Weather Alerts For Lawrence, KS

Watch county notification for watch 16 National Weather Service Topeka KS 832 PM CST Fri Mar 6 2026 The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a * Tornado Watch for portions of Western and Central Iowa Central and Northeast Kansas Northwest Missouri Southeast Nebraska * Effective this Friday afternoon and evening from 315 PM until 1000 PM CST. * Primary threats include... A few tornadoes and a couple intense tornadoes possible Scattered large hail likely with isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible SUMMARY...Severe storms are expected to develop near a northeast/southwest-oriented cold front, with additional development possible into this evening ahead of it. All aspects of severe weather are possible including large hail, damaging winds, and tornado potential. The tornado watch area is approximately along and 65 statute miles north and south of a line from 35 miles south southwest of Russell KS to 50 miles south southeast of Fort Dodge IA. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6). 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. && OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 15... AVIATION...Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 450. Mean storm motion vector 23030.

There is a Enhanced Severe Storm Risk for your location. Continue reading for today's outlook from the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. -------------------- National Severe Storm Outlook THERE IS AN ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS AND LOWER MISSOURI VALLEY SUMMARY Scattered severe thunderstorms are expected from mid-afternoon through tonight across parts of the southern/central Plains to the Ozarks and Midwest. The greatest potential for a few strong tornadoes and very large hail should exist across eastern portions of Oklahoma/Kansas/Nebraska into western Arkansas/Missouri and southern Iowa. 20z Update No categorical changes were made to the D1 Convective Outlook. A corridor of more favorable tornado potential is possible this evening near the interface of the surface low and warm front across far southeastern Nebraska/northeast Kansas/northwest Missouri. Here, within the warm sector cells may develop ahead of the cold front within an region of enhanced low-level shear (given the placement of the warm front and forecast increase in south-southwesterly low-level jet). There are some complicating factors, such as ongoing cloud cover and convection in the warm air advection regime this morning. Some sheltered heating is ongoing with breaks in the cloud cover, with MLCAPE around 1000 J/kg nosing in from the west. The 18z soundings from Lamont, OK and Topeka, KS show this trend in instability as well as enlarged/curved hodographs and strong 50 kt flow aloft. Forecast soundings depict further enlargement of low-level hodographs this evening, amid steep lapse rates and dew points in the low to mid 60s, and STP values around 2. Given the favorable parameter space, tornado probabilities were increased with this outlook. Otherwise, the Enhanced remains unchanged. See previous discussion below for more information.