Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Topeka, KS

April 7, 1986Lyon County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Apr 7, 1986, 7:31 PM CST for Lyon County, Kansas. It was in force for 29 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Apr 7, 1986, 7:31 PM CST (01:31 UTC)
Expired
Apr 7, 1986, 8:00 PM CST
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Lyon County, KS

The radar

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

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 7, 7:47 PM CSTHail 0.75Lyon, KS

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 75 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 1986-04-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1567 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 1986-04-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -57 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1567 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1107 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
69 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-57 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
152 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
2.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTOP 080131
TORTOP
KSC111-080200-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
731 PM CST MON APR 7 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 800 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF


EAST CENTRAL KANSAS...SOUTHERN LYON

AT 7.30 PM A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS INDICATED JUST SOUTHWEST OF
EMPORIA MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.  DON/T HESITATE.
A FEW SECONDS MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE.

 THIS WARNING EXTENDS THE TORNADO WARNING ISSUED FOR LYON COUNTY
 EARLIER THIS EVENING.

 THIS WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LYON COUNTY SOUTH OF EMPORIA BUT
 DOES NOT INCLUDE THE CITY OF EMPORIA ITSELF.
SUNKEL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 7, 6:11 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas49 min
Apr 7, 6:21 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPMorris39 min
Apr 7, 6:49 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPLyon41 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.