDS WITH HEIGHT WILL STRONGLY FAVOR SUPERCELLS.

THERMODYNAMIC PROFILES SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR VERY LARGE
HAIL...AND LOW LEVEL SHEAR WILL FAVOR TORNADOES AS WELL. LAPSE RATES
ALOFT ARE MARGINAL FOR TYPICAL PLAINS VIOLENT TORNADO DAYS...BUT
SHEAR PROFILES WOULD CERTAINLY FAVOR A FEW STRONG TORNADOES.

CURRENT THINKING IS FOR ISOLATED TORNADIC SUPERCELLS WITH VERY LARGE
HAIL TO FORM ALONG THE DRYLINE...AND TO PROCEED NEWD ACROSS THE HIGH
RISK AREA LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. THEN...THE PACIFIC FRONT
WILL MOVE IN FROM THE W...LIKELY RESULTING IN A SQUALL LINE CAPABLE
OF DAMAGING WINDS WITH EMBEDDED AREAS OF ROTATION CAPABLE OF DAMAGE.


FARTHER S INTO TX...DAYTIME DRYLINE ACTIVITY IS LESS LIKELY...WITH
THE MAIN SEVERE THREAT COMING FROM THE OVERNIGHT SQUALL LINE WITH
DAMAGING WINDS AND PERHAPS TORNADOES WITH SUPERCELLS EMBEDDED WITHIN
THE LINE.

..JEWELL.. 04/13/2012

CLICK TO GET WUUS02 PTSDY2 PRODUCT

NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 2 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED BY 0600Z
CURRENT UTC TIME: 1734Z (1:34PM), RELOAD THIS PAGE TO UPDATE THE TIME

Yikes!



Uploaded with imageshack.us

[EF-5bigj]

I think the tri-state tornado bulldozed through those states I think I can't remember though.

[Bunkertor]

NOAA's Press Conference starts in less than a half an hour.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/advisories ... ather.html

News 9 has a backup stream, it seems

http://www.news9.com/category/184600/se ... ected=true

OK, a NOAA presser looks different. Sorry.

Anyone has a direct link ?

[apocalypt-flyer]

For clarification - the tri-state went from Missouri via Illinois to Indiana - pretty much along the green border of TSTM warning on the latest warning.

[CrazyC83]

The NE/IA area does look to have the most forcing, while the KS/OK area has the most instability but capping issues. I would expect the northern area to go off first (afternoon), and the southern area to hold off into the evening and nighttime hours.

[CrazyC83]

Not yet mentioned, but Sunday looks pretty bad too:

SPC AC 130730

DAY 3 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0230 AM CDT FRI APR 13 2012

VALID 151200Z - 161200Z

...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS ACROSS PARTS OF THE
OZARKS...ARKLATEX AND SRN PLAINS...

...THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS ACROSS PARTS OF THE UPPER MS
VALLEY AND UPPER MIDWEST...

...OZARKS/ARKLATEX/EAST TX...
AN UPPER-LEVEL LOW WILL MOVE EWD ACROSS THE GREAT PLAINS ON SUNDAY
AS A 90 TO 110 KT MID-LEVEL JET MOVES ACROSS THE CNTRL STATES. AHEAD
OF THE SYSTEM...MODEL FORECASTS DEVELOP MODERATE INSTABILITY FROM
THE TX GULF COAST NNEWD INTO THE ARKLATEX AND OZARKS. THUNDERSTORMS
MAY BE ONGOING ALONG THE LOW-LEVEL JET AXIS SUNDAY MORNING IN THE
SRN PLAINS WITH THIS CONVECTION MOVING EWD ACROSS THE SLIGHT RISK
AREA DURING THE DAY. NEW STORMS SHOULD INITIATE ACROSS THE WARM
SECTOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON WHERE THE ENVIRONMENT WILL LIKELY BE
SUPPORTIVE OF A SEVERE THREAT. FORECAST SOUNDINGS LATE SUNDAY
AFTERNOON ALONG THE INSTABILITY AXIS FROM LITTLE ROCK AR SSWWD TO
HOUSTON TX SHOW MLCAPE VALUES FROM 1000 TO 2000 J/KG WITH 50 TO 70
KT OF DEEP LAYER SHEAR. THIS COMBINED WITH 40 TO 45 KT OF LOW-LEVEL
FLOW MAY SUPPORT AN ENHANCED WIND DAMAGE THREAT ESPECIALLY IF A
LINEAR CONVECTIVE SYSTEM GETS GOING LIKE SEVERAL MODELS SUGGEST. A
TORNADO THREAT SHOULD ALSO EXIST ACROSS THE REGION MAINLY WITH
ROTATING STORMS EMBEDDED IN THE LINE. ALTHOUGH SIGNIFICANT SEVERE
REMAINS POSSIBLE ALONG MUCH OF THE INSTABILITY AXIS...THE SEVERE
THREAT MAGNITUDE IS STILL IN QUESTION MAINLY DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT
HOW UNSTABLE THE AIRMASS WILL BE SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

...UPPER MS VALLEY/SRN GREAT LAKES...
AN UPPER-LEVEL LOW IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE UPPER MS VALLEY
SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS A 90 TO 110 MID-LEVEL JET NOSES IN THE UPPER MS
VALLEY. AT THE SFC...A WARM FRONT SHOULD EXIST ACROSS MN AND WI
WHERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO BE ONGOING SUNDAY MORNING. NEW
CONVECTION SHOULD INITIATE AROUND MIDDAY TO THE SOUTH OF THE WARM
FRONT AS SFC TEMPS WARM AND AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE
REGION FROM THE WEST. STORMS SHOULD PROGRESS EWD ACROSS THE SLIGHT
RISK AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON. FORECAST SOUNDINGS AT 21Z SUNDAY
FROM MADISON WI SWD INTO ERN IA AND FAR NW IL SHOW MODERATE
INSTABILITY WITH SBCAPE VALUES OF 1000 TO 1500 J/KG. IN
ADDITION...THE EXIT REGION OF THE MID-LEVEL JET WILL HELP TO CREATE
STRONG DEEP LAYER SHEAR PROFILES FAVORABLE FOR ORGANIZED STORMS.
THIS SHEAR ENVIRONMENT ALONG WITH COLD TEMPS ALOFT IN PROXIMITY TO
THE UPPER-LEVEL LOW SHOULD BE FAVORABLE FOR LARGE HAIL. FORECAST
SOUNDINGS SUNDAY AFTERNOON NEAR AND TO THE SOUTH OF THE FRONT ALSO
SHOW LOOPED HODOGRAPHS WITH STRONG LOW-LEVEL SHEAR. THIS MAY SUPPORT
A TORNADO THREAT WITH CELLS THAT REMAIN DISCRETE AND HAVE ACCESS TO
MODERATE INSTABILITY. AN ISOLATED SEVERE THREAT MAY EXTEND EWD ALONG
AND TO THE SOUTH OF A WARM FRONT INTO LOWER MI WHERE FORECAST
SOUNDINGS DEVELOP SOME INSTABILITY.

..BROYLES.. 04/13/2012

CLICK TO GET WUUS03 PTSDY3 PRODUCT

NOTE: THE NEXT DAY 3 OUTLOOK IS SCHEDULED BY 0730Z
CURRENT UTC TIME: 1818Z (2:18PM), RELOAD THIS PAGE TO UPDATE THE TIME

[CrazyC83]

Tornado watch coming out now.

[angelwing]

I posted on my facebook, notified my yahoo groups, let the folk here at the base know so they can let their families know at home & emailed my friends. I hope they listen.

[CrazyC83]

SEL0

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 160
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
130 PM CDT FRI APR 13 2012

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

OKLAHOMA
A SMALL PART OF NORTHWEST TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 130 PM UNTIL 900
PM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 60 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 35 MILES WEST OF WICHITA FALLS
TEXAS TO 20 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF PONCA CITY OKLAHOMA. FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).

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.

DISCUSSION...STORMS ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP OVER SWRN OK AS THE CAP
HAS WEAKENED WITHIN A STRONGLY UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT WITH MLCAPE OF
2000-2500 J/KG. ALTHOUGH DYNAMIC FORCING FOR LARGE SCALE ASCENT IS
SUBTLE...NUMERICAL GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO
DEVELOP TOWARD NRN OK THIS AFTERNOON...WITH CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL
ALSO INCREASING ALONG THE NWRN EDGE OF MOISTURE AS IT RETREATS NWWD
LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DEEP LAYER SHEAR OF 40 KT IN THE
LOWEST 6 KM WILL FAVOR FORMATION OF SUPERCELL STRUCTURES...WITH AN
INITIAL THREAT FOR LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WIND GUSTS. WITH
TIME...LOW LEVEL WINDS/SHEAR WILL STRENGTHEN WITH A SUBSEQUENT
INCREASE IN TORNADO POTENTIAL LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
550. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23025.


...WEISS

[WeatherGuesser]

I'm pretty sure we've had media briefings the day before events. I'm not sure if they would be called press conferences, but the press was notified and participated.

I hope people don't get too carried away with sensationalistic phrases like 'historical' and 'first time ever' and 'never before'. It is what it is, but focus on the facts and not on the hype and drama.

[EF-5bigj]

I hear they are trying new warnings but they seem like a bit much to me really. I prefer a spotter has seen a large mile wide violent tornado then these other warnings.

[PDinKS]

Battening down the hatches here in SE Kansas; at the mercy of the internet for my info. Thanx to all of you for the info and the "heads-up" you all post. I frequently see things posted here that give me pause for concern, that indeed bear out; when none of the normal broadcast media seem to give it enough attention. Watched the Joplin storm form from my deck; but never really saw anything as far as warnings from TV weather. By keeping my eye on your posts, and watching a couple of other sites, I was able to call my family in far eastern Kansas and Joplin; they had a bit more warning than some and stayed safe. Thanx again for what you do...

[WeatherGuesser]

News media is already picking it up, using terms like 'life threatening'.

[CrazyC83]

Another danger tomorrow: chaser convergence. There are sure to be so many chasers out there that traffic could be an issue on these back country roads. And given the violence expected, it is best to leave the chasing to the professionals. Worst thing that could happen is someone not familiar hits a dead end with a violent tornado approaching - a mistake like that could be deadly.