Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 5, NWS Wichita, KS
NWS Wichita, KS issued this tornado warning at May 31, 1988, 3:20 PM CDT for Harvey County, Kansas. It was in force for 25 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 31, 1988, 3:20 PM CDT (20:20 UTC)
- Expired
- May 31, 1988, 3:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 25 min
- Issued by
- NWS Wichita, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
County Harvey 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 31, 3:20 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Harvey, 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, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 188 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
- 36 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -165 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1279 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 10 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -92 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -23 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 312022
TORICT
KSC079-312045-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
320 PM CDT TUE MAY 31 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 345 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS
...HARVEY
A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC 4 TO 5 MILES SOPUTH OF HALSTEAD
KANSAS.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT. GET UNDER A STAIRWELL OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.What 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, May 31, 12:43 PM CDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1242 PM CDT TUE MAY 31 1988 AT 1230 PM CDT...ISOLATED VERY HEAVY STORMS WERE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS. THESE WERE LOCATED IN AND NEAR THE WINFIELD AREA AND JUST TO THE EAST OF ARKANSAS CITY. ALSO...VERY HEAVY STORMS WERE FROM STAFFORD TO NEAR MEDICINE LODGE. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL...STRONG WIND... VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. BOATERS AND OTHER PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THESE STORMS ARE IN THE AREA. OTHER SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AS WELL AS A LARGER PART OF WESTERN KANSAS. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN ;HOUR. WILSON
Special weather statement, May 31, 1:44 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 143 PM CDT TUE MAY 31 1988 AT 130 PM CDT...VERY HEAVY STORMS WERE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL KANSAS. THESE WERE IN A 10 MILE WIDE AREA THAT EXTENDED FROM CHASE TO JUST EAST OF PRATT TO NEAR HARPER. OTHER VERY HEAVY STORMS WERE ISOLATED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. THESE WERE JUST EAST OF ARKANSAS CITY AND JUST TO THE NORTHEAST AND SOUTHEAST OF SALVINA. A FEW IF THESE STORMS WILL CONTAIN SMALL HAIL...STRONG AND GUSTY WIND...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND PEOPLE ARE ADVISED. STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MILES AN HOUR. WILSON
The office that day
Everything else NWS Wichita, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1:59 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ICT | Reno | 31 min |
| May 31, 2:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Reno | 69 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 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.