7:55pm A tornado watch is now in effect until 1am. Please note that tennis ball-sized hail and 80 mph thunderstorm-generated gusts are forecast.  3:20pm Kansas:  As of 3:10pm, a line of tower cumulus clouds is growing along the dry line in Kansas. I expect thunderstorms to form along the dry line by around 5pm (give or take). These storms may produce large hail this evening near and southeast of the Kansas Turnpike.  Later tonight, a cluster of storms with damaging winds is likely from SE Kansas and Oklahoma into Missouri. You may wish to bring in trampolines and outdoor furniture that could blow about.  Oklahoma:  No tower cumulus yet but when/if thunderstorms develop, they will grow very quickly and could become quite severe.  --- original posting (still valid) --- The NWS Storm Prediction Center has added a significant chance of tornadoes in a part of Oklahoma this afternoon and evening.  As Norman and Stillwater, as well as OKC and Tulsa, are inclu...

I have been in the forecast chair continuously since 8:30a Friday. I'm going to be now because Saturday will be an extremely dangerous tornado day.  There is an extreme risk of strong tornadoes in the purple area and a high risk of strong tornadoes in the red area from 7a Saturday to 8a Sunday.  Newest Tornado Watch: 1:45am Tornado Watch: 1:35am 8:06pm Overnight tornado watch until 3am.  8pm: Particularly Dangerous Situation! Rare "particularly dangerous situation" tornado watch issued for the overnight hours. Make sure yo have a way to be awakened if you receive a tornado warning.  7pm: 5pm: Meanwhile, father south, a tornado watch will likely be issued. This is where overnight tornadoes are a real danger in Louisiana, southeastern Arkansas and Mississippi.  4:55pm, tornado watch updated.  Please note what is forecast to occur: "Several strong  tornadoes, 90 mph thunderstorm-generated wind gusts, and hail to tennis ball size." I expect tornadoes after...

4pm This Afternoon (Friday) until 7am Saturday Using my 4-point scale, here is the color code for the three risk levels presented: Red, hatched = high risk of strong tornadoes. Yellow, hatched = enhanced risk of strong tornadoes.  Brown = significant risk of tornadoes.  To the south of the brown line, there is the serious danger of overnight tornadoes.  Below is the wind forecast, which is also dangerous! Above is the forecast for damaging winds. Color code: Purple =  high risk  of thunderstorm-generated winds of 75 mph or stronger. Red = enhanced risk of wind gusts of 75 mph or stronger.  Yellow hatched = significant risk of wind gusts of 75 mph or stronger.  Yellow = significant risk of 60 mph or stronger. While I cannot say exactly where, it would not surprise me if wind gusts reached 85-90 mph from north Texas (including the Panhandle) through Kansas and Oklahoma west of U.S. 75. Blowing dust is likely in the central and southern Plains west of US ...

We had quite the storm in the Wichita area this evening. Below was the view from my easy chair. It has been my experience that a sky like this means trouble.  There is no filtering in this image.  The first line of thunderstorms passed just to our north, leaving a small boundary just to the south of Wichita. That triggered a thunderstorm about 35 miles to our southwest. As the storm tracked northeast across the city, it strengthened and grew.  The thunderstorm starting to intensify near Conway Springs.  The thunderstorm broke into two with the strongest part over the northeast part of the city. We had 1/2" hail (the pink on the radar) and wind gusts to about 65 mph at my home. The image above was the reflectivity data from 9:27pm.  The Wichita Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) showed the speed of winds flowing out of the storm to be increasing rapidly over the northeast part of the city. Below is the TDWR wind data at the time that Jabara's wind instruments,...

This watch is in effect until 11pm.  Please keep up on the latest weather information. With the potential for 75 mph winds and 2" hail, if a severe thunderstorm warning was issued, please go to the middle of the house and stay away from windows 

Scroll Down for Severe Thunderstorm Watches  Tornadoes and Wind Gusts to 90 mph have been observed  this evening.  The yellow area has a significant risk of wind gusts of 65 mph or stronger. The red area has an enhanced  risk. The hatched area is where wind gusts of 75 mph or stronger are likely to occur.  The severe thunderstorm watch calls for 80 mph winds, tennis ball hail as well as tornadoes. Please keep up on the weather throughout the watch area and the forecast area above. 

Bad News: The yellow area has a significant risk of wind gusts of 65 mph or stronger.  Excellent News The models go out to August 3 and, as of now, there's nothing to indicate a tropical storm will form that day or the next; which is as far as I care to speculate. 

When Frank Sinatra sang his classic, Summer Wind , I don't believe this is what he had in mind.   Again today, we have multiple areas where damaging thunderstorm-generated winds are forecast to occur.  There are already thunderstorms in the yellow area from Kansas City and points east. Power failures have already occurred.  The rest of the yellow areas are where severe wind-producing thunderstorms will occur later today. The red area in the Northeast has an enhanced  risk of damaging winds.  There are still people in Texas without power from Hurricane Beryl ten days ago.  Northern Illinois was hard hit from last night's derecho.  Electric crews are being stretched to the limit with restorations these days. 

Yellow area has an enhanced  risk of tornadoes -- some may be strong. Brown = significant risk of tornadoes. Tornado watch till 1am for much of this area.  -- out of date as of 8pm -- The amber is a tornado watch until 1am. It includes Chicago, Peoria and South Bend. In addition to tornadoes the NWS is forecasting widespread wind gusts of 90 mph.  --- info below still valid as of 7pm --- A derecho has formed in Iowa with tornadic supercells out ahead. Multiple tornado and high wind warnings are out as of 5:30pm.  Tornado Threat The yellow is an enhanced  risk of tornadoes and it would not surprise me if some of them turn out to be strong. Northern Illinois is the area I've been concerned about since the midday update (see below, if you wish). The brown area has a significant risk of tornadoes.  Damaging Wind Forecast With a derecho in progress, it is important to understand the color codes: Purple = high  risk of wind gusts of 75 mph or stronger. ...

Tornadoes possible along with 75 mph winds, 4" hail and a couple of tornadoes --- original posting --- The brown area has a significant risk of tornadoes this afternoon and evening.  In addition, there is a risk of damaging winds. Color code: The hatched area is where there is a forecast of wind gusts of 75 mph or more. The red area has an enhanced  risk of wind gusts of 60 mph or stronger.  The yellow area has a significant risk of gusts of 60 mph or more.  Please monitor local weather information in these areas starting this afternoon. I'll update this forecast this afternoon, as well.