3/12/06 NOW: KS/MO

[Mike Peregrine]

Dramatic hook on the storm southeast of Pleasant Hill - - it's headed straight for Warrensburg right now. Looks like it means business to me -

 

[Kevin Askew]

Yeah that cell is scarry looking now. Reminds me of chasing that cell last night. This one though may be more intense. Its a moe for sure with just its shear coverage of an area. Scarry thing for me & wife last night it was our first large tornado and at night to boot. really had to have our game face on lol.

 

[HAltschule]

Large tornado being tracked by spotters on the Illinois Supercell that is headed for Springfield, IL. Same storm with persistent TVS signature for the past several hours.

 

[J.B. Dixon]

Warrensburg, MO is definitely in the firing line in the next 1/2 hour. Also looking at a tightening couplet SSW of Adrian, MO with a sup that is rapidly intensifying.

The Springfield/Columbia/Sedalia monster has simply been humbling to monitor this afternoon/evening. Incredible.

An absolutely crazy day to be monitoring from my couch, let alone being out in the field!!!

EDIT: Looks like Warrensburg proper might be spared......the circulation appears to be passing just north of the town.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

Jim Duncan is reporting a wall cloud moving over Warrensburg now - looks like if any of these has the ability to produce, that one does - 70dbz core - perfect comma shape and quite an interesting appendage on the southern flank - moving right pretty hard.

EDIT - there's another supercell to its southwest that looks to be taking on very similar characteristics to the Warrensburg storm ... this one is rapidly intensifying as well - looks to be moving near Butler maybe?

 

[rdale]

VIL has rocketed up on the central IL cell over the last two scans - now up to 115! MESH of 2.43"

 

[Jay Cazel]

Jay and I(Mike Gribble) are currently trying to get through the line of storms in eastern Kansas without getting any hail damage. We had problems with XM so we are without GPS/radar which makes things interesting when the storms are moving as fast as they are. We ended up getting three tornadoes on the Sedalia storm(southern most storm). There was a fair amount of damage South of Sedalia. All three tornadoes were fairly weak, but tornadoes none the less. We'll post reports in the morning.

 

[Chris Allington]

I would be suprised if that storm in Johnson and Pettis counties hasnt produced or is producing a tornado at this time somewhere near Warrensburg. It still has a persistent and extremely tight and organized couplet on base velocity with an extreme hook on the lowest tilt. Echo tops are around 55,000 feet and there is probably very large hail with that storm as well.

 

[Eric B'Hymer]

I-70 closure near columbia

Dick McGowan called me and asked me to post this, I-70 west bound lanes closed near booneville mo, traffic is being directed down country raod, he states that there is probably a 30 mile long string of cars going between 2-5 mph and there is a Tornado Warning to the west of their location in pettis county. Be careful if travelling this way.

 

[Chris Allington]

weather spotters reporting 2 funnel clouds near and NE of Warrensburg... this day just keeps going.

 

[Jerry Funfsinn]

Skip Talbot and Fabian Guerra just phoned a report of a Huge stovepipe illuminated by lightning on I-72 west of Springfield Illinois.
Jerry Funfsinn

 

[J.B. Dixon]

Yep, Mike....that sup that you & I mentioned is intensifying between Adrian and Butler, MO. It's had roatation for awhile now, and the last few scans have intensified it closer to the ground.

I hate seeing intensifying storms with rotation.....after dark like this. Especially in March.....you just hope after Round One (or two...three...even four for some) that people haven't let their guards down.

 

[Dustin Wilcox]

Anyone been in contact with anyone chasing the Three state monster? It appears it has been gaining strength as it approaches Springfield IL

 

[HAltschule]

This storm is the king of all storms today. If anyone hasn't seen it on doppler as it approaches Springfield, IL take a look here. A huge hook and incredible g2g shear. This storm means business.

http://weather.cod.edu/analysis/paulradar.pl?ILX

EDIT: Spotters are still tracking an "extremely dangerous" tornado with this cell. (As per NWS). It reportedly has been on the ground for a long time now.

 

[Mark Farnik]

Man, that supercell now bearing down on Springfield just does not want to quit! An "extremely dangerous" large, long tracked tornado has been spotted 10 miles south of Jacksonville (30 miles west of Springfield) and is moving northeast at 40 mph. Radar returns show a nicely defined hook. If this tornado holds true to the long tracked nature of it's predecessors, it will steamroll through Springfield in about 45 minutes. Let's hope and pray it doesn't. This storm has been simply unbelieveable in terms of producing long tracked violent tornadoes and sustaining itself. I just cannot believe it has stayed this intense for this long! :shock:
As I feared, the cell in Johnson Co. Missouri has gone absolutely apesh** in the last few minutes. The hook looks like a pointy boot, for crying out loud. Two funnel clouds were just spotted near Warrensburg, which is in imminent danger. And the storm is hauling east, towards areas battered earlier by the mother cell now bearing down on Springfield, IL.
The cell immediately southwest of the Johnson Co. cell is also beginning to go bonkers, with a rapidly intensifying core showing up on radar returns and what look suspiciously like the precursor to a hook beginning to manifest itself in far northern Bates Co. Could be big trouble ahead with both of these cells.
EDIT: A large tornado has been spotted near Warrensburg, hauling east at 50 mph. The towns of Monserrat and Knob Noster are in extreme danger!