Alert archive / Missouri / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 3, NWS Kansas City, MO
NWS Kansas City, MO issued this tornado warning at Nov 15, 1988, 5:03 PM CST for Pettis County, Missouri. It was in force for 27 min. 3 reports 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
- Nov 15, 1988, 5:03 PM CST (23:03 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 15, 1988, 5:30 PM CST
- In force
- 27 min
- Issued by
- NWS Kansas City, MO
- Area
- Whole counties
County Pettis County, MO
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 5:10 PM CST | Tornado F1 | Pettis, MO | |
| Nov 15, 5:20 PM CST | Tornado F1 | Pettis, MO | |
| Nov 15, 5:30 PM CST | Tornado F0 | Pettis, MO |
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, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 206 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
- 1080 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -191 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 785 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 38 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 228 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 227 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KCOU 152303
TORCOU
MOC159-152330-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA MO
503 PM CST TUE NOV 15 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 530 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY
IN THE CENTRAL PART OF MISSOURI
PETTIS
AT 458 PM CST RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 6 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF SEDALIA MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. THIS STORM
PRODUCED A TORNADO NEAR WINDSOR AT 455 PM CDT.
THIS STORM WILL PASS IN OR NEAR THE CITY OF SEDALIA
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY...
GO TO YOUR BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET OR BATHROOM
ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. GET UNDER SOMETHING STURDY. AVOID WINDOWS AND
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING GLASS AND DEBRIS.
HAGEMEYER/TAUBERWhat forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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, Nov 15, 11:27 AM CST, 5 hours 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
1130 PM CST THU NOV 15 1988
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PROJECTED FOR THE KANSAS CITY
METRO AREA THIS AFTERNOON...
AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST
CENTRAL MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON...INCLUDING THE KANSAS CITY METRO AREA.
A MAJOR STORM SYSTEM CENTERED OVER SOUTHWEST KANSAS LATE THIS MORNING
WILL MOVE RAPIDLY NORTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AND INTO THE
WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. STRONG SOUTHERLY
WINDS OUT AHEAD OT THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR
NORTHWARD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. NORTHERLY WINDS
WRAPPING AROUND THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW BRING A SURGE OF COLD POLAR
AIR SOUTHWARD.
A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL PUSH RAPIDLY EAST ACROSS
THE KANSAS CITY METRO AREA THIS EVENING...SETTING THE STAGE FOR
EXPLOSIVE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
LIKELY BECOME SEVERE DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS
ACROSS THE METRO AREA...PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND
POSSIBILY TORNADOES.
YOU ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR RADIO...TV...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE
LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
EDFSpecial weather statement, Nov 15, 1:21 PM CST, 3 hours 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
120 PM CST THU NOV 15 1988
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST THIS EVENING
FOR THE KANSAS CITY METRO AREA...
A TORNDO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI
...INCLUDING THE KANSAS CITY METRO AREA...AND ST JOSEPH...UNTILL 800 PM.
A MAJOR STORM SYSTEM CENTERED OVER SOUTHWEST KANSAS LATE THIS MORNING
WILL MOVE RAPIDLY NORTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AND INTO THE
WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION BY EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. STRONG SOUTHERLY
WINDS OUT AHEAD OT THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR
NORTHWARD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON. NORTHERLY WINDS
WRAPPING AROUND THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW BRING A SURGE OF COLD POLAR
AIR SOUTHWARD.
A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL PUSH RAPIDLY EAST ACROSS
THE KANSAS CITY METRO AREA THIS EVENING...SETTING THE STAGE FOR
EXPLOSIVE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
LIKELY BECOME SEVERE DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS
ACROSS THE METRO AREA...PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND
POSSIBILY TORNADOES.
YOU ARE ADVISED TO MON_ITOR RADIO...TV...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE
LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
EDFSpecial weather statement, Nov 15, 2:08 PM CST, 2 hours 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
210 PM CST THU NOV 15 1988
...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST THIS EVENING
FOR WESTERN MISSOURI AND EXTREME EASTERN KANSAS...
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL
MISSOURI...INCLUDING THE KANSAS CITY METRO AREA...AND ST JOSEPH...UNTIL
8 PM CST THIS TUESDAY EVENING.
AT 155 PM CST SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG
GUSTY WINDS...WERE OVER NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI AND EASTERN
KANSAS. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE 30 MILES NORTHWEST AND 20 MILES EAST
OF ST JOSEPH MISSOURI...ALSO NEAR HARRISONVILLE MISSOURI...AND A LINE
OF STORMS 15 MILES WEST OF TOPEKA KANSAS.
MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEAST AT 45 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR.
AT 127 PM CST A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED A WIND GUST TO 46 MILES AN HOUR
AT KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE KANSAS CITY METRO
AREA FOR THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. SOME OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING DESTRUCTIVE
WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND POSSIBILY TORNADOES.
YOU ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR RADIO...TV...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE
LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.
EDFLocal storm report, Nov 15, 4:37 PM CST, 26 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY MO
430 PM CST TUE NOV 15 1988
REPORT OF SEVERE WEATHER THAT OCCURRED ON WEDNESDAY 11-15-88.
TIME REPORT
237 PM CST TREES...POWER LINES AND POLES DOWN NEAR
MAYVILLE IN DEKALB CO. MO.
243 PM CST GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF NEVADA
MO.
315 PM CST 60 MPH WINDS IN OLATHE KANSAS
315 PM CST 98TH AND PARALLEL KANSAS CITY KANSAS 60 MPH
WINDS.
315 PM CST 60 MPH WINDS IN MERRIAM KANSAS.
324 PM CST ROOF DAMAGE IN PLATTE CO. MO NEAR I-29 AND
HWY 45.
T AMISSpecial weather statement, Nov 15, 4:50 PM CST, 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO 445PM CST TUESDAY NOVEMBER 15 1988 A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UTILL 8 PM FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST... NORTHCENTRAL...CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MISSOURI. AT 430 PM...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN NORTHEAST MISSOURI... IN THE COUNTIES OF PUTNAM AND SULLIVAN. STRONG GUSTY WIND AND VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL...WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST AND WILL PASS INTO IOWA BY 515 PM. OTHER NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME CONTAINING HEAVY RAIN...WERE OVER WEST AND PARTS OF CENTRAL MISSOURI. THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE HEAVY RAINS WERE IN A BAND...25 MILES WIDE...AND EXTENDED FROM 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF KANSAS CITY TO 75 MILES SOUTHEAST OF KANSAS CITY. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE IN NORTHEAST KANSAS...TO THE WEST AND NORTHWEST OF TOPEKA. THE SHOWERS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Kansas City, MO issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 2:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Daviess, DeKalb | 67 min |
| Nov 15, 3:08 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Bates, Cass | 67 min |
| Nov 15, 3:16 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Jackson | 29 min |
| Nov 15, 3:32 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Clay, Platte | 13 min |
| Nov 15, 3:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Chariton, Saline | 42 min |
| Nov 15, 3:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Linn | 42 min |
| Nov 15, 5:16 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Cooper, Morgan | 44 min |
| Nov 15, 5:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Howard | 52 min |
| Nov 15, 5:38 PM CST | Tornado Warning | EAX | Cooper | 37 min |
| Nov 15, 5:48 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Moniteau | 42 min |
| Nov 15, 5:59 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | EAX | Boone | 61 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Missouri, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988
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.