Tornado captured on video by FOX Weather Storm Tracker
A major tornado was located outside the northeastern Kansas town of Alta Vista Wednesday night.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The second day of heavy weto her onecrossing the Plains and Midwest spawned at least one major tornado in Kansas and resulted in softball-sized hail.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center highlighted communities in two states as being at an increased risk or level 3 out of 5 for hail, damaging winds and tornadoes, and it appears the forecast has ended with several tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings issued by the local National Weather Service Service offices.
FOX Weather Storm Trackers were in the right place at the right time and captured video of a supercell producing a large tornado outside the town of Alta Vista in northeastern Kansas.
The town is less than an hour's drive outside of Topeka in Wabaunsee County.
Local authorities did not release information about extensive damage after the twister passed, but PowerOutage.us reported at least 200 customers in the rural county lost power.
“Usually the first storm that lifts and goes away gives you an indication of how the day is going to go. And it's in that time frame that the low-level jet is really starting to tear up here. . . . The tornado threat has increased quite a bit judging by this The first storm that got here – we're still looking primarily for a hail threat tonight,” said FOX Weather Storm Tracker Corey Gerken.
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Doppler radar showing a storm warning in Kansas (FOX Weather)
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The NWS office covering the Kansas City metro area will be tasked with inspecting damage and reviewing radar returns to determine how strong the event was outside of Alta Vista.
The FOX Prediction Center said that because of the cell's organization and high-shear returns, it's possible forecasters will determine the twister was at least an EF-3 on the enhanced Fujita scale. Winds in an EF-3 tornado range from 136 mph to 165 mph and are capable of causing severe damage.
Tornadoes with winds greater than 165 mph are considered either EF-4 or EF-5.
In other counties, hail was the biggest story, with more than 100 reports across several states.
During the peak of the activity, forecasters warned some communities in the Kansas City metro area to take shelter and stay away from windows.
The largest hail occurred in the southwest Kansas City metro area. Storm watchers reported hail larger than baseballs.
The hail was significant enough that traffic backed up on Interstate 70 near the Kansas-Missouri state line.
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The severe weather threat extends Thursday
The severe weather threat is not over as Thursday's focus will shift south and east of where storms hit communities on Wednesday.
The first will stretch from southern Iowa and northern Missouri to central Illinois, while the other will be further south from eastern Oklahoma and East Texas to Louisiana and
“We actually have a Level 3 out of 5,” Merwin said. “The fact that the Storm Prediction Center has fired it up for Thursday earlier says something.”
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The setup will be very similar to Wednesday's. Conditions near the surface of the low pressure system and warm front will likely lead to an arc of supercells across northern Missouri, Illinois, and southeast Iowa.
If you live south of the warm air front, you could see thunderstorms that produce tornadoes, strong wind gusts and hail larger than 2 inches. However, any storm moving north of the front will likely produce only hail.
To the south, storms should break out ahead of a dry line across Oklahoma and northeast Texas starting in the early afternoon, the FOX Forecast Center said.
With temperatures expected to stay around 80 degrees and dew points in the 60s, there will be plenty of atmospheric energy available. This will combine with moderate wind shear to create supercells capable of producing all severe weather hazards.
It remains somewhat uncertain how the initial supercells will develop throughout the evening, the FOX Forecast Center said. If they combine to form a squall line, the risk of damaging straight-line winds will increase before the storms weaken overnight.
Friday and beyond
The threat of severe to severe thunderstorms will likely continue into Friday from East Texas to the Southeast as the main front tracks across the South.
A string of rainy days is possible through the weekend for locations that do not need additional rain. Jackson, Mississippi is currently experiencing its fourth wettest start of the year and is again in the eye for heavy rain.
Several days of heavy rainfall will result in 3-plus inches across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, with even higher amounts possible.
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