Saturday, June 18, 2011

Severe, Rotating T-Storm on KS/OK Border

***Updated at 9:57 PM CDT:


The circulation on radar has developed further to the North, and is currently located about 5 miles West/Southwest of South Coffeyville.  It is moving East at 15 mph.  Anyone living from South Coffeyville, Southward about 5 miles should seek shelter from this storm.  The rotation is not currently as strong as it was about 10-15 minutes ago, but it is still occurring and at low-levels.

Large hail is also likely with this storm.  The portion of the storm with the greatest threat of large hail is along the Kansas/Oklahoma border from 8 miles West of South Coffeyville, to near South Coffeyville.

Seek shelter if you are in the path of this storm.  Damaging thunderstorm winds are also possible.



***Updated at 9:33 PM CDT:


Low-level rotation is still indicated on radar, very near Wann.  This portion of the storm is moving East at 15-20 mph.  Large hail is also indicated by radar to the North of Wann, as far as the Kansas border.

Once this rotation passes Wann in the next few minutes, it will be out over open country for quite awhile.  Based on the present track of the parent storm, the rotation will move to the North of Lenapah (by about 3.5 miles) and to the South of South Coffeyville (by about 5 miles) along Highway 169 in about 30 minutes.

The largest hail potential will track from 4 miles North of Lenapah to near South Coffeyville over the next half hour to 45 minutes.

If you live along or near the path of this storm, please seek immediate shelter.


***Updated at 9:12 PM CDT:


A strong tornadic circulation is indicated on radar very near Copan, OK.  This portion of the storm is moving East at 20-25 mph.  If you live from Copan to immediately South of Wann, seek immediate shelter from this dangerous storm!

On its present track, this circulation will pass about 1 mile South of Wann.  This is too close for comfort, so if you live in Wann I highly recommend that you take tornado precautions.

Very large hail is also indicated by radar from North of Copan to South of Caney, KS.  



***Updated at 8:51 PM CDT:


A strong low-level circulation is indicated by radar very near Hulah, OK.  The most dangerous part of this storm is moving East, with an occasional slight jog to the Southeast, at 20-25 mph.  Residents of Copan should take tornado precautions as the most dangerous part (tornado potential-wise) of this storm is moving directly toward you.

This storm is towering 60,000 feet into the atmosphere (that's almost 12 miles straight up!)  Very large hail is likely to the North of the circulation track, which will take the greatest large hail threat between Caney and Copan, including that part of US Highway 75.

If you live in or near the path of this storm, seek immediate shelter!


***Updated at 8:35 PM CDT:


The above radar image shows a severe thunderstorm with very strong rotation and a history of producing tornadoes.  The most dangerous part of the storm (where the tornado would be located) is currently 4 miles West of Hulah (as indicated by the inverted, purple triangle).  This storm is moving East to East/Southeast at 25 mph, and the most dangerous portion of the storm will pass over or very near Hulah shortly.  

Residents of Copan should also prepare to seek shelter as the potentially tornadic portion of this storm is moving your direction at this time.  If you live anywhere along or near the path of this storm, seek immediate shelter!

The following photo was just uploaded on Twitter, taken by Mike Theiss.  According to his tweet, they were located along the Kansas/Oklahoma border South of Elgin when this photo was taken.  That would have been at about 8:05 or so CDT, according to the radar.  I can't tell if there is a circulation on the ground, but this is a funnel cloud at the very least:



***Updated at 8:22 PM CDT:


At 8:10 PM CDT...a tornado was reported on the ground by spotters about 9 miles West of Wah Sha She State Park.  

As per the latest radar image above, this storm is moving East to slightly Southeast at 30 mph.  Hulah is the direct path of the most dangerous part of this storm at the present time, which will also pass just North of Bowring.

If you live in or near the path of this storm, seek immediate shelter!



***Updated at 8:05 PM CDT:


The severe thunderstorm with strong rotation has moved/developed Southward slightly over the last half hour, with the rotating part of the storm now having moved just South of the Kansas border in extreme Northern portions of Osage County, Oklahoma.  

At the present time this storm is generally moving Eastward at 25 mph.  On its present path, the most dangerous part of the storm (tornado potential-wise) will track very near or just North of Herd, Bowring, and very near Hulah.  

If you live in the path of this storm, seek immediate shelter.  Large hail & damaging winds are likely, and this storm is showing strong rotation on radar (as noted by the white circle on the right half of the above image, which shows the wind motion within the storm as estimated by radar).  This storm could produce a tornado at any time.

-------------------------------------Original post below:


The severe thunderstorm shown on the radar image above, just to the Southwest of Cedar Vale, KS, is showing strong indications of rotation both on radar and at ground level.  As I've noted on the right half of the radar image (which is the wind motion mode of the radar), the green shows wind blowing toward the radar, while the red immediately next to it shows the wind blowing away from the radar (which is located off of the upper-level corner of the image).

Below is a photograph of this storm taken near Arkansas City early in the last hour, by the College of DuPage storm chase team that is on this storm.  It was posted on twitter:


You don't need me to tell you this storm is rotating, just by looking at the picture!  So far though, no visible funnel or rotation has extended to the ground.  None-the-less, this is a very dangerous storm, with large hail & damaging winds also possible.  It is moving generally Eastward along the Kansas/Oklahoma border, and the most dangerous part of the storm (tornado potential-wise) will track just to the South of Hewins and very near Elgin in Kansas, and just North of Grainola in Oklahoma.

If you live in the path of this storm, seek immediate shelter until it passes...

No comments: