SYNOPSIS FOR 6/1/94 - VORTEX 94

Convection which developed Wednesday afternoon over southwestern 
Kansas dissipated after sunset, and a convective cluster developed in the 
region of greatest isentropic lifting over Nebraska during the nighttime 
hours. By sunrise...the convective cluster had propagated into eastern 
Nebraska. A weak stationary front extended across northern Kansas early in 
the day. Convective outflow enhanced baroclinicity along boundary across 
north central and northeastern Kansas. A minor short wave was expected to 
ripple across Nebraska during the day and to extend from eastern South 
Dakota to south central Nebraska by 00Z. Winds behind the boundary were 
nicely backed into the east at speeds of around 15 knots, while southerly 
flow at 10 to 20 knots prevailed across Kansas south of the boundary. 
Winds increased with height to 35-40 knots between 700 and 500 mb but 
remained nearly uniform above that level. Dewpoints in the upper 60s 
pooled along the boundary across northeastern Kansas during the 
afternoon...resulting in estimated CAPEs in the 4000 joules/kg range.  The 
VORTEX teams were dispatched to north central Kansas and released 
soundings in Lincoln and Osborne by early afternoon. Other soundings 
were released around Bennington and Belleville during the afternoon. 

Thunderstorms developed northwest of Concordia between 600 and 630 pm 
and propagated toward the east at approximately 20 mph. Significant 
rotation was measured by the Topeka WSR-88D in a storm which  moved  
across Marshall, Washington, and Nemaha Counties, but no tornado was 
observed. Indeed, the Vorticians indicated that no significant cloud base 
rotation was evident. The  P3 collected data in that area during the time the 
rotating thunderstorm was in existence.

Other thunderstorms developed by mid afternoon along a convergence zone 
in west central Kansas. Very heavy rainfall and marginal hail accompanied 
these storms. During the evening, the thunderstorms developed 
northeastward along the convergence zone, and hail up to 1 1/4 inch in 
diameter was reported southwest of Norton.