Severe thunderstorms are firing up once again in the Plains states with a threat of more damaging tornadoes, very large hail, strong winds and flash flooding. This latest round of storms follows what has been several days of severe weather in the central states since this past weekend.
(MORE: Large Kansas Tornado Wednesday | Dodge City's "Near-Miss" | Twin Tornadoes: Not As Rare As You Think)
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center has issued the following severe weather watches:
- A tornado watch is in effect for central and eastern Kansas, western Oklahoma and western north Texas until 10 p.m. CDT. This includes Wichita and Topeka, Kansas, and Woodward, Oklahoma.
- A tornado watch is in effect for southern Iowa, extreme eastern Kansas and northwest Missouri until 10 p.m. CDT. This includes Kansas City.
- A tornado watch is in effect for southwest Iowa, northern and northwest Kansas and southern Nebraska until 10 p.m. CDT. This includes Omaha, Nebraska.
- A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for west-central Texas until 11 p.m. CDT. This includes Abilene and San Angelo.
- A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for central Missouri until 1 a.m. CDT. This includes Columbia.
- A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for north-central Texas until 1 a.m. CDT.
Thursday evening featured dozens of water rescues across southeast Texas as heavy rain created flash flooding on roadways and caused many creeks to overflow their banks.
For more on Thursday's storm reports, see our full article at this link.
This extended siege of severe weather is being triggered by ripples of energy ejecting eastward from a southward dip in the jet stream across the West.
Thursday into Friday, a stronger upper-level trough will swing into the Plains states, intercepting a warm, muggy air mass. Thus, the concern for a severe weather outbreak.
Current Radar with Watches and Warnings
Below is our latest forecast thinking on the timing and magnitude of this severe weather event throughout the next several days.
Severe Weather Forecast
Into Thursday Evening- A severe weather outbreak may erupt in the central and southern Plains from Nebraska and Iowa into Kansas, eastern Colorado, western Missouri, Oklahoma, west-central and north Texas.
- Threats: Tornadoes, large hail, damaging wind gusts. The greatest potential for tornadoes appears to be in Kansas, Oklahoma and southern Nebraska.
- Cities: Okla. City | Wichita | Kansas City
Thursday's Thunderstorm Forecast
- Severe t-storms may still be rather numerous from parts of southern South Dakota and southern Minnesota to central and east Texas.
- Threats: Damaging wind gusts, large hail and a few tornadoes.
- Cities: Dallas | Austin | Houston
Friday's Thunderstorm Forecast
Storm Reports Since Saturday
Wednesday:Wednesday evening, a long-lived supercell thunderstorms spawned multiple tornadoes in northern Kansas, with damage reported to at least 20 homes.
Just pulled up to this home north of Abilene. Owner says they fled when they could see it from about 5 miles away
Preliminary
tornado reports associated with the northern Kansas supercell on May
25, 2016. These do not imply the actual number of tornadoes or the
precise path of such tornadoes, which will be determined by NWS damage
surveys.(Data: NOAA/NWS/SPC)
Tuesday:
Supercell thunderstorms spawned a swarm of tornadoes over western Kansas and in parts of four other states Tuesday.
(MORE: Latest Damage Reports Recap)
Over two dozen reports of tornadoes were received by the National Weather Service (NWS) Tuesday.
Dodge City, Kansas, had a very close call from a slow-moving supercell that spawned tornadoes southwest, west, and north of the city. Storm surveys have begun, and preliminary evidence supports an EF3 rating for tornado damage south-southwest of Dodge City according to the NWS. At times, there were two tornadoes in progress at once from that cyclical supercell.
(MORE: Dodge City, Kansas, Missed Tornado Disaster By Just Three Miles)
Radar,
visible satellite, and tornado reports loop over western Kansas showing
the tornadic supercells on May 24, 2016, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. CDT.There were reports of a house being damaged east of Ensign, Kansas. Fortunately, the occupants of the home were said to be fine. After the tornado had passed, damage was reported on the west side of Dodge City, as well as a propane leak on the highway which blocked traffic.
Earlier Tuesday afternoon, there was a hailstorm in and around Denver, where the National Weather Service reported hailstones as large as golf balls. In fact, southeast of the city, hail was reported to be completely covering the ground – in some places so deep that it was considered "plowable."
There were even a pair of confimed tornadoes in Michigan's Upper Peninsula Tuesday, southwest of Marquette, Michigan. These were the first May tornadoes in Marquette County since at least 1973.
It wasn't just tornadoes Tuesday. Over six inches of rain triggered severe flash flooding in northeast Arkansas, including the city of Jonesboro.
Monday:
On Monday evening, tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma and Texas. A tornado was spotted on the ground just north of Woodward, Oklahoma. No damage was reported in the area. Another tornado was later reported near Northfield, Texas.
Additionally on Monday evening, quarter-size hail covered a portion of I-40 near Lake McClellan, Texas, and 60 mph wind gusts from the same severe thunderstorm overturned a semi-truck along I-40 in the same area. Injures were reported with the overturned semi-truck.
Sunday:
There were multiple reports of tornadoes Sunday evening across Texas, Kansas and South Dakota.
A tornado touched down near Howardwick, Texas, and another tornado was spotted south of Interstate 20 near Big Springs, Texas. A large tornado near Waka, Texas, knocked down a quarter-mile row of power lines. In Kansas, a half-mile wide wedge tornado was reported near Lydia. No major damage has been reported in all of the areas mentioned above.
torn on ground south of I20 near Big Springs #txwx
Saturday:
Severe weather began late Saturday, but it was confined to parts of eastern Montana, western Kansas and western Texas. There was at least one tornado in Wichita County, Kansas, Saturday evening but no damage was reported.
Setup For Severe Weather
That weather pattern is on display through the end of the week.
A trough of low pressure aloft across the western U.S. will continue to move very slowly eastward late this week. As disturbances swing around the base of the trough and eject eastward from the Rocky Mountains to the Plains, a surge of deep moisture will ride northward from the warm Gulf of Mexico.
Meanwhile, winds aloft (low level jet) coming out of the south will be increasing in intensity. This combination is an ideal recipe for severe thunderstorms to develop.
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MORE: Plains Severe Weather - May 9, 2016 (Photo Gallery)
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