Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 8, NWS Wichita, KS

May 5, 1987Crawford County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 5, 1987, 5:21 PM CDT for Crawford 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
May 5, 1987, 5:21 PM CDT (22:21 UTC)
Expired
May 5, 1987, 5:50 PM CDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Crawford 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
May 5, 5:22 PM CDTHail 1.75Crawford, 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

Springfield, MO (KUMN), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 115 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, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 1987-05-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 122 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, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 1987-05-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 78 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
122 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-143 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
797 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
78 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
101 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 052226 COR
SVRICT
KSC037-052250-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING...CORRECTION TO TIME OF EVENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
521 PM CDT TUE MAY 5 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 550 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

SOUTHEAST KANSAS... CRAWFORD

AT 510 PM CDT PITTSBURG KANSAS P.D. REPORTED GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL
IN PITTSBURG.  RADAR INDICATES STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR PITTSBURG
MOVING NORTH AT 20 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR.

THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL LIKELY DROP LARGE HAIL THAT MAY RESULT IN
DAMAGE TO ROOFS...VEHICLES AND CROPS.  STAY INDOORS WHILE THIS HAIL
STORM PASSES.

FEH

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, May 5, 1:46 PM CDT, 3 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KANSAS
140 PM CDT TUE MAY 5 1987

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A PART OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND
   SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 8PM CDT...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF EASTERN KANSAS THIS
   AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

AT 130 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS...
WERE SCATTERED OVER PARTS OF EASTERN KANSAS.  THE AREA WAS SOUTH OF
A LINE FROM LINCOLN TO TOPKEA AND WEST OF A LINE FROM TOPEKA TO
CHANUTE TO COFFEYVILLE.

INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH  EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS...WERE SOUTHEAST
OF A LINE FROM SOUTHWEST OF ANTHONY NEAR WALDRON TO AUGUSTA TO
BURLINGTON. THIS INCLUDED THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE FLINT HILLS.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS WERE SCATTERED WITHIN AN AREA
BOUNDED BY NEWTON...SALINA...AND EMPORIA.

MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE NORTH NORTHWEST AT 25 TO 30 MILES
AN HOUR WHILE THE ASSOCIATED AREA WAS MOVING EAST AT 5 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN EASTERN KANSAS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS
AROUND THEM AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF FLOODING IS
REPORTED OR OBSERVED...OR THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSERVED.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

STAY TUNE TO TELEVISION...RADIO...OR NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
RADIO FOR LATER STATMENTS OR WARNINGS.

FH
Special weather statement, May 5, 2:48 PM CDT, 2 hours 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KANSAS
240 PM CDT TUE MAY 5 1987

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A PART OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND
   SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 8PM CDT...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF EASTERN KANSAS THIS
   AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

AT 230 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS...
WERE SCATTERED OVER PARTS OF EASTERN KANSAS.  THE AREA WAS SOUTH OF
A LINE FROM SOUTH OF CONCORDIA AT GLASCO TO TOPEKA TO PAOLA.

INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH  EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS...WERE SOUTHEAST
OF A LINE FROM MEDICINE LODGE TO MULVANE AND 10 MILES EITHER SIDE OF A
LINE FROM GRIDLEY TO FEDONIA TO BETWEEN CHAUTUAQUA AND CANEY. ALSO
JUST NORTH OF COFFEYVILLE.

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAINS WAS 5 TO 10 MILES EAST OF
NEWTON.

MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WAS NORTH AT 25 TO 30 MILES
AN HOUR WHILE THE ASSOCIATED AREA WAS MOVING EAST AT 5 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN EASTERN KANSAS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS
AROUND THEM AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF FLOODING IS
REPORTED OR OBSERVED...OR THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSERVED.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

STAY TUNE TO TELEVISION...RADIO...OR NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
RADIO FOR LATER STATMENTS OR WARNINGS.

FH
Special weather statement, May 5, 3:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KANSAS
340 PM CDT TUE MAY 5 1987

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A PART OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND
   SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 8PM CDT...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF EASTERN KANSAS THIS
   AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

AT 330 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS AND
HAIL...WERE SCATTERED OVER PARTS OF EASTERN KANSAS.  THE AREA WAS SOUTH
OF A LINE FROM LINCOLN TO CONCORDIA TO LAWRENCE AND WEST OF A LINE FROM
LAWRENCE TO OSWEGO.

INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH  EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS AND POOSBLY HAIL...
WERE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
PRATT TO WICHITA TO YATES CENTER.  MARBLE SIZE HAIL HAD BEEN REPORTED
AT WELLINGTON AND IN WILSON COUNTY SICNE 230PM CDT.

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN POSIBLE WAS OVER MATFIELD GREEN.

MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WAS NORTH AT 20 TO 25 MILES
AN HOUR WHILE THE ASSOCIATED AREA WAS MOVING SLOWLY EAST.

PERSONS IN EASTERN KANSAS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS
AROUND THEM AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE IF FLOODING IS
REPORTED OR OBSERVED...OR THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSERVED.
THIS IS A _DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

STAY TUNE TO TELEVISION...RADIO...OR NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
RADIO FOR LATER STATMENTS OR WARNINGS.

FH
Special weather statement, May 5, 3:44 PM CDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KANSAS
340 PM CDT TUE MAY 5 1987

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A PART OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND
   SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 8PM CDT...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF EASTERN KANSAS THIS
   AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARING FOR SUMNER AT SOUTH SEDGWICK 410PM...
AT 330 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS AND
HAIL...WERE SCATTERED OVER PARTS OF EASTERN KANSAS.  THE AREA WAS SOUTH
OF A LINE FROM LINCOLN TO CONCORDIA TO LAWRENCE AND WEST OF A LINE FROM
LAWRENCE TO OSWEGO.

INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS...WITH  EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS AND POOSBLY HAIL...
WERE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
PRATT TO WICHITA TO YATES CENTER.  MARBLE SIZE HAIL HAD BEEN REPORTED
AT WELLINGTON AND IN WILSON COUNTY SICNE 230PM CDT.

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN POSIBLE WAS OVER MATFIELD GREEN.

MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WAS NORTH AT 20 TO 25 MILES
AN HOUR WHILE THE ASSOCIATED AREA WAS MOVING SLOWLY EAST.

PERSONS IN EASTERN KANSAS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS
AROUND THEM AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE PLACE bIF FLOODING IS
REPORTED OR OBSERVED...OR THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSERVED.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

STAY TUNE TO TELEVISION...RADIO...OR NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
RADIO FOR LATER STATMENTS OR WARNINGS.

FH
Special weather statement, May 5, 4:43 PM CDT, 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KANSAS
435 PM CDT TUE MAY 5 1987

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A PART OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND
   SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 8PM CDT...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF EASTERN KANSAS THIS
   AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

AT 430 AM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS AND
HAIL...WERE SCATTERED OVER SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS.  THE STRONGEST OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM ARKANSAS CITY TO INDEPENDENCE.

THE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WERE EAST OF ALINE FROM MANHATTAN TO PRATT.
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 20 MPH.

THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DECREASED IN INTENSITY SINCE 330 PM...BUT THIS
DOES NOT MEAN THAT THREATING WEATHER IS PAST.  REMAIN WATCHFUL AND
BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SAFE LOCATION.

ALL OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PRODUCED VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH
COULD PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING.

LR
Special weather statement, May 5, 5:20 PM CDT, 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KANSAS
505 PM CDT TUE MAY 5 1987

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR A PART OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND
   SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 8PM CDT...
...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A LARGE PART OF EASTERN KANSAS THIS
   AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

AT 500 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN REMAIN OVER
SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS.  THE STRONGEST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE EAST
OF ARKANSAS CITY.  AS THESE THUNDERSTORMS PASSED OVER ARKANSAS CITY
VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS REPORTED BY THE ARKANSAS CITY POLICE.

THREE SEPERATE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN PROGRESS AT THIS TIME.
THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FIRST AREA WAS ON A LINE FROM HUTCHINSON TO
ANTHONY AND WAS 25 MILES WIDE.  THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SECOND AREA
WAS FROM PAWNEE OK TO EL DORADO AND WAS 25 MILES WIDE. THE LEADING
EDGE OF THE THIRD AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS FROM BAXTER SPRINGS TO
TOPEKA AND WAS 50 MILES WIDE. ALL THREE AREAS WERE MOVING NORTH AT
25 MPH.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 5, 3:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTSedgwick, Sumner62 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987

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.