Possible Tornadic Circulation in southern Dodge City, KS WFO

Early Tuesday evening, 0-1 km storm relative helicity had increased over the Central and Southern Plains.  The DDC crew noticed a rapid jump in ProbSevere All Hazards probability of tornado between 2328 and 2336 UTC--going from 10% to 70% in the 8 minute time period (Figure 1) in Comanche county, Kansas.  The forecast crew said the rapid increase alerted them to a rapidly intensifying low-level circulation and prompted an experimental tornado warning at 2339 UTC.

Figure 1.  KDDC 0.5 degree storm relative velocity and ProbSevere All Hazards probability of tornado contours 2328 - 2336 UTC 01 May 2018.

-J. Sieglaff