Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 3, NWS Topeka, KS
NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Jul 15, 1988, 8:16 PM CDT for Dickinson County, Saline County, Kansas. It was in force for 44 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
- Jul 15, 1988, 8:16 PM CDT (01:16 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 15, 1988, 9:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 44 min
- Issued by
- NWS Topeka, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Dickinson County, KS, Saline 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 8:29 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 52 | Dickinson, 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 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 154 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
- 3114 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -18 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1622 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 23 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 107 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 359 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.6
- Supercell composite
- 20.8
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KCNK 160116
TORCNK
KSC169-041-160200-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
816 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES
IN THE CENTRAL PART OF KANSAS
NORTHEAST SALINE...NORTHERN DICKINSON
AT 809 PM CDT A SMALL FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED FORMING ONE
MILE NORTHWEST OF SOLOMON OR ABOUT 12 MILES NORTHEAST OF
SALINA MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
PEOPLE IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD FIND SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
BASEMENTS OFFER THE BEST PROTECTION. SMALL ROOMS NEAR THE
CENTER OF HOMES AND BUILDINGS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR ARE ALSO FAIRLY
SAFE. MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES OFFER NO SHELTER...SO LEAVE THEM.
EVEN A DITCH OR LOW PLACE IS SAFER THAN A MOBILE HOME OR CAR.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. GET TO AN
UNDERGROUND SHELTER IF POSSIBLE. DON'FT HESITATE...A FEW SECONDS
MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE.
PHILLIPSWhat 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, Jul 15, 4:31 PM CDT, 3 hours 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 425 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988 AT 420 PM CDT INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED FROM NEAR WYMORE NEBRASKA TO EXTREME NORTHWEST MARSHALL COUNTY AROUND 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF MARYSVILLE THEN SOUTHWEST TO NEAR WASHINGTON IN WASHINGTON COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EASTNORTHEAST AROUND 20 MPH. NORTHWEST MARSHALL COUNTY...INCLUDING THE CITY OF MARYSVILLE...WILL LIKELY EXPERIENCE EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINFALL...SOME HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS OVER 40 MPH UNTIL 5PM CDT. THE ATMOSPHERE OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS REMAINS RATHER UNSTABLE. THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP VERY QUICKLY AND BECOME RATHER STRONG THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. IF YOU ARE BOATING, BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SHORE QUICKLY IF THE THUNDERSTORMS THREATEN. KAYS
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 5:26 PM CDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 524 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988 AT 522 PM CDT A 15 MILE WIDE LINE OF STRONG TO INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS D EXTENDED FROM 20 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BEATRICE NEBRASKA TO 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF RUSSELL KANSAS. THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN CLAY COUNTY OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN 1/8 TO 1/2 INCH HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THE LINE OF THUNDERS TORMS WAS MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. PHILLIPS
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 5:57 PM CDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 555 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988 AT 555 PM CDT A 15 MILE WIDE LINE OF STRONG TO INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF MARYSVILLE KANSAS TO 10 MILES NORTH OF LINCOLN KANSAS. THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORM IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS WAS 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF CLAY CENTER NEAR FACT. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN 1/8 TO 1/2 INCH HAIL WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH SAND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AS THEY MOVED EAST NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. PERSONS IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR THE THUNDERSTORMS AND SEEK SHELTER SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH. PHILLIPS
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 6:41 PM CDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 640 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988 AT 640 PM STRONG TO INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED IN A 10 MILE WIDE LINE EXTENDING FROM 20 MILES NORTH OF HIAWATHA KANSAS TO CLAY CENTER TO 10 MILES NORTH OF LINCOLN KANSAS. THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS 10 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF LINCOLN KANSAS NEAR BARNARD. ANOTHER INTENSE THUNDERSTORM WAS 9 MILES SOUTH OF CONCORDIA. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN UP TO 1/2 INCH HAIL GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AS THEY MOVED EAST AT 20 MPH. PHILLIPS
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 7:36 PM CDT, 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS 735 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988 AT 733 PM STRONG TO INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED IN A 20 MILE WIDE AREA EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES EAST OF HIAWATHA KANSAS THROUGH CLAY CENTER TO 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF RUSSELL. THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE 5 MILES WEST AND 5 MILES AND 9 MILES EAST OF MINNEAPOLIS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH SOME HAIL A+ND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AS THEY MOVED EAST AT 20 MPH. PHILLIPS
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 8:03 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 800 PM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988 AT 750 PM CDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM NEAR ATCHISON TO PERRY RESERVOIR TO TOPEKA AND ALMA TO SOUTHERN GEARY COUNTY AROUND 10 MILES SOUTH OF JUNCTION CITY. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WESTERN POTTAWATOMIE AND ALL OF RILEY COUNTY EXPIRED AT 745PM AND WILL NOT BE REISSUED. WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE GUST FRONT PRECEDING THE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE REACHED AROUND 50 MPH AT TOPEKA. THIS WILL BE COMMON AHEAD OF THE LINE OF STORMS AS THEY CONTINUE TO PRESS SOUTHEAST AROUND 20 MPH. VERY HEAVY RAINS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING WILL OCCUR WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. BY 9PM CDT GUSTY AND SHIFTING WINDS WILL SPREAD ACROSS DOUGLAS OSAGE AND LYON COUNTIES. AT CURRENT RATE OF MOVEMENT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REACH A LINE FROM LAWRENCE TO BURLINGAME TO COUNCIL GROVE BETWEEN 9 AND 10 PM CDT. BOATERS ON CLINTON POMONA AND MELVERN RESERVOIR+S SHOULD BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER AS THE STORMS APPROACH. KAYS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 7:52 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Clay | 38 min |
| Jul 15, 9:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Ellsworth, Saline | 58 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.