Severe Weather Tomorrow (4/24/15)

As I’ve mentioned in my last few posts, it’s late April and the fact we are talking about severe weather shouldn’t be a shock to anyone! I’m on the road after a failed chase today in central Texas, so let’s get right to the data!

Current: 

It’s not hard to see the wave that will be responsible for severe weather tomorrow, lurking to the southwest in southern Baja California.

1z RAP 500 Vorticity Analysis
1z RAP 500 Vorticity Analysis
Water Vapor Imagery
Water Vapor Imagery

 

Relatively deeper boundary layer moisture, compared to earlier season events, is working it’s way into the southern plains, as evidenced by 0z soundings.

Forecast: 

Decent warm air advection is underway, as well as the aforementioned moisture transport. This could yield some elevated showers and storms later this evening and especially tomorrow morning across KS/OK. There is not a substantial focus however, so this threat is not as obvious as it was Thursday evening.

850 Warm Air Advection

 

Regardless, there will be a substantial moisture and cirrus plume ahead of the approaching wave. Instability is almost guaranteed to be a problem, especially across Oklahoma. The best chance of decent instability is going to be on either side of the showers/storms that develop in the morning.

The latest RAP forecast depicts this problem well, with 2 areas of potentially higher instability.

 

RAP Forecast CAPE/SCP 3PM
RAP Forecast CAPE/SCP 3PM

 

Convection should develop by mid to late afternoon ahead of the incoming wave, most likely first near the deepening low/warm frontal boundary across central/northern Kansas. Assuming instability develops, development southward on the dryline would occur late afternoon as well.

By evening, low level shear profiles will become highly supportive of tornadoes, some possibly significant, but details and questions about instability and storm evolution make this threat unclear at this time.

 

850mb/Sfc Td
850mb/Sfc Td

Target:

I plan to play the area where I expect there to be enough clearing. There are two potential areas. One is in central Kansas, the other is further south near the Red River on the OK/TX border. I am picking the north target right now due to more classic veering wind profiles, better terrain and more manageable storm motion. But if this area is socked in clouds and precip, I will go south.

My Target Zone
My Target Zone (Target 1)
2nd Target Zone
2nd Target Zone

Brandon Sullivan

I am an entrepreneur, meteorologist and storm chaser. I travel and take captivating photos and videos across the world. If I'm not chasing, I'm at the gym. All opinions are my own and do not represent my employers or investments.

2 thoughts on “Severe Weather Tomorrow (4/24/15)

  • April 23, 2015 at 11:49 PM
    Permalink

    How do you feel about north of the 35 corridor in East central Ks?

    Reply
    • April 25, 2015 at 10:04 AM
      Permalink

      Just saw this Westin, but obviously I was a bigger fan of further west! 🙂

      Reply

Leave your thoughts, too!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.