Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 3, NWS Wichita, KS

March 17, 1986Cowley County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 17, 1986, 9:30 PM CST for Cowley County, Kansas. It was in force for 45 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 17, 1986, 9:30 PM CST (03:30 UTC)
Expired
Mar 17, 1986, 10:15 PM CST
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Cowley County, KS

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Ok Cty/Will Rgrs, OK (KOKC), launched 00:00Z, 3.5 hours before the alert went out and 216 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Ok Cty/Will Rgrs, OK at 00:00Z on 1986-03-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Ok Cty/Will Rgrs, OK at 00:00Z on 1986-03-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 297 square meters per square second.1939587897117136156Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1726 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
72 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
297 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
369 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KICT 180330
SVRICT
KSC035-180415-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
930 PM CST MON MAR 17 1986 EXPIRES 1015 PM CST

COUNTIES AFFECTED KS COWLEY 

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

SOUTHEAST KANSAS...COWLEY

AT 930 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR BLACKWELL OKLAHOMA MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS INDICATING HAIL..AND GUSTY
WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED.

THIS STORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE FREQUENT..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..
LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN THAT CAN QUICKLY
FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS.

RITTER

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 17, 7:06 PM CST, 2 hours 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
705 PM CST MON MAR 17 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE NORTHEAST ONE QUARTER OF KANSAS
UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT....

AT 705 PM...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EAST PARTS
OF KANSAS WITH SOME INCREASE IN INTENSITIES IN THE CENTRAL AREAS.

ONE AREA 55 MILES WIDE WAS WEST OF A LINE FROM BELLEVILLE TO NEAR
ELLSWORTH KANSAS TO JUST WEST OF PRATT TO ALVA OKLAHOMA. STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN AN AREA 10 MILES WIDE FROM NEAR WILSON KANSAS
TO NEAR GREAT BEND TO JUST SOUTHWEST OF ST JOHNS KANSAS. BRIEF HEAVY
RAIN AND SMALL HAIL IS LIKELY WITH THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY
MOVE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

IN EASTERN KANSAS AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS 35 MILES WIDE WAS CENTERED
FROM NEAR LAWRENCE KANSAS TO MELVERNE RESERVOIR TO NEAR SEADN KANSAS
WITH A FEW SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS NEAR CHANUTE KANSAS. THESE
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 <MILES AN HOUR.
ELAND
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 7:40 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
735 PM CST MON MAR 17 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE NORTHEAST ONE QUARTER OF KANSAS
UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT....

AT 730 PM...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS AND POSSIBLE
HAIL WERE MOVING FROM SOUTHWEST KANSAS AND NORTH OKLAHOMA INTO
CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

AT LEAST THREE VERY STRONG STORMS WERE LOCATED JUST SOUTHWEST OF
PRATT AND JUST WEST OF MEDICINE LODGE.  THESE STORMS WERE SHOWING
VERY HEAVY RAINS AND POSSIBLE HAIL.  THESE STORMS WERE PART OF AN
OVERALL AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT WAS 75 MILES WIDE...ALL WEST OF
A LINE FROM THE NEBRASKA BORDER NEAR WASHINGTON KANSAS TO PRATT TOX
THE OKLAHOMA BORDER SOUTH OF ANTHONY.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 35 MPH.
JT
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 8:12 PM CST, 1 hour 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
805 PM CST MON MAR 17 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE NORTHEAST ONE QUARTER OF KANSAS
UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT....

AT 800 PM...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE RUMBLING ACROSS SOUTH
CENTRAL KANSAS MAINLY IN A 30 MILE WIDE AREA BETWEEN PRATT AND
LYONS.  THESE STORMS WERE SHOWING VERY HEAVY RAINS AND POSSIBLE
HAIL. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST
FOR RENO COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

AN OVERALL AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS WEST OF A LINE FROM
WASHINGTON KANSAS TO NEAR HUTCHINSON TO JUST WEST OF ARKANSAS CITY.
SEVERAL OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE ENTERING HARPER COUNTY AND T|HESE
WILL MOVE INTO WEST SUMNER AND SOUTHWEST SEDGWICK COUNTIES BY 8 30
PM.  BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL ARE LIKELY AS
THESE STORMS MOVE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 35 MPH.
JT
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 8:23 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
820 PM CST MON MAR 17 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE NORTHEAST ONE QUARTER OF KANSAS
UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT....

AT 815 RADAR INDICATED SOME RAPIDLY BUILDING THUNDERSTORMS IN THE
SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF SUMNER AND HARPER COUNTIES IN EXTREME SOUTHERN
KANSAS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
SOME SMALL HAIL AS THEY MOVE NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR RENO COUNTY WILL CONTINUE UNTIL
900 PM.
ELAND
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 8:35 PM CST, 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
830 PM CST MON MAR 17 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE NORTHEAST ONE QUARTER OF KANSAS
UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT....

AT 830 PM...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH
CENTRAL KANSAS.  THE STORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS AND POSSIBLY SOME
SMALL HAIL WERE LOCATED IN TWO NARROW BANDS..ONE BETWEEN ST JOHNS AND
A POINT ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH OF HUTCHINSON..THE OTHER WAS BETWEEN
MULVANE AND JUST TO THE EAST OF HARPER IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

OVERALL THE AREA ABOUT 40 MILES WIDE IN THE NORTH TO 65 MILES WIDE
ACROSS THE SOUTH. IT WAS WEST OF A LINE FROM WASHINGTON TO
HUTCHINSON TO ARKANSAS CITY.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
JT
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 9:07 PM CST, 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
905 PM CST MON MAR 17 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE NORTHEAST ONE QUARTER OF KANSAS
UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT....

AT 900 PM...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS AND STRONG
GUSTY WINDS WERE MOVING THROUGH THE WICHITA AREA..54 MILES AND HOUR
WIND GUSTS WERE RECORDED AT MID CONTINENT AIRPORT AT THE STORMS MOVED
INTO THE WICHITA AREA.

OTHER STORMS WERE IN A 60 MILE WIDE AREA WEST OF A LINE FROM THE
NEBRASKA BORDER NORTH OF WASHINGTON TO NEAR EMPORIA TO THE OKLAHOMA
BORDER SOUTH OF VALE.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN A NARROW BAND BETWEEN EL DORADO AND
ANTHONY KANSAS.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 40 MPH.
JT

The office that day

Everything else NWS Wichita, KS issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 17, 8:02 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTReno58 min
Mar 17, 9:01 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTButler, Sedgwick29 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.