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Severe weather: 5/10-5/12 Plains/Midwest


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And again, that's my concern for the northern target.  But I do not think the southern target is any more of a sure bet at this stage and I've seen and chased a number of these types of setups that end up working out very nicely.  And if it is about a 1 and 10 chance... then we're due.  But you and I both know outside of this year thus far, northern setups work out more than that.

 

I generally agree. Maybe it's just a matter of perspective, but I can't count how many times those of us based in OUN have chased a solid-looking dryline setup, only to curse when we see multiple tornado-warned sups along the WF hundreds of miles farther NE by mid-afternoon. You're less likely to get a gorgeous storm, but perhaps more likely to see a tornado in an absolute sense in many situations where both the DL and WF are in play.

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The 18z NAM looks downright dangerous in southern Iowa Sunday. For what its worth and if things can pop and stay discrete.

 

Parameters are maxed out up there, thanks to crazy low level backing south of the WF.

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DMX all in...

 

AFTER A BRIEF LULL INTO THE NIGHT ATTENTION TURNS UPSTREAM WITH  
INCREASING INFLUENCE BY MATURING ROCKIES LONG WAVE TROUGH. STRONG  
THETA-E ADVECTION AND ADVANCING ELEVATED INSTABILITY ALOFT WILL  
LIKELY RESULT IN MO VALLEY MCS ENTERING SWRN IA PLUS/MINUS 12Z.  
THIS THERMODYNAMIC FORCING CONTINUES INTO THE DAY ALONG WITH  
INCREASING KINEMATIC FORCING AND DIFFLUENCE ALOFT AS AS WARM FRONT  
MATURES INTO IA. NAM/GFS MLCAPES BOTH DEPICT MLCAPES OVER 3000 J/KG  
DURING THIS PERIOD WITH LITTLE CINH SO THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM  
INITIATING CONVECTION AND HAVE BOOSTED POPS THROUGH THE LIKELIES TO  
CATEGORICAL IN SPOTS. LOW LEVEL AND DEEP SHEAR ARE IMPRESSIVE...AS  
WELL AS HODOGRAPHS WITH SRH WELL INTO THE HUNDREDS...SO TORNADIC  
POTENTIAL IS CERTAINLY DISCONCERTING. GFS/NAM SOUNDINGS BOTH DEPICT  
VERY FAVORABLE TORNADO PARAMETERS WITH ELEVATED SIG TOR VALUES AND  
SUFFICIENTLY LOW LCLS. WOULD NOT BE AT ALL SURPRISED TO SEE CURRENT  
DAY 3 SLIGHT RISK ELEVATED TO MODERATE OR HIGH ALONG AND SOUTH OF  
WHERE EVER THE FRONT EVENTUALLY LAYS OUT. PRECIPITABLE WATER  
VALUES EXCEED 2SDS IN THE WARM SECTOR AS WELL SO LOCALLY HEAVY  
RAINS ARE ALSO QUITE POSSIBLE. ALTHOUGH CONDITIONS ARE NOT AS  
IDEALISTIC...ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE PEAK HEATING CONVECTION MAY  
BRIEFLY OCCUR IN ERN SECTIONS MON BEFORE ADVANCING EWD WITH THE  
FRONT.  

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I think Iowa looks good Sunday... but was extremely surprised to hear how bullish Des Moines was in the latest AFD.

 

DMX tends to be more on the conservative side (IIRC with previous events) so they must be looking also towards the list of bigger WF events that have played out in IA (and there is a good number of them).

 

OAX discussion:

MAIN ISSUE OF INTEREST COMES THIS WEEKEND. ON SUNDAY...INTENSE

BAROCLINIC ZONE DROPPING INTO THE CNTRL PLAINS WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR

SCT SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY DURING THE AFTN EVENING HOURS.

STOUT BNDRY LYR THETA-E ADV THRU THE DAY WILL PROVIDE AMPLE

ENVIRONMENTAL MOISTURE TO TAP INTO. THIS COUPLED WITH DAYTIME HEAT

WILL RESULT IN SBCAPES RANGING ANYWHERE FROM 3500-4000J/KG. IN THE

MEANTIME...PARAMETERS FAVORING SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT...MUCAPES/EFF

SRH/EBWD...ALONG WITH WHERE CAP WILL BE WEAKEST...WILL PRETTY MUCH

BE FOCUSED SOUTH OF THE I-80 CORRIDOR THUS...A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY

A FEW STORMS COULD BECOME SVR BY LATE AFTN/EARLY EVENING. IN

ADDITION...GIVEN AMPLE ENVIRONMENTAL MOISTURE CONTENT...WOULD EXPECT

RAINFALL TOTALS FOR SOME LOCATIONS DOWN SOUTH WILL BE QUITE

GENEROUS.

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DMX all in...

 

AFTER A BRIEF LULL INTO THE NIGHT ATTENTION TURNS UPSTREAM WITH  

INCREASING INFLUENCE BY MATURING ROCKIES LONG WAVE TROUGH. STRONG  

THETA-E ADVECTION AND ADVANCING ELEVATED INSTABILITY ALOFT WILL  

LIKELY RESULT IN MO VALLEY MCS ENTERING SWRN IA PLUS/MINUS 12Z.  

THIS THERMODYNAMIC FORCING CONTINUES INTO THE DAY ALONG WITH  

INCREASING KINEMATIC FORCING AND DIFFLUENCE ALOFT AS AS WARM FRONT  

MATURES INTO IA. NAM/GFS MLCAPES BOTH DEPICT MLCAPES OVER 3000 J/KG  

DURING THIS PERIOD WITH LITTLE CINH SO THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM  

INITIATING CONVECTION AND HAVE BOOSTED POPS THROUGH THE LIKELIES TO  

CATEGORICAL IN SPOTS. LOW LEVEL AND DEEP SHEAR ARE IMPRESSIVE...AS  

WELL AS HODOGRAPHS WITH SRH WELL INTO THE HUNDREDS...SO TORNADIC  

POTENTIAL IS CERTAINLY DISCONCERTING. GFS/NAM SOUNDINGS BOTH DEPICT  

VERY FAVORABLE TORNADO PARAMETERS WITH ELEVATED SIG TOR VALUES AND  

SUFFICIENTLY LOW LCLS. WOULD NOT BE AT ALL SURPRISED TO SEE CURRENT  

DAY 3 SLIGHT RISK ELEVATED TO MODERATE OR HIGH ALONG AND SOUTH OF  

WHERE EVER THE FRONT EVENTUALLY LAYS OUT. PRECIPITABLE WATER  

VALUES EXCEED 2SDS IN THE WARM SECTOR AS WELL SO LOCALLY HEAVY  

RAINS ARE ALSO QUITE POSSIBLE. ALTHOUGH CONDITIONS ARE NOT AS  

IDEALISTIC...ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE PEAK HEATING CONVECTION MAY  

BRIEFLY OCCUR IN ERN SECTIONS MON BEFORE ADVANCING EWD WITH THE  

FRONT.  

 

Someone needs to lay off the sugar... 

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Someone needs to lay off the sugar... 

I don't know about a high but a moderate risk isn't unbelievable projection for that area, especially if the models continue to show what they have been for the area from Topeka to Omaha to Des Moines.

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Brad Small. Only about 20 years of experience at DMX. So, not a small-time guy (pun clearly intended).

I can't speak to whether he often writes reactionary AFDs, but he has model support at least. Though it is a bit silly to speculate on future categorical outlooks in an AFD three days out.

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The high risk statement may be a bit over the top but the analysis of the potential environment is spot on based on today's trends

Sent from my LG-LS980

Exactly and as it stands with the potential at this point I do think a possible upgrade to a mdt is looking more and more likely for at least part of their area. So it isn't a huge leap of faith.

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The high risk statement may be a bit over the top but the analysis of the potential environment is spot on based on today's trends

Sent from my LG-LS980

Compared to previous runs, the 18Z NAM shows more backed H7 flow over nrn MO / srn IA Sunday evening, so capping could be a close call. The successive previous runs have trended toward warmer H7 temperatures up there as well. Given the situation with possible low-level flow paralleling the front (the NAM being somewhat alone with its backed surface winds in the area) and the possibility of capping, I can only see a MDT Risk for hail, not tornadoes. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm really not convinced that the warm front will pop in time over srn IA.

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Compared to previous runs, the 18Z NAM shows more backed H7 flow over nrn MO / srn IA Sunday evening, so capping could be a close call. The successive previous runs have trended toward warmer H7 temperatures up there as well. Given the situation with possible low-level flow paralleling the front (the NAM being somewhat alone with its backed surface winds in the area) and the possibility of capping, I can only see a MDT Risk for hail, not tornadoes. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The NAM is not alone in the backing of the surface winds, the Euro also shows it and has shown it for a while...

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I know a lot of focus has been on Sunday, but I am curious about tomorrow. I just don't see any large scale lift to really crank things up. Thoughts?

There is a shortwave that lifts northeast tomorrow along with the warm front, I wouldn't be surprised if there are some hailers in northeast KS and northern MO tomorrow into tomorrow night. Those storms would probably congeal into a MCS after dark and move toward east central MO.

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Compared to previous runs, the 18Z NAM shows more backed H7 flow over nrn MO / srn IA Sunday evening, so capping could be a close call. The successive previous runs have trended toward warmer H7 temperatures up there as well. Given the situation with possible low-level flow paralleling the front (the NAM being somewhat alone with its backed surface winds in the area) and the possibility of capping, I can only see a MDT Risk for hail, not tornadoes. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm really not convinced that the warm front will pop in time over srn IA.

 

Disagree a bit with your assessment.  Almost all of models have shown backed surface winds in IA... the GFS has been the weakest in this solution but it still shows backed surface winds along the triple point and WF:

 

18_GFS_054_40.38,-94.94_skewt_ML.gif

 

Further, the ECMWF has been consistent with backed winds along this boundary as well.  At this point, with the NAM trending towards the GFS and ECMWF timing wise, I tend to start paying attention to it since we are starting to get into its best forecast range.  Also not really seeing the backed H7 flow you're referring to along the boundary.  Maybe further east but not in the area I'm most excited about... at 21z there is an EML present but it is not very strong and I imagine it will erode fairly quickly once the mid-level jet streak starts to nose into eastern NE and western IA in the afternoon... this is southwest IA at 00z near the triple point:

 

18_NAM_054_41.7,-94.68_skewt_ML.gif

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Vja5UjN.png

 

 

Here's the Topeka wx story. Does everyone agree that Sunday has a relatively low risk for tornadoes? "Low" in this sense is obviously subjective, but I feel like Sunday may warrant at least a medium risk.

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If the 00z suite holds steady, I believe we will see a Day 2 moderate with possible strong tornadoes mentioned.  They may decide to wait until the 12z data tomorrow, but I believe if it stays true, one way or the other the moderate will be issued.  Still way too far out to know if this setup has high risk potential.

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Vja5UjN.png

 

 

Here's the Topeka wx story. Does everyone agree that Sunday has a relatively low risk for tornadoes? "Low" in this sense is obviously subjective, but I feel like Sunday may warrant at least a medium risk.

It may end up being low, but it could end up being more significant. It's kind of ridiculous that they're telling their viewers that there is a "low" tornado risk 48 hours before the event though.

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It may end up being low, but it could end up being more significant. It's kind of ridiculous that they're telling their viewers that there is a "low" tornado risk 48 hours before the event though.

KTOP is seemingly always conservative with tornado potential, general consensus from them seemed to be that TOR potential is low because they're expecting parallel flow to the boundary. Disagree with this idea though, because the surface low(s) should cause SRF winds to back along the entire boundary and DL... Also, was thinking that LCL's might be a bit too high when initiation occurs, given relatively high T/Dp spreads. Should storms be able to remain discrete from about 23Z to 05Z then the TOR threat would be much higher due to a forecasted strong LLJ, as well as srf winds backing a bit more toward 00Z(this seemed to be the general thought from ICT/TOP/EAX.) EDIT: Well, at least those were the thoughts days previous... However, KTOP mentions main tornado limiting factor is front orientation, which could cause detremental downdraft/updrafr interactions... As well as disruptive outflow from other storms, nonetheless still mention if storms stay discrete then TOR potential would be higher, but this scenario seems "unlikely" ALSO... Just to clarify "srf"= Surface
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KTOP is seemingly always conservative with tornado potential, general consensus from them seemed to be that TOR potential is low because they're expecting parallel flow to the boundary. Disagree with this idea though, because the surface low(s) should cause SRF winds to back along the entire boundary and DL... Also, was thinking that LCL's might be a bit too high when initiation occurs, given relatively high T/Dp spreads. Should storms be able to remain discrete from about 23Z to 05Z then the TOR threat would be much higher due to a forecasted strong LLJ, as well as srf winds backing a bit more toward 00Z(this seemed to be the general thought from ICT/TOP/EAX.)

 

What are SRF winds? The proper abbreviation for surface is sfc.

 

In addition, the parallel flow concern is more addressed to the wind fields aloft.

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The environment at 3z Sunday evening in OK is absolutely amazing. Orthogonal shear vectors to the dryline, continued moisture advection, discrete precip signal, hardly any CIN building back in at 3z with still 3000 j/kg of MLCAPE to work with as the LLJ absolutely cranks. Scary.

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

 

Been looking up and down the dryline and across the WF at various points through afternoon/evening Sunday, haven't found a single non-impressive wind profile, especially in terms of low level backing.

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Euro has been pretty consistent in blowing up, and festering convection over southeast Nebraska Sunday morning into the afternoon just north of the warm front.  The tail-end of that ignites a little later in the day on the nose of the best instability, and also juxtaposed with nice shear parameters.  I think that will be my play on Sunday.  Somewhere in the Concordia KS/Hastings NE/Beatrice NE triangle.  If this area looks too messy the dry line down in KS could be sort of a backup plan.  Don't think the crashing cold front scenario will be too much of a problem since the GFS has trended toward the Euro, which depicts a less progressive cold front on Sunday.

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Regarding the high risk mention by DMX, maybe someone can chime in on whether this is perception or reality but I'm having trouble recalling SPC going high risk for a warm frontal tornado outbreak.  It seems like practically all of the high risks I can recall had the high risk area deeper in the warm sector. 

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