High Risk Day--Bad News KS/OK

There are few days that ever are as big in chasing as this one would be (were I to be out). Textbooks will be written based on today's amazing setup, but it means bleak things for those who live in KS/OK.

At the time of this writing (1500 EST), the atmosphere has come alive and things will begin to unfold in a major and destructive tornado outbreak.

Here's the current visible satellite image:



You'll notice that there is a line of convective storms (hard-looking cumulus clouds) in the SW KS/TX & OK PH areas. This area is under incredible atmospheric cues that include: abundant moisture, abundant instability, abundant lift, and synoptic scale features (a triple point: the intersection of a dryline, low pressure system, and surface fronts).

Current surface winds are out of the south over the target area (an area about 50 miles west of I-35 between Wichita, KS, and Oklahoma City, OK). Early radar returns show that the cumulus clouds have rapidly ascended and already are producing rain and in some cases short-lived tornados. This is incredibly fast development and there is still about 8 hours of daytime sunlight to fuel these flames.



Amazing upper level support is moving over the area, and this region is in the left front exit region of a jet streak at 500mb.



The bottom line: this day falls under the term epic and sadly Wichita down to OKC look to be under a very threatening gun. Will update as time allows.

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Latest 500mb analysis qualifies as "the perfect storm". Anticipate huge tornados will begin to form in the next hour or so with very large damage potential.