444  
FXUS63 KEAX 172340  
AFDEAX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO  
640 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES THIS WEEK.  
 
- STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY MONDAY MORNING AS  
COMPLEX OF STORMS BUILDS SOUTH WEAKENING WITH TIME. MAIN THREATS  
WILL BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND A SHORT LIVED TORNADOES-  
ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHWEST MISSOURI.  
 
- ADDITIONAL SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY  
MORNING AS A COLD FRONT BUILDS SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION. LARGE HAIL,  
DAMAGING WINDS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING ARE ALL POSSIBLE WITH THIS  
ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
ISSUED AT 258 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2026  
 
A VERY ACTIVE STRETCH OF WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE  
REGION WITH A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO BE THE FOCUS FOR  
ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. EARLY THIS AFTERNOON, A PAIR OF  
SUPERCELLS DEVELOPED NEAR THE FRONT IN NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA  
LIFTING NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA ALONG THE FRONT. WARN  
ON FORECAST AND CAMS ARE LARGELY IN DECENT AGREEMENT THAT STORMS  
WILL TRY TO BUILD SOUTH WITH TIME, THOUGH THERE IS A BIT OF A CAP  
THAT DEVELOPING UPDRAFTS WILL HAVE TO WORK AROUND. CONVERGENCE ON  
ALONG THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE THIS EVENING AS 30-50 KNOT  
LOW LEVEL JET DEVELOPS IN THE OPEN WARM SECTOR FROM CENTRAL TEXAS  
INTO CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS. SUBTLE SHORT WAVE ACROSS NORTHERN  
KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON IS EXPECTED TO LIFT NORTHEAST AND AID IN  
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE FRONT THIS EVENING. STORMS WILL  
BE DEVELOPING IN A FAIRLY VOLATILE ENVIRONMENT WITH 2000-2500 J/KG  
OF ML CAPE AND 30-40 KNOTS OF BULK SHEAR. AS STORMS EVOLVE INTO A  
LINE/ COMPLEX, THEY ARE EXPECTED TO LEAVE THE COLD FRONT BEHIND  
EXTENDING FROM CENTRAL-EASTERN KS INTO CENTRAL IOWA. 0-3 KM HELICITY  
IS CURRENTLY 200-300 M2/S2, BUT AS THE LOW LEVEL JET INCREASES, 0-1  
KM HELICITY IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE OVER 300 M2/S2. THEREFORE, AS  
THE DEVELOPING MCS BUILDS SOUTH INTO NORTHWEST MISSOURI EXPECT A  
TORNADO THREAT ALONG WITH DAMAGING WIND THREAT. AS MCS BUILDS SOUTH  
OF HIGHWAY 36, EXPECTED STORMS TO BECOME OUTFLOW DOMINANT WITH  
STRAIT LINE WINDS BECOMING THE PRIMARY THREAT AND WEAKENING IN TIME  
AS THE COMPLEX WORKS FARTHER SOUTH.  
 
UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK IS EXPECTED TO ROUND THE BASE OF THE UPPER  
LEVEL TROUGH TONIGHT AND EJECT INTO THE PLAINS TOMORROW AIDING TO  
STRONG WIND SHEAR. REMAINING FRONT MAY REORIENT SLIGHTLY AS MAIN  
SHORTWAVE IN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ROUNDS THE BASE OF THE TROUGH AND  
SURFACE LOW DEVELOPS IN WESTERN KS PROGRESSING NORTHEAST ALONG THE  
FRONT THROUGHOUT THE DAY. VOLATILE ENVIRONMENT IS EXPECTED TO  
DEVELOP ON MONDAY AHEAD OF THE FRONT WITH 3500-4000 J/KG OF SB CAPE  
AND 0-6 KM EFFECTIVE SHEAR OF 30-35 KNOTS. STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO  
DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT IN EASTERN KS QUICKLY GROWING UPSCALE INTO A  
CYCLONE/DEVELOPING MCS THAT IS EXPECTED TO BUILD SOUTHEAST THROUGH  
THE EVENING HOURS. ALL HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS COMPLEX OF  
STORMS INCLUDING DAMAGING WINDS, LARGE HAIL, FLOODING AND TORNADOES.  
 
HAVE EXPANDED THE FLOOD WATCH ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL MISSOURI SOUTH,  
AND MAY NEED TO CONTINUE THE TREND TONIGHT TO INCLUDE THE KC METRO,  
BUT DIDN'T GET TOO AGGRESSIVE SINCE THE STORMS TONIGHT ARE EXPECTED  
TO BE FAIRLY PROGRESSIVE WITH EXPECTED RAINFALL EXPECTED TO BE AN  
INCH OR LESS IN MOST LOCATIONS. WITH THAT SAID THOUGH, FLASH FLOOD  
GUIDANCE IS VERY LOW IN LOCATIONS THAT RECEIVED COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF  
RAIN LAST NIGHT. PRECIPITABLE WATER AHEAD OF THE FRONT IS EXPECTED  
TO CLIMB TO 1.75-2.00" AND WITH DEEP WARM CLOUD PROCESSES.  
 
COOLER AND DRIER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONTAL  
PASSAGE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY; HOWEVER, ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION IS  
POSSIBLE LATE WEEK AS A TROUGH DEVELOPS ACROSS THE NORTHERN  
PLAINS.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/  
 
ISSUED AT 633 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2026  
 
DETERIORATING FLIGHT CONDITIONS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT. BREEZY  
LOW VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS BEFORE  
DEGRADING THROUGH THE NIGHT AS A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX MOVES  
THROUGH.  
 
GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS CONTINUE AHEAD OF THE LINE OF  
THUNDERSTORMS THAT IS EXPECTED TO ENTER THE REGION AROUND 05-06Z  
IN VICINITY OF KSTJ. THE LINE IS EXPECTED TO PROGRESS SE  
THROUGH THE REMAINING TERMINALS OVER THE FOLLOWING 6 HOURS. HIGH  
WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL ARE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WITH THIS LINE  
OF STORMS. GUSTY WINDS AROUND 25-30 KNOTS CONTINUE AFTER STORMS  
MORE THROUGH PERSISTING THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD.  
CIGS LOWER TO LOW MVFR AHEAD OF STORMS WITH BORDERLINE MVFR/IFR  
CONDITIONS CONTINUING THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD.  
 
 
   
EAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
MO...FLOOD WATCH FROM 1 AM CDT MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR  
MOZ020>022.  
FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR MOZ001>007-011>016-023-  
024.  
KS...FLOOD WATCH FROM 1 AM CDT MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR  
KSZ025-102.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...BT  
AVIATION...PESEL  
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