Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Topeka, KS
NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Nov 15, 1988, 12:09 PM CST for Geary County, Riley County, Kansas. It was in force for 51 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
- Nov 15, 1988, 12:09 PM CST (18:09 UTC)
- Expired
- Nov 15, 1988, 1:00 PM CST
- In force
- 51 min
- Issued by
- NWS Topeka, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Geary County, KS, Riley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 12:25 PM CST | Hail 1 | Riley, 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, 6.2 hours before the alert went out and 97 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
The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.
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, Nov 15, 7:00 AM CST, 5 hours 9 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>Special weather statement, Nov 15, 9:13 AM CST, 2 hours 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 914 AM CST TUE NOV 15 1988 ...NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN EXTREME NORTHWEST KANSAS BY AFTERNOON...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS A GOOD BET FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON... NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN NORTHWEST KANSAS BY AFTERNOON AS A VERY STRONG AND FAST MOVING WINTER STORM WILL BARREL OUT OF THE ROCKIES AND INTO THE PLAINS TODAY. RAIN HAS DEVELOED OVER WESTERN KANSAS THIS MORNING...AND WILL CHANGE TO SNOW IN EXTREME NORTHWESTERN KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON. VERY STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MILES AN HOUR WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS LIKELY AT TIMES IN THE NORTHWEST DURING THE AFTERNOON. ALL INTERESTS IN NORTHWEST KANSAS SHOULD TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AND BE PREPARED FOR THIS DANGEROUS BLAST OF WINTERY WEATHER. THE SNOW SHOULD END THIS EVENING WITH TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF TWO TO FOUR INCHES EXPECTED IN THE FAR NORTHWEST. THE STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING BEFORE TAPERING OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT. IN CONTRAST TO THE WINTERY WEATHER OF NORTHWEST KANSAS...SPRING LIKE THUNDERSTORMS WILL RUMBLE ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF KANSAS DURING THE AFTERNOON WITH A GOOD CHANCE THAT SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE. AT 9AM...COLDER AIR WAS SETTLING INTO NORTHWEST KANSAS WHERE WINDS HAD GONE NORTHERLY AT 30 MPH WITH GUST TO OVER 45 MPH. GOODLAND HAD RAIN WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 35. CRANDALL
Special weather statement, Nov 15, 11:18 AM CST, 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 1115 AM CST TUE NOV 15 1988 AT 1110 AM CST INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHCENTRAL KANSAS. LESSER INTENSITY THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER LYON COUNTY NEAR EMPORIA. THE LEADING EDGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LAY FROM NEAR ABILENE TO SOUTHWEST CHANSE COUNTY AND NORTHERN GREENWOOD COUNTY. THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY AS THEY RACED NORTHEAST OVER 50 MPH. CURRENT RATE OF MOVEMENT WOULD PLACE THE LEADING EDGE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR MANHATTAN TO EMPORIA BY NOON AND FROM NEAR SENECA TO TOPEKA TO BURLINGTON BETWEEN 1230 AND 130 PM CST. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5PM CST FOR MUC0H OF NORTHEAST AND EASTCENTRAL KANSAS. KAYS
Special weather statement, Nov 15, 11:34 AM CST, 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 1134 AM CST TUE NOV 15 1988 ...NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN EXTREME NORTHWEST KANSAS BY AFTERNOON...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS A GOOD BET FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON... NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN NORTHWEST KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AS A VERY STRONG AND FAST MOVING WINTER STORM BARRELS OUT OF THE ROCKIES AND INTO THE PLAINS TODAY. RAIN HAS CHANGED TO SNOW OVER NORTHWESTERN KANSAS THIS MORNING...AND WILL CHANGE TO SNOW IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON. VERY STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MILES AN HOUR WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS LIKELY AT TIMES IN THE NORTHWEST DURING THE AFTERNOON. ALL INTERESTS IN NORTHWEST KANSAS SHOULD TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AND BE PREPARED FOR THIS DANGEROUS BLAST OF WINTERY WEATHER. THE SNOW SHOULD END THIS EVENING WITH TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF TWO TO FOUR INCHES EXPECTED IN THE EXTREME NORTHWEST. THE STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING BEFORE TAPERING OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT. IN CONTRAST TO THE WINTERY WEATHER OF NORTHWEST KANSAS...SPRING LIKE THUNDERSTORMS WILL RUMBLE ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON WITH A GOOD CHANCE THAT SOME OF THE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE. AT 11 AM THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS LOCATED OVER EXTREME SOUTHWEST KANSAS AND THE COLD FROM EXTENDED FROM THE LOW SOUTH OF GARDEN CITY AND DODGE CITY TO NEAR CONCORDIA. A COMBINATION OF SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW HAD REDUCED VISISIBLITIES TO ONE HALF MILE AT GOODLAND WITH NORTHERLY WINDS OVER 35 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 50 MPH. THE TEMPERATURES WAS 29 DEGREpES. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE EASTERN HALF OF KANSAS TIL 5 PM. CRANDALL
Special weather statement, Nov 15, 11:43 AM CST, 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 1143 AM CST TUE NOV 15 1988 A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 5PM CDT FOR EASTERN AND MUCH OF CENTRAL KANSAS. AT 1140AM...THE LEADING EDGE OF VERY STRONG AND INCREASING THUNDER- STORMS REACHED FROM JUST SOUTH OF EMPORIA IN LYON COUNTY TO ABLIENE TO CLAY CENTER. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT NEAR 50 MPH. CURRENT RATE OF MOVEMENT WOULD PLACE THE LEADING EDGE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR MANHATTAN TO OSAGE CITY BY 1230PM...AND FROM NEAR SENECA TO TOPEKA TO BURLINGTON BETWEEN 1230PM AND 130 PM CST. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND THREATENING SITUATION...WARNINGS FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST KANSAS WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED BETWEEN NOON AND 1PM. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND TV FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION. + AKULOW
The office that day
Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 15, 11:27 AM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Dickinson, McPherson | 48 min |
| Nov 15, 12:24 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Marshall | 36 min |
| Nov 15, 12:57 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Jackson, Shawnee | 48 min |
| Nov 15, 1:06 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Coffey | 54 min |
| Nov 15, 1:10 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Coffey, Osage | 50 min |
| Nov 15, 1:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Jackson, Osage, Shawnee, Wabaunsee | 52 min |
| Nov 15, 1:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Nemaha | 52 min |
| Nov 15, 1:38 PM CST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Coffey, Lyon | 52 min |
| Nov 15, 2:09 PM CST | Tornado Warning | TOP | Shawnee | 36 min |
| Nov 15, 2:41 PM CST | Tornado Warning | TOP | Atchison | 16 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 1988Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.