HIGH Risk of Severe Weather; IL, IN, MI, OH

Echoes

O.G.
Aug 8, 2008
10,633
548
ZCZC SPCPWOSPC ALL
WOUS40 KWNS 170849
ILZ000-INZ000-KYZ000-MIZ000-OHZ000-WIZ000-171800-

PUBLIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0249 AM CST SUN NOV 17 2013

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF THE MID-MISSISSIPPI
AND OHIO VALLEYS INTO MICHIGAN TODAY THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT...

The NWS Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma is forecasting
the development of a few strong, long-track tornadoes over parts of
the Mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys into Michigan today through
early tonight.

The areas most likely to experience this activity include:

Illinois
Indiana
Northern and Western Kentucky
Lower Michigan
Ohio
Southeast Wisconsin

Surrounding this greatest risk region, severe thunderstorms will
also be possible from parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas,
Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee northeastward across much of the
Appalachians to the lower Great Lakes.

A potent jet stream disturbance with wind speeds in excess of 120
knots will sweep east across the central Plains today and across the
Ohio Valley and northern half of the Appalachians tonight. As this
occurs, a surface low now over the mid-Mississippi Valley will
rapidly intensify and accelerate northeastward, reaching northern
Michigan early tonight and western Quebec Monday morning.

East of the low, increasingly warm and humid air at the surface will
spread north across the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys, contributing to
very unstable conditions over a large part of the east central
United States. Coupled with daytime heating and ascent provided the
jet stream impulse, the environment will become very favorable for
severe thunderstorms --- especially along and ahead of fast-moving
cold front trailing southward from the low into the mid-Mississippi
and Ohio Valleys.

Given the degree of thermodynamic instability, and the strength and
character of the winds through the depth of the atmosphere, many of
the storms will become supercells. Some of these will be capable of
producing strong tornadoes --- in addition to large hail and swaths
of damaging surface winds.


The storms are expected to consolidate into one or two extensive
lines later today into tonight --- extending the threat for damaging
winds and isolated tornadoes eastward into the Appalachians by early
Monday.

State and local emergency managers are monitoring this potentially
very dangerous situation. Those in the threatened area are urged to
review severe weather safety rules and to listen to radio,
television, and NOAA Weather Radio for possible watches, warnings,
and statements later today.

..Corfidi.. 11/17/2013

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/pwo.html
 
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 561
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
840 AM CST SUN NOV 17 2013

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
EASTERN IOWA
ILLINOIS
NORTHWEST INDIANA
NORTHEAST MISSOURI
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN
LAKE MICHIGAN

* EFFECTIVE THIS SUNDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM 840 AM UNTIL
400 PM CST.

...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...

* PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...
SEVERAL INTENSE TORNADOES LIKELY
SEVERAL LARGE HAIL EVENTS LIKELY WITH A FEW VERY LARGE HAIL
EVENTS TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE
SEVERAL DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WITH A FEW SIGNIFICANT GUSTS TO 80
MPH POSSIBLE

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 100 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF
SCOTT AFB ILLINOIS TO 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF MADISON WISCONSIN.
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

&&

DISCUSSION...ONE OR MORE BROKEN BANDS OF SUPERCELLS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP THIS MORNING AND RAPIDLY SPREAD EAST/NORTHEAST ACROSS THE
WATCH AREA TODAY. GIVEN THE COMBINATION OF MODERATE INSTABILITY AND
VERY STRONG VERTICAL SHEAR...CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR LONG
TRACKED...SIGNIFICANT TORNADOES. LARGE HAIL AND CORRIDORS OF WIND
DAMAGE WILL ALSO BE LIKELY.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24050.


...MEAD

Map shown here: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/ww0561.html

This includes Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis and several other major cities.
 
Tornado sirens went off here in Columbus about an hour ago. I had turned off the news about 30 minutes before because it looked like it was dying down so I wasn't worried about it. When they went off DH quickly sprang into action. He had me grab the dog and we went downstairs and he threw everything out of the closet. He made us get in it. A tiny hall closet. I did not want to be in there. I didn't get any alerts from AT&T and I didn't see anything on weather.com, so I made him go upstairs and check what they were saying on the news. We live in a 3-story townhouse so it's a little disconnected. He said he didn't see anything right near us. Our county is pretty big so the affected area was the southeastern corner, not near us.

It was still scary though. We moved here in August and I've never lived anywhere that there were tornado sirens.