Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 9, NWS Wichita, KS
NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 1987, 4:47 PM CDT for Chase County, Kansas. It was in force for 33 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 18, 1987, 4:47 PM CDT (21:47 UTC)
- Expired
- May 18, 1987, 5:20 PM CDT
- In force
- 33 min
- Issued by
- NWS Wichita, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
County Chase 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 5:07 PM CDT | Tornado F2 | Chase, 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 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 114 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1107 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -89 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 900 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 14 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 10 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 28 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KICT 182145 SVRICT KSC017-182220- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 447 PM CDT MON MAY 18 1987 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 520 PM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF EAST CENTRAL KANSAS... EXTREME NORTHERN CHASE AT 443 PM CDT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS ON THE CHASE/MORRIS COUNTY LINE NORTH OF COTTONWOOD FALLS. THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...DAMAGING WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. SEEK SHELTER FROM THIS STORM. 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 18, 3:57 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 355 AM CDT MON MAY 18 1987 AT 355 AM A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS DEVELOPING OVER CENTRAL KANSAS JUST WEST OF COTTONWOOD FALLS AND STRONG CITY. THIS STROM IS JUST THE FIRST OF MANY EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN PART OF KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STAY TUNED TO RADIO...TELEVISION...AND NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. FH
Special weather statement, May 18, 4:17 PM CDT, 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 417 PM CDT MON MAY 18 1987 AT 415 AM AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL WAS OVER CENTRAL KANSAS 8 MILES NORTH OF COTTONWOOD FALLS. THE MOVEMENT WAS NORTH AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR. STAY TUNED TO RADIO...TELEVISION...AND NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. FH
Special weather statement, May 18, 4:33 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 435 PM CDT MON MAY 18 1987 AT 430 PM AN INTENSE THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINS AND HAIL WAS OVER CENTRAL KANSAS ON THE CHASE/MORRIS COUNTY LINE NORTH OF COTTONWOOD FALLS. THE MOVEMENT WAS NORTH NORTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER NORTHERN OKLAHOMA. STAY TUNED TO RADIO...TELEVISION...AND NOAA/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. FH
The office that day
Everything else NWS Wichita, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 6:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Cowley | 65 min |
| May 18, 6:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Greenwood | 29 min |
| May 18, 6:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Woodson | 26 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.